Category: Microbreaks

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Setting 2023 Goals: Dealing with Burnout

burnout

Burnout could have been the word of the years 2021 and 2022 if it hadn’t been for covid and the metaverse. This situation is defined by WHO as :

“a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:

  • feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
  • increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
  • reduced professional efficacy.”

This new definition highlights burnout as a serious matter that needs to be professionally addressed, removing the stigma of behaving as a spoilt kid as “you overreact, it’s just stress”. In fact, as we read in the “State of Burnout” report by Infinity Potential, dealing with burnout is an urgent priority as the latest years have induced lifetime high-stress levels, due to unmanaged workload and the struggle to maintain a work-life balance. The same report explains the fundamental causes and effects of burnout, as follows:

Source: State of burnout report- Infinite Potential 

These five points highlight the importance of empathetic leadership and a well-structured organisational support process that will allow the employees to feel secure and trust between employees and employers to be restored. Now it’s the time for managers to show that they care about their teams’ wellness and to introduce new practices that will actively help employees deal with stress. Here comes Solas VR meditation app as a tool designed for the hybrid world, tailored to destress through short, yet powerful breaks, that allows the mind to unwind and focus again. As a stand-alone solution or as part of a corporate wellness process, our app responds to all  aspects of the above key findings:

  • It is focused on well-being, while directly addressing burnout symptoms.
  • It can become the founding stone of an organisational support program.
  • Microbreaks are a proven solution to a lack of focus, especially when they are related to sessions of mindfulness.
  • VR technology is an important player in the hybrid world conversation
  • As a result, Solas VR meditation app becomes a powerful people-first initiative, as it highlights the empathy of management and it drastically supports employees’ efforts to cope with stress and current challenges.
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How to find inner peace: our PRT 🏴‍☠️ model

“I found myself in desperate need for quietness and safety. I was so stressed, yet all my efforts to focus on my breath were in vain. I ended up ever more frustrated and quite disappointed by myself and everything around me”.

This statement comes from an executive as a response to their latest experience with mindfulness. It wasn’t the first time that we listen to somebody coloring the experience in dark shades. So we sat down with our research team trying to find a very simple, yet effective way foe everyone to make the most out mindfulness.

The PRT 🏴‍☠️ model

If you find it hard to remember just make a mental connection with the Brackbeard or Jack Sparrow, the famous PiRaTes. They have nothing to do with our model, but the might come handy under pressure. Yet, the PRT model describes the 3 things you need to have for your meditation practice to actually work:

Place: Spatial boundaries are significant in many ways. When you try to relax and get in touch with your calmer inner self, you need the safety of a place that nobody will judge you or interrupt you. You can alwaya discuss it with your colleagues/ friends/ family, explaining to them briefly why it ia important that they respect your privacy during meditation. It is possible  that the first couple of times you will still have in mind that someone will interrupt you but as time will prove you wrong you will feel this warm and soothing sensation of safety.

Ritual: During a busy day it is really hard to transit from stress to focus effortlessly. Yet, remember that our mind tends to combine rituals with specific activities (when you lie to the bed the body begins the sleeping process). Do the exact same with your mindfulness practice. Have a glass of water, remove your shoes, sit on a comfortable place. Turn off your phone, prepare your device, put it on.

Time: You don’t need hours to meditate. Especially when at work what you need is a 5-10 minutes microbreak that will allow your mind to pause and relax. Reserve a time slot during your day for this and don’t postpone it, as you wouldn’t do if it was about meeting the most important person in your life. Well, guess what: this is exactly what you do when you give 5-10 minutes to get in touch with yourself.

The PRT model is an easy way to set boundaries and prevent yourself from bumps during practice. Getting the habit to apply the PRT model and you will soon realize that this minor change, actually changes everything.

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Still is the new busy

When someone tells you that they work long hours and they can’t take a break, how do you label them? Well, if you belong to the majority,  then you probably think of them as successful. Being (too) busy has become a signal for success and responsibility. People are proud to have no time for themselves. But, let us tell you one thing: Overworking is yesterday’s news, the present wants us to be present. 

Staying still for a while is not laziness, it’s a skill. It takes time and effort to clear the mind from intrusive thoughts and allow the brain to be empty and still for some minutes. Connected to the breath, disconnected from any worries, still and refreshed.

Being busy is the outcome of a frustrated, overwhelmed mind. You have too many thoughts and triggers that it becomes hard to prioritize, and this causes confusion. In turn, it fogs your judgment and it raises the levels of anxiety, so in the end, this whole process is counterproductive.

On the other hand, taking some time off during the day, like a micro- break in our app, allows the mind to unwind, refocus and regain interest in the subsequent task. It is scientifically backed up, but if you want to test the theory yourself, just sign up for free in the app and take a walk in the irish nature. Stand still, notice what’s going on around you and inside you and be more.

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Seeking Work-Life Balance

work life balance

We are multi taskers. We are open minded. We are forward thinkers. And yet, we strive to maintain our work-life balance. Why is it so hard?

As we become increasingly more connected through technology and social media, the boundaries between work and personal time are blurred. It is like the new normal (that has to change) to check emails at all hours, take business calls at the dinner table and work on our laptops on weekends.

This huge misunderstanding, that the more we work the better professionals we are, stresses our mind and brings unwanted results. How can you keep a balanced relationship, when you live in a life without balance? How can you allow your mind to be creative and productive, when you feel guilty if you are just sitting still?  We are continuously stressed, we over-work and exhaust ourselves,  and ultimately we run every day the risk of, not just jeopardizing our personal and social life, but putting our physical and mental health in danger, as well. It’s no secret that a poor work-life balance can lead to a variety of symptoms which can affect our wellbeing overall, and that burrnout is a silent killer, right?

Work-life balance, among other important physical benefits, aids us to develop greater control over our ability to concentrate and sustain our focus on the task now, in the present. In other words, it is intewined with mindfulness.

Striking that perfect balance between career and personal life has always been a challenge, but today numerous studies have shown that people who achieve a healthy work-life balance, do a better job at work, and they are happier and more fulfilled.  Microbreaks, also, facilitate this balanced way of life, as they allow the mind to unwind for a while, to restart and to see things in a new perspective- as if you have just returned from vacation. After all, our mind is the greatest traveler, isn’ it?

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Science Talks: The benefits of Microbreaks

microbreaks

Do you know what is a microbreak?

It is a short break you take from work (or anything that calls for your unhindered attention) in order to help your mind refresh, hence perform better.

Working for many hours straight, without any break or at least some stretching doesn’t signal a hard-working professional. On the contrary, there is academic proof now that our brain ceases to focus after a while, so we stop being productive or creative.

Do you know what the Troxler effect is? Try to pay continual attention to a non-moving object. In about 20 seconds you will be surprised to realize that the object has “disappeared” from your view. This is how our brain responds to intense focus- and how it can filter reality by the way. The work of University of Illinois psychology professor Alejandro Lleras supported though that the Troxler effect can occur when we focus on any cognitive item. In other words, if you pay many hours thinking about a problem or a project you mind starts losing focus and after a while you stop being intuitive or critical. After some point, you brain just stops being productive. But, if you take a short break and you allow your mind to let go of the project and engage to anything else, then when you return your interest and focus ability are refreshed and restarted.

We used to believe that these microbreaks could be a quick lunch, a short work, any other type of cognitive process, or whatever works for each one. But another research tested the effect of different types of microbreaks- lunch, relaxation, cognitive tasks, social activities- on the relationship between work demands and negative affect. What they found is that performance actually increases only after microbreaks including relaxation or social activities- nutrition intakes, with the exception of caffeinated products or cognitive tasks actually aggravate the negative effect. Additionally, a Stanford University research stresses the importance of letting our eyes wander for a while during the microbreaks.

When we put all these scientific findings together, we build a strong case for the benefits of the Solas VR meditations as micro-break activities. The VR experience triggers the mind to react like we really are in nature, while the eyes wander among trees and rivers, while at the office. The guided meditation allows the brain to relax and let any thought go, so when you take your VR headset off, you find yourself refreshed, with a new interest and viewpoint in the task you have been working at.

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