THERE have been misleading statements about mining firms operating in Zambia, and President Edgar Lungu’s timely intervention was, therefore, most reassuring.
It was horrifyingly for some international media to insinuate that Mr Lungu had sanctioned the retrenchment of miners in some local mining companies.
It was indeed an atrocious cruelty for anyone to fabricate such a statement because the Zambian Government has been advocating creation of more jobs for the citizens.
Mr Lungu’s statement has helped to remove the doubts and fears that must have been created by the false reports.
The piece of advice given to the unions and mining companies to promote dialogue is doubly important because that is the only way the employees will work in peace.
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Last week, I introduced a topic that has captured the attention of a retiree. I wrote about the importance of promoting social security.
The retiree who does not want his name to be published notes, with sadness, that many people who have left employment have not received their money. Others have died without getting their dues.
This is a sad state of affairs which should not be entertained. People must not be forgotten when they retire because they sacrifice a lot for the organisations which they serve.
Prioritising social security is in fact one way of reducing poverty in the country.
If retirees receive their dues – on time- they will be able to make meaningful investments for their families.
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Dear readers, allow me to share Erin Bucklan’d article on work-related stress and ways to fight it. Bucklan of DailyWorth states that mental burnout, the impact of relentless work stress, is dangerous and something one needs to be on the lookout for.
You are a smart human. You know what mental burnout feels like and could sense it coming, right?
Not always. In reality, a breakdown at work can happen so subtly it is easy to miss the warning signs flashing in your face.
So here are seven red flags you should be on the lookout for if you want to avoid a serious burnout.
Mental burnout, coined in the 1970s to describe the psychological effects of relentless work stress, happens so subtly that you can easily confuse the symptoms for other negative forces, like a bad cold or a bad boss.
Here are seven red flags that you are under serious mental stress—and how to fix them.
1.You are overly cynical
Finding you are more sarcastic than you used to be? Mocking your pal’s (albeit over-the-top) bridal shower when she has always been a kind friend to you? Check yourself to see if you are going through tough stuff that is making you more cynical. Being a Debbie Downer can be a common coping mechanism for stress.
2. You want to run away
Do you crave throwing it all away and booking a one-way ticket to Bali? Fantasising about going off the grid for good and relocating to a cabin in rural Canada?
This temptation could just be a symptom of “worn-out burnout,” say experts.
Avoidance is another coping mechanism where you try to distance yourself from your job or avoid it because you are putting in too much effort to begin with in the misguided hope that it will accelerate your success.
3. Messing up normally easy tasks
Making all kinds of slip-ups lately? From forgetting your anniversary to spacing out on that breakfast meeting, a sudden lack of attention to details is a warning sign of burnout.
When you have a difficult time remembering things or keeping your mind on daily tasks, say Dutch researchers, it is probably time to dial back on stress to feel less distracted.
4. You are always tired
Do you prefer to sleep away a gorgeous, sunny Saturday morning?
That persistent sluggishness can be a classic cue, especially if you find that one day of “sleeping in” does not eliminate lethargy. Emotional exhaustion is a telltale sign that you are suffering from work dysfunction.
5. You are always disgruntled
At your wit’s end at work? Walking around claiming your bosses are bullies and your colleagues are catty? Sure, your characterisations of a gone-sour workplace can be true.
But these sentiments may also be a symptom of “overload burnout.”
To cope with being a “frenetic employee who works toward success until exhaustion,” according to the Association for Psychological Science, you just may start blaming your work culture (for no good reason) for your self-imposed frantic pace “to get to the top.”
6. You are doubting yourself
You have worked hard to gain traction in your field of choice, so why are you wondering lately whether what you do has any merit?
This distorted feeling of “reduced accomplishment” is a classic symptom of burnout and can affect anyone who has been working too hard, from surgeons to elite athletes. Your mind starts to play tricks on you as a way to handle the constant demands of your job.
7. You are sick all the time
You have got headaches that will not go away? A tummy that gurgles all the time? How about a lingering respiratory affliction that nags at you?
If the doctors cannot find anything, consider a closer examination of your work calendar, say scientists who have found plenty of links between physical health complaints and burnout.
Sometimes work stress can even result in actual bodily harm.
“Higher levels of burnout,” say one author, “led to a faster rate of deterioration in physical health,” from the common cold to heart problems.
How to feel better
If you said yes to any of the above, it is time to step back and start making changes. Try one of the following:
Intentionally book some time with friends who always put a smile on your face.
That means you are going to have to scale back on some of the work demands on your calendar, but that is the point, is it not?
Splurge on yourself with a little TLC. Whether this means booking a spa appointment or tickets to a hot show you have read about, it is time to renew your appreciation of the world you have worked hard to build for yourself.
Trim down your to-do list. When you are letting important details slip through the cracks, chances are you have crammed more into your day than is realistically possible.
Express work concerns to your bosses.
It may seem counterintuitive to draw attention to your dissatisfaction to those you believe are to blame.
But, when you approach this conversation as an intervention, not a conflict, you may be able to remove the tensions at last.
Reorganise your work goals to invigorate yourself again.
The burnout connected to exhaustion can indicate that you are not just tired, but tired of the same old minutiae of your day-to-day routine.
Seek ways to take on new responsibilities in the same field to feel more engaged. Join an organisation related to an aspect of your job that you would like to gain more experience in.
Dear readers, let us keep this link open as we share matters on labour and employment.
(This column is an initiative of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. For comments or questions, email info@mlss.gov.zm or niza12001@yahoo.com)