IoD Scotland Autumn 2021

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Technical briefing: Tech matters Beating burnout: Why it’s vital you take time out Arthritis & repetitive strain From spending so much time on laptop/phone Bloating Due to digestive problems caused by stress Overweight Has a high risk of diabetes and heart disease due to not prioritising health and diet Headaches Caused by stress, excessive screen time and intense pressure Hunchback Tension in back and neck caused by stress. A constant feeling of being weighed down Coffee stained shirt Addicted to caffeine Four out of ten entrepreneurs are reported to have experienced a form of burnout in the last year, coinciding with a call to introduce a four-day working week for all landing on Scottish Government policymakers’ desks. Something’s got to give, says industry commentator Bill Magee. A survey conducted by UK business financial platform Tide, chaired by the University of Edinburgh mathematical science graduate and former London Stock Exchange Group chair Sir Donald Brydon, highlights how burnout is increasingly affecting entrepreneurs running their own businesses. Tide’s chief administrative officer, Liza Haskell, points out that while hard work is required to make a success of an enterprise, it should not come at the expense of one’s health. Long hours may appear productive “in the moment” but over the long-term, the side effects of burnout – fatigue, reduced performance, lack of motivation – are likely to hinder progress, both personally and of the business. As the study reported a 40 per cent entrepreneurial burnout rate, it was stressed how important it is to step back and reassess one’s current lifestyle: try putting in place boundaries to create work-life balance, take regular breaks, look after your physical and mental wellbeing and seek additional support, if required. Healthcare professional Lee Chambers was asked to visualise how burnout could negatively impact and shape entrepreneurial performance. The research report in full is located here. What is burnout? A life of constant hustling can lead to burnout, a very real phenomenon that can manifest itself in a variety of mental and physical ways that can have a vastly negative impact on the lives of hustling entrepreneurs. In 2019, the World Health Organisation recognised burnout as a new syndrome and described it as “a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”. Physical and mental symptoms of burnout include: n Feeling tense and weighed down n Increased stress and fatigue n High blood pressure n Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease n Reduced workplace performance n Lack of purpose n Loss of physical and mental wellbeing n Becoming detached from friends and family n Loss of our own esteem and identity Who is at risk from burnout? Burnout can manifest itself in different forms, and certain occupations can increase your potential chance of being burnt out. It’s a very individual condition, with people presenting very differently. Those at higher risk of burnout are in positions that involve seeing trauma, having to detach from emotive work, have long hours, and that are regularly judged and assessed. Those who work in hospitals and veterinary surgeries, therapists and teachers, social workers and law enforcement are all at a higher risk due to the nature of their jobs. Entrepreneurs are increasingly at risk as overworking is glamourised, they are less likely to have colleagues to keep them accountable to balance or identify the signs, and ‘hustling’ is advertised as a prerequisite of being a successful entrepreneur. 20 iod.com Autumn 2021
What to do about burnout, how can you recover and prevent it? Sometimes, people suffering from burnout are not aware that they are until they hit a significant crisis. Looking at our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours is the first step, as awareness allows us to break free from being on autopilot and just going through the motions in life. Finding ways to reduce your stress and reignite your passion are likely to involve self-care. What is important is that we don’t try to rigidly shoehorn self-care into our lives, as this can potentially cause us to fire the perfectionism which might have been a factor in burnout or leave us being critical if we fail to meet those standards. Certainly not beneficial as we need to be kinder and have more selfcompassion. By working on this balance, we get more clarity on who we want to become and start to find the time and energy to be both productive at work and like the things we enjoy doing outside of our career. Sometimes we can burn out because we feel we have to be everything, or can’t say no, and we end up doing lots of things that other people enjoy. It is vital that we find the things that make us smile, laugh and feel warm inside. Having the knowledge that there are people who can support you, resources you can access, and a whole network out there to use makes us feel more connected and that we no longer have to find all the solutions ourselves. Taking an intentional break is vital to rest and recharge the body and mind. Taking yourself away, especially into a natural environment, induces feelings of grounding and serenity, and solitude can give us the headspace to start to process the bigger picture. We are only human and can only do so much. If your workload is overbearing, it’s time to access it and see if there is the ability to get support, delegate, automate or reduce what you are doing on a daily basis. Seven steps to better workplace wellbeing Of course, stress extends to everyone around the entrepreneur. Here, technology can come to the rescue. Award-winning Edward Segal, author of crisis management book Crisis Ahead: 101 ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals and other Emergencies”, told Forbes.com that smart tech can come to the fore as society contemplates a future without Covid. Quoting OneLogin research where 75 per cent of tech leaders believe their organisations value their health and wellbeing, he warns: “The bad news is that valuing their health and wellbeing is one thing, but doing something about it is quite another.” The trouble is recent events will likely create even more work and more pressure for tech, and other leaders and employees. Other contributory factors include a recent rise in cyberattacks, especially headlinemaking breaches of Colonial Pipeline and the JBS meatpacking company, as well as President Joe Biden’s recent warning that companies need to increase their online security efforts to protect against ransomware attacks. Janice Litvin, author of Banish Burnout Toolkit, recommends this sevenfold plan: Take Regular Breaks – giving your brain a chance to refresh and regroup. Exercise – 20 or 30 minutes of moderate or high aerobic activity releases endorphins and the ‘happy chemical’ dopamine are also released. Get Some Sun – Vitamin D released in the bloodstream plus a myriad of physiological reactions occur creating mental clarity, good mood and more. Light – Fill your workspace with as much light as possible, especially if you can’t go outside due to rough weather (what happened to that sun!) Breathe – Take 60 seconds to close your eyes and breathe deeply on one of your breaks, filling your brain and body with more cleansing oxygen, also calm to down for business of the day Self-reward – for the little wins throughout the day Listen to music – this can be immensely therapeutic as the brain releases a happy chemical, there’s that dopamine again. Available in any weather. Dsrk circles & bloodshot eyes Caused by lack of sleep due to insomnia and too much time spent on laptop and phone Nosebleeds Regular nosebleeds are a sign of increased blood pressure Overgrown, greasy hair Caused by lack of time and care for appearance. Deprioritises personal hygiene due to busy schedule Pale skin Exposed veins and pale skin due to a lack of sunlight and fatigue Bad skin Stressful conditions causing skin problems such as eczema and other types of rashes to worsen Autumn 2021 iod.com 21
Page 1: The official membership magazine fo
Page 4 and 5: News: IoD Scotland comment Net Zero
Page 6 and 7: News Clark launches tech PR boutiqu
Page 8 and 9: Downtime / IoD membership services
Page 10: Behind the desk: Jojo Mehta Let’s
Page 13 and 14: “At Skyscanner we proved you can
Page 15 and 16: that the internet was global so the
Page 17 and 18: Role of qualifications in enabling
Page 19: Developing teams capable of sustain
Page 24 and 25: IoD Membership benefits IoD members
Page 28 and 29: IoD Scotland events: Global Confere
Page 38 and 39: Director of the Year Awards Awards
Page 40 and 41: Events Please note: All events on t
Page 42: IoD Events Welcome to IoD Director

IoD Scotland Autumn 2021

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