As leaders, it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of our day-to-day work. We forget to stop and consider how our daily actions and choices affect our teams. Are we creating a work environment that supports people, or are we unintentionally pushing them closer to burnout?

Slowing down and working to reflect regularly on your choices can help. By cultivating a burnout prevention lens, you can become more aware of the impact your decisions have on morale, workload, and the emotional and cognitive demands on your team. Here’s how to approach this mindset and create a healthier, more sustainable work culture.

Ask One Key Question: “How Will This Impact Morale?”

Every time you make a decision that will affect your team, pause and ask yourself: “How will this impact morale?”

Changes, even those that seem positive or necessary, always introduce some level of stress. Whether it’s a new project, a change in processes, or a shift in responsibilities, any adjustment adds work. The key is not to avoid making changes, but to be intentional about considering how it impacts your team’s well-being.

Why Morale Matters

Morale isn’t just about making people feel good—it’s about energy, engagement, and productivity. A lack of morale can lead to burnout, disengagement, and higher turnover rates. By actively considering morale in every decision, you’re creating a more sustainable work environment.

Recognize the Invisible Workload

Work isn’t just about the visible tasks on a to-do list. There’s a lot of invisible work that often goes unnoticed but still requires a significant amount of time, energy, and skill.

Consider these aspects:

• Planning and organizing: The mental energy needed to structure tasks, prioritize, and anticipate challenges.
• Managing relationships: Communicating with colleagues, stakeholders, and clients to maintain positive, productive relationships.
• Emotional labor: Listening, empathizing, and offering emotional support to others.

These are all real forms of work, even if they don’t always show up in traditional metrics or reports. Asking for more energy, emotion, or cognitive effort is still asking for more work. When you add to someone’s workload, you need to recognize and account for these invisible contributions.

A Burnout Prevention Lens: Adding Support with Every Change

When you implement a change, add stress, or increase the workload, it’s crucial to also add support.

For example:

• If a new task is added, what can be taken off someone’s plate to balance the load?
• If a change requires new skills or extra effort, what resources can you provide to make that transition easier?

In other words, with every increase in work, there should be an increase in support. This can be in the form of time, resources, emotional backing, or additional help.

Action Steps to Start Cultivating a Burnout Prevention Lens

Now that you understand the importance of balancing workload and morale, here are some actionable steps to start making these changes within your team:

1. Write a “Note to Self”

Create a reminder for yourself that you can refer to every time you make a decision. Write down this question: “How will this impact morale?” Post it somewhere visible, whether it’s on your desk, computer, or planner. This simple practice will keep you mindful of your team’s well-being when making choices.

2. Assess the Current Load

Take a moment to reflect on what work has been added to your team. Are there new projects, responsibilities, or changes happening right now? Understanding the current workload will help you identify where additional support might be needed.

3. Consider the Invisible Load

It’s time to dig deeper. What emotional and cognitive labor is your team taking on that’s not immediately obvious?

• Emotional labor could include listening to concerns, providing support during difficult times, or offering empathy during high-stress periods.
• Cognitive load might involve the mental energy required for planning, organizing, or anticipating future needs.

Recognizing these invisible tasks is the first step to acknowledging the full scope of your team’s workload.

Why This Matters

By making invisible work visible, you validate the effort and energy that goes into tasks beyond the obvious. Respecting that people need time and support to process changes, and that they can’t continue to take on more without consequences, is key to improving your work culture and preventing burnout.

With a burnout prevention lens, you not only protect the well-being of your team but also foster a healthier, more supportive work environment where everyone can thrive.

Remember: Small actions make a big difference when it comes to preventing burnout. By shifting your mindset and focusing on morale and support, you can create a sustainable and healthy work culture that benefits both your team and the organization.

Ready to take action and improve your work culture? Get your free copy of 5 Ways Leaders Can Improve Work Culture TODAY here! 

About Hannah: Hannah Curtis, LCSW owns New Approaches, an emotional health and work wellness company based in Brunswick and Falmouth, Maine. New Approaches supports mission-driven leaders and organizations with the tools to create happier, healthier workplaces with burnout prevention, communication, and leadership strategies.

Contact Hannah today to learn more about her innovative programming for you or your organization.