Mental Health in the Workplace

Regardless of your role with an organization, working in the sports industry is exhilarating because of the exciting events you get to put together. For example, the NBA Playoffs feature packed arenas with screaming fans, creating an electric atmosphere that carries over to the living rooms of those watching it on television.

That atmosphere is what draws so many to pursue sports careers and work countless hours, including nights and weekends, in order to get a front-row seat to these thrilling events. However, despite the fun and (literal) games, the work can take a toll if you are not careful. Robert in Chicago demonstrates this in his question to the WorkInSports Podcast:

“Hey Brian, I know this may be a little touchy-feely for your normal topics, which tend to be action-oriented, and problem-focused, but I trust your opinion, so I wanted to ask you about mental health. I’m feeling really burnt out, stressed, depressed, exhausted, and overall just bummed out. I thought my post-college life would be easier. This is not easy. I’m working two jobs right now, one in sports and one out of sports. I’m not here to complain about pay because that’s only part of my frustration. Am I alone?”

Mental Health in the Workplace

Now is a great time to address this question since May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Unfortunately, it has taken a long time for employers to consider the mental health of their employees. While employees looking for better pay are the primary driver of the Great Resignation, there are many more issues at play than how big a number is on the paycheck, many of which are related to mental health.

In our 2021 Talent Retention Report, employees cited poor management/relationship with supervisors (69.8%), unhealthy work/life balance (62.8%), few advancement/growth opportunities (48.9%), lack of recognition (39.4%), and insufficient support for working parents/caregivers (19.9%) as reasons they would leave a company. Just one of those factors can lead to employee burnout, and multiple instances of these factors guarantee a high-turnover culture with dissatisfied workers.

Going back to the exciting atmospheres of the NHL and NBA Playoffs. It takes a large team of dedicated employees working from 7 AM to midnight to execute an event of that magnitude. Throw in the fact that you have to turn around and plan how to do it again a day or two later, and you have a recipe for burnt-out employees if you are not careful. Some of the signs of burnout at work include:

• Having trouble getting your day started
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling a lack of satisfaction from your achievements
• Becoming disillusioned about your job

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are battling workplace burnout:

• Don’t rely on PTO alone to solve burnout
• Write down how you are feeling about work during good and bad times
• Set boundaries and learn when to say no
• Redefine what success looks like to you

Listen to the full episode as VP of Content and Engaged Learning Brian Clapp explains more signs of burnout at work and how to combat them. Also, subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast for more sports career advice and catch additional content on our YouTube channel.