Living and working in San Francisco is invigorating, fast-paced, and can at times, be challenging. In the constant struggle to balance work and personal life, taking care of employees can be difficult to do well. Employee care goes beyond simply giving them a desk and showing them where human resources are located.
Keep reading to find out what the common stressors are for San Franciscans, the risks of burnout, and how San Francisco wellness classes can help.
Living in San Francisco
San Francisco is the global leader in innovation and technology. It is a place full of opportunity, but also stress. Research shows that people living in cities are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression compared to their suburban and rural counterparts.
The pace and pressure of a city like San Francisco can wear you down and increase stress levels over time. It’s important to strike a balance between work and other areas of life and manage stress appropriately.
A recent survey found that San Franciscans work longer hours, have longer commutes, and have more unused vacation time than most other major cities in the U.S. The survey found San Francisco to be the seventh hardest-working city nationwide, with the average commuter living in San Francisco spending 32.8 minutes to get to work.
It doesn’t stop there for San Franciscans. Not only do they spend longer commuting and longer at work, but they’re also battling extremely high living costs. An individual’s average cost of living in San Francisco, excluding rent, is approximately $1,237/month, making it only 6.44% cheaper than New York. However, rent in San Francisco is 18% higher than in New York. This steep cost of living can be another source of stress for many people choosing to call San Francisco home.
Workplace Burnout
The human body is equipped to handle stress in short bursts, but when stress is experienced over a long period of time this is when burnout occurs. Burnout in the workplace is becoming increasingly common. Day-to-day stressors and highly competitive environments are becoming more commonplace, driving stress up.
Almost one-third of San Francisco workers say they are severely burned out, and it has been found that 32% of employee burnout was related to an unreasonable workload.
Common causes of workplace burnout have been found to include:
- Managing overly heavy workloads
- Lack of control
- A toxic environment
- Being held to an overly high standard
- Looking at the glass half-empty
- Lack of a well-rounded self-care routine
Effects of Burnout on the Workplace
Burnout has negative effects not only on those experiencing it but also on those around them.
Burnout can cause extremely negative health effects for individuals, including:
- excessive stress
- fatigue
- insomnia
- anger or irritability
- high blood pressure
- heart disease
But it doesn’t just impact the individual’s health, it also is the quality and quantity of their work. Burnout has been linked to decreased productivity, motivation, attention to detail, and lack of focus. Meaning you’ll have an unhealthy, unhappy and ineffective employee.
An employee experiencing burnout can have an impact on the entire company as a whole, negatively impacting overall employee morale, damaging team-wide productivity, decreasing profit margins, and increasing employee turnover.
Burnout isn’t a sign of an ineffective or poor employee, but rather the sign of an unhealthy work environment, and a lack of appropriate support.
Managing Burnout in the Workplace With San Francisco Wellness Classes
Companies that lack systems to support the well-being of their employees put themselves at an immediate disadvantage against their competitors. There are many ways to support employee wellness both in the office and out.
San Francisco wellness workshops
Mindfulness is the act of being actively present in each moment, focusing on your breath and senses that come each moment to moment without needing to interpret or judge. Within the workplace, this involves approaching situations with patience, openness, and without judgment.
Mindfulness helps employees to deal with stress in a healthy way, as it comes up within the workday and is a skill that can be developed through training.
There are many ways to practice mindfulness, from training and workshops that examine what mindfulness is and explain the benefits, to meditation classes to help employees practice being present at the moment.
Check out the full list of San Francisco wellness help available including wellness and meditation workshops.
Chair Yoga
Employees can find it difficult to find time each day to leave the office to attend a fitness class. Practicing yoga has been linked to reduced stress and anxiety, it enhances mood and overall well-being.
Chair yoga is the perfect answer, it can be performed right at the desk, for as long or as little time as you want. The only equipment needed is a desk chair, and it is accessible for all fitness levels and ages.
30- and 60-minute virtual classes are a great mini morale booster and help build a sense of community.
Resilience and Stress Management Training
Companies with a resilient workforce enjoy substantial bottom-line benefits, including more than triple the annual revenue growth rates, higher innovation, and less employee burnout.
Resilience is not only important for the overall well-being of individuals, but at a company level, resilient employees help to:
- Boost the bottom-line
- Retain talent
- Reduce burnout
- Foster innovation and growth
Mental, physical, and social well-being are key to building resilience, we offer a range of resilience training courses to support developing resilient employees.
Let Twello Help You
The Twello team has all your San Francisco wellness help needs to be covered. Our San Francisco wellness workshops and multipacks give employees a tool kit to help them handle workplace stress. You can organize onsite classes, or virtual sessions depending on the needs of your workplace.
Get in touch with the Twello team today to get started with the best San Francisco wellness classes in the area, creating an employee wellness program to reduce burnout in your workplace and foster a productive, positive environment.
