Today’s ‘always on’ workplace culture can take a heavy toll on us. Many of us are expected to be on call 24/7 to respond to any query. We are under constant pressure and overloaded with nonstop streams of information. We are simply working more, and harder, rather than smarter.

All of this has a major impact on our well-being. Switching off and resting is a key means of managing stress whatever your profession. However, it’s not always a simple matter of pushing the “off” button.

It is vital that leaders:

• lead by example,
• signal what realistic work expectations are,
• support staff who are showing signs of burn out and
• create a culture that actively helps people manage their time effectively.

It won’t happen bottom up; too many employees are frightened to set limits for themselves.

Anja Uitdehaag