Russians were told about signs of emotional exhaustion at work

Amid talk of layoffs and job market instability, employees are increasingly facing chronic stress and emotional exhaustion. Prolonged anxiety affects not only people's well-being, but also communication and team performance. Psychologist Alina Levina and Development Director of the Dela PR communication agency Yana Voronina told Izvestia on May 31 how to recognize signs of burnout and reduce tension in the team.

As Voronina noted, anxiety in the team is primarily manifested through communication. According to her, in a tense atmosphere, employees begin to discuss not tasks, but intonations, hidden meanings and behavior of colleagues. There are more harsh responses in work chats, and any changes cause a disproportionately strong reaction.

"One of the main mistakes is the silence of the leadership in times of crisis. The lack of information forces employees to think about what is happening on their own, which only increases anxiety and reduces work efficiency. Even negative news is usually perceived more calmly than complete uncertainty," Voronina explained.

In addition, psychologist Levina stated that stress in a crisis situation is a normal mental reaction. However, problems begin when tension stops mobilizing and turns into constant exhaustion.

Among the alarming signals, the expert identified a condition in which rest ceases to restore strength, and a person wakes up as tired as before going to bed. Another sign is becoming fixated on negative information — constantly reading the news, scrolling through the worst-case scenarios and the inability to switch to real action. Instead of mobilization, irritability, apathy, and a feeling of emotional overstrain appear.

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According to Levina, in a state of chronic anxiety, people perceive information worse and react more painfully to conversations about the future. Phrases like "don't panic" or "you're exaggerating" are more likely to increase conflict, as a person feels devalued by their experiences.

Instead, the psychologist recommends using the "fact—feeling—action" scheme. For example, first acknowledge the complexity of the situation and the tension within the team, and then move on to discuss specific steps and possible solutions. This approach helps to reduce emotional stress and return the conversation to a constructive course.

Another way to reduce anxiety levels is to switch attention from disturbing thoughts to specific actions and current reality. The expert advises pausing, concentrating on breathing, surrounding sounds or sensations in the body to reduce the level of panic and help the brain return to a rational perception of the situation.

According to experts, crisis periods primarily do not test the effectiveness of business processes, but the quality of communication within the team. When employees stop communicating openly with each other, anxiety spreads much faster than negative news. Therefore, in conditions of uncertainty, it is especially important for managers to keep in touch with the team and not ignore what is happening.

Analysts hh.ru On May 21, the most productive categories of citizens were named according to the survey results. For example, millennials report maximum productivity (63% of respondents aged 35 and over). At the same time, 46% of respondents among young people aged 18-24 are convinced of their effectiveness at work. Respondents in top positions, i.e. business unit directors, department heads, and top managers, are more likely than others to rate their productivity as high.