Let's not talk about wellness, let's do something about it

SINCE the pandemic normalised working from home, mental health and well-being (including the darker effects such as burnout) have evolved from work topic taboo to become an openly and widely discussed concern by corporate leaders. This significant shift in corporate mindsets and attitude resulted in the inclusion of employee well-being as a key focal discussion about the Future of Work.

The blurred lines between work and rest, consecutive online meetings often without any breaks, and sustained multitasking - of household chores and helping kids with their home-based learning whilst scrambling to prepare for the next online conference - plague all rungs of the corporate ladder including senior management teams and leaders too.

Addressing burnout and wellness especially during this period, requires us to rethink the usual panacea of wellness packages and corporate incentives. For example, taking time off while everyone else is at work means you still face a very high probability (and pressure) of being involved in a flurry of digital work-related chatter.