Let’s talk about burnout. It’s the end of the year and depending on who you are, you are either looking forward to what changes you want to make or finishing that last sprint to get everything done. I wanna talk to the folks who feel a little crispy, a little fried, and a lot tired. As we talk about in the Black Women Thriving report, burnout is an “occupational phenomenon” that ensues from chronic workplace stress that has not been managed effectively.
And for Black women, that stress comes from workplace responsibilities AND cultural stressors AND unpaid labor of speaking up for themselves, educating their colleagues on their identity, or trying to move social progress forward.
And many Black women are saying no.
Good.for.them.
I disagree with the common belief that all of the responsibility for addressing our burnout is on the shoulders of the individual. It is not. It is an organization’s responsibility to improve the workplace culture so that the number of stressors you feel is lessened OR to ensure that there is support in place to help you when the stress is too much.
That shouldn’t be an expectation, not a treat. So as we head into this time that hopefully gives each of us a chance to catch our breath, nourish ourselves, recalibrate and balance, I hope that you will move the burden of how to avoid burnout from your to-do list and onto the plate of your company.
It really should be a part of the deal.