Mexico City, Apr 30 (EFE).- Recognizing and addressing work stress are key factors to prevent this situation from affecting the health of workers, since the so-called “burnout” has increased in recent years. said an expert on the subject this Sunday.
“When a person is trapped in the burnout syndrome, their brain works much worse, they have less mental clarity, they make worse decisions, they are less creative and their entrepreneurial spirit is paralyzed, which is why it is so important to understand the roots in this way. of stress and come up with solutions,” Dr. Mario Alonso Puig told EFE.
After his participation in the “EXMA Holistic” in Mexico City, an event in which the subject was addressed, the specialist in leadership, health and well-being explained that work stress is a very important cause of illness.
“It is also associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression,” he argued.
Burnout syndrome was described in the 1970s; however, it was in 2022 when the World Health Organization recognized it as a condition. It arose as a response to stress caused by work overload or a bad environment at work, the expert stressed.
In addition, he explained that although it was a condition that already existed prior to the covid-19 pandemic, the confinement, coupled with the time of isolation, the fear of contagion, the deaths caused by the virus and the economic situation, among other factors, rates of this condition increased.
Data from the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) indicate that, prior to the pandemic, Mexico was already listed as one of the countries with the highest fatigue due to work stress.
At least 75% of its workers suffered from this condition, exceeding levels in China (73%) and the United States (59%).
“In general, this pandemic has been very hard for most of the population. All the chronic stress that already existed in society before the pandemic has increased, it has intensified, ”he said.
ALL SECTORS AFFECTED
Puig explained that although at first the “burnout” syndrome was more associated with health personnel considering that they are exposed to exhaustive shifts, it has now been recognized that this phenomenon does not occur only in this area.
“The problem is that very few institutions really want to know the scale of the problem. Some hospitals do have statistics, because doctors are subjected to a brutal workload, but without a doubt, this situation occurs in all sectors, ”he pointed out.
However, despite the fact that in recent years and, especially due to the pandemic, this affectation has been recognized, work is still needed to address this problem, since the institutions consider the mental health of their workers as an expense and not an investment .
However, he stressed, it is important that companies, politicians and institutions take care of it.
In addition, he said, it is essential to recognize the importance of mental health care, talk about it and offer support in decision-making, organization of work and personal time, and management of relationships in search of a better quality of life.
He recommended promoting self-care and healthy habits such as exercising, eating well, establishing schedules, resting adequately, using breathing and relaxation techniques, recognizing emotions, doing some artistic activity or meditation and, mainly, attending psychological therapy, which provides support and emotional containment.
In addition to Puig, EXMA Holistic included internationally renowned specialists such as Robin Sharma, author of the book “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari”, as well as Vishen Lakhiani, creator of “MindValley”, as well as Mario Alonso Puig, an expert in mindfulness.
