I have seen this text (“Out to Save Your Social Life”) on a postcard taped to the wall in front of my desk so many times that I don’t even notice it anymore. This text got a new meaning when in 2022, post-COVID, I was overwhelmed with my daily duties experiencing double season time and with the feeling that invisible or unnamed strings were pulling me down.

Then, I figured out that something was wrong: I was diving into my email on a weekend, I was constantly thinking about my customers’ operations, I did not rest, I did not enjoy free time with my family and friends. I was the best example of being ignored even though I was speaking loudly about being overloaded with duties. Obviously, when you are ignored, people get used to it. Does this ring a bell for you?

Burnout caught me by surprise; since that time, I have completely reevaluated my work and life. I said to myself: What makes you happy? When did you lose your smile? I took a three-month break to restructure and to better understand work-life balance. I decided to look for new job, still in the industry, and I found one where I felt appreciated.

One day, my eight-year-old daughter said, “Mummy, you need to learn how to rest and relax!”

Indeed, it is a lesson to learn and even if it sounds like a cliché:

• Speak up if something goes wrong;

• Don’t ignore your feelings;

• Take a deep breath;

• Use the 333 rule (name three things you see, name three sounds you hear and move three parts of your body) to steer your attention away from negative thoughts and feelings;

• Step out if you need;

• Enjoy the moment;

• Make a change;

• Eat healthy;

• Exercise;

• Meet a friend; and

• Spend some time doing nothing just watching the world going by.

These tips helped me a lot. Of course, everyone is different—for some, they will work and for others they won’t, but overall, they can help find a way to help protect yourself from stress.

Recently, I was participating in IAM webcast: “Globally Connected, Mindfully Stable. Achieving Work-Life Harmony in the World of Moving,” and I am grateful to hear the stories shared by Ben Jones and Lorena Torales. I would like to thank you both for your tips and advice—I do appreciate them. I encourage you take a look at the recording, available on IAM website.

There is still a lot to do, and not only as individuals—managers need to see this problem from an employee perspective, as having a good boss can really improve employees’ well-being. Let’s encourage managers to be more vigilant and vulnerable.

There are many ways to help them be more focused on their teams: training and workshops, encouraging breaks (days off, annual leaves), offering remote work whenever it is possible, supporting parents, reviewing employees’ duties to make sure they are not overwhelmed, and valuing your team.

It is important to take care of our mental health, helping ourselves and encouraging managers to take care of mental well-being of the employees who, with dedication to their work, are a company’s true success showcase.