Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Jan 26 - Flipbook - Page 15
Why Aussie workers need
a break
2025 was a long year. Despite many of
us achieving goals, for some in the
contemporary workplace, striving to
conquer those goals resulted in a higher
probability of experiencing burnout.
Mental Health First Aid Australia (MHFA)
reports that 61% of Aussie workers
experience burnout. Comparatively, the
global rate of burnout is averaged at
48%. Therefore, Australian workers
needed a break.
There are also the physical aspects of
being overworked. Some workers may
experience fatigue, leading to more
workplace accidents. Equally, taking
fewer breaks and overstraining yourself
can potentially lead to prolonged stress,
which can play a role in the development
of mental illnesses. But being a mental
health company, we’re going to explore
why Australian workers are increasingly
expressing feelings of burnout.
Why the Aussie workplace
is experiencing higher
rates of burnout
According to Bayside Psychotherapy,
Aussie workers can feel stressed due to:
Excessive workload, real or perceived
A lack of work-life balance
Limited supports
Workplace and interpersonal conflicts
The power of a break
Time away from work can help us
recover and recuperate. Unplugging from
work emails and phone calls and taking
some time away from the worksite or
laptop can improve our physical and
mental health. As such, let’s explore why
taking a break can improve your
wellbeing…
Firstly, your batteries will be charged,
and you may feel more relaxed.
Secondly, you may feel more creative
and have a stronger focus. Finally, a
break can make you feel more
productive when you return to work
(we’ll talk a little more about this
shortly). Equally, you may feel more
efficient – ready to take your next task
head-on.
Do you find it difficult to
be more productive after
taking leave?
When you’ve been on holiday, you may
still yearn for those white sandy beaches
or galivanting across a famous city. Even
if you stayed home, a rest can have felt
long overdue – but you may feel like it
didn’t last long enough.
So, here are some ways to be more
productive when you return to work…
Prioritise your tasks and write a to-do
list
Set a timer and place all your focus
on that task for the duration
Establish and stick to a routine
Get enough sleep so that you feel
more awake and focused during the
workday
Take short breaks in between
finishing a task and starting another
