The first step to start your healing or processing is to acknowledge the fact that you are experiencing burnout. The key challenge in accurately identifying burnout is that it is a slow process. You will generally not burnout in a day. Burnout is a result of an elongated period of stress. But, you can focus on some early signs of burnout like recurring headaches and muscle aches, fluctuating appetite, inadequate or unpredictable sleeping cycle, damaged immunity, and overarching tiredness across the day.

Burnout has quite visible cognitive symptoms as well. It leaves you to feel a sense of self-doubt and a general loss of motivation to take up any work. You might feel like there is no way you can get out of this cycle and feel the urge to detach from everything around you. Some of us might even use food, drugs, or alcohol as unhealthy coping mechanisms. Burnout can feel a lot like stress, except that it has more prolonged consequences and require more care from your end.

Why is Burnout a Major Problem for You and Your Team-Mates?

Burnout is not an individual problem. Quite often, if one person is dealing with the issue, there might be a systematic theme at play that shows major causes of burnout.

1. Signs of systemic burnout have risen by 33% in 2020.

This year has an uncanny correlation with the growth in burnout cases. Intuitively, it makes sense. Dealing with a global pandemic, rapid changes in the way we work, and constant worry about our loved ones. Many of us had to revise the schedules on our personal goals and settle for deferred plans. This makes it all the more stressful to deal with the everyday tasks of work and responsibilities towards our families.

1. COVID-19 is responsible for 75% of reported burnout cases.

A survey conducted by FlexJobs and Mental Health America pinned COVID-19 as the key reason behind the reported burnout cases. WFH had exacerbated to a new level. Most employees who work from home do not have well-defined boundaries between their work and their personal space. They end up working longer hours without being more productive. This, along with a lopsided and delayed personal finance plan, is making people feel an increased sense of burnout.

1. Employers spend over $190 billion in burnout related healthcare costs.

Burnout may seem like an individualistic or behavioral issue. In the real world, it has very tangible consequences as the problem comes with a comprehensive medical background. Employers are incurring a huge expense in eliminating as well as just dealing with the widening theme of burnout. The primary cost is the healthcare expense the company might have to cover for the employees witnessing burnout. On a more secondary level, companies are dealing with the loss of productivity, morale, creativity, and collaboration.

1. Suicidal risks for burnout.

Like most mental and physiological health disorders, the eventual risk of untreated burnout cases is the hopelessness turning into something major and resulting in unwanted consequences. While this probability of this happening is low, it is still a material risk that has to be mitigated with care, counseling, medication, and other curative processes.

The Creative Solution for Burnouts.

MARCS Institute of Brain, Behaviour, and Development has published research showing the positive impact of music. It can alleviate one’s mood, which temporarily helps in releasing stress and looking towards the more positive side of things. Good music, or the music that you prefer, can also help in increasing focus which can help you take up everyday tasks and feel some sense of regained productivity. Moreover, music has a direct impact on helping you loosen your muscles and relax for a while.

Over and above these effects, music can help you reduced depression and anxiety by over 65%, as per the research published by Mindlab International. The only thing you will need to witness these positives is a good source of music, and that is where the Skullcandy Mood Boost series comes into the picture.

Creativity Comes to Rescue: Skullcandy Mood Boost bundle pays homage and brings attention to one key aspect that has been missing from our lives and has contributed to the increasing burnout. This reflects in the design, artwork, and all the content produced around the Mood Boost series. Some of the most prolific artists like Rina Sawayama, Gus Dapperton, Cuco, and Rico Nasty have collaborated with the brand to create mini-performances and bring the issue of burnout to popular attention.

Be a Part of a Movement: Each limited-edition Mood Boost bundle focuses on a theme like ‘Feel Centred’ that will remind you of a network of people standing beside you, every time you pull out your earphones. On top of this, every time you buy a Skullcandy Mood Boost bundle, you will be supporting the non-profit To Write Love on Her Arms that is helping more people deal with mental health issues.

You can now take things into your hands and begin your journey towards regaining your agency, productivity, control over yourself, and the drive to thrive in your personal, social, and professional space. Explore the Mood Boost series here!