Our brains are pretty good at dealing with short bursts of stress, but not so good at dealing with continual low-grade pressure. Several months into the global COVID pandemic, employees and business owners alike are grappling with increased anxiety levels and lower productivity rates as a result.
In fact, the World Health Organisation has recently updated its definition of burnout from a stress syndrome to “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” It is characterized by three symptoms:1
According to neuroscience expert, Dr Patrick Porter, mental clarity is crucial for productivity. Increased levels of stress, anxiety and fear elevate cortisol levels in the brain which interferes with memory, making it near impossible to concentrate and focus on your work. It has become crucial, therefore, to find positive strategies to combat distraction, reduce stress and increase mental clarity.2
Here are some useful strategies that you can experiment with to help you in achieving more equilibrium in your daily work and life.3