MAY - 2023HR TECH OUTLOOK8In MyOpinionLauren Serota, Head of Talent Development, Learning, Compensation, Performance & People Analytics, PatagoniaByA few months ago, Amber, a senior HR manager in her mid-forties, felt like she was at breaking point. "I've read wellbeing books, I listen to all the podcasts, I've been working with an executive coach for months now, and still I constantly feel overwhelmed," she admitted. Frustrated, she wondered, "What am I doing wrong?"Since the office reopened, her team had been focused on navigating the company's shift to hybrid work. The process, still ongoing, seems to bring up more questions than answers. "It's such a moving target, and the politics I have to navigate as a senior leader is beyond draining."Amber is not alone. Professionals across all industries are frustrated and exhausted now. As economic and corporate pressures mount, there is little to give. What concerned Amber was what felt like a shift in her state of being. "I always used to be able to leave work at work. I'd do a yoga class or meet friends for a drink, and let things go at the end of the day. Now, I can't remember what it's like not to feel constantly overwhelmed and stressed."It's a question we heard from Amber, which echoes the sentiments of many professionals right now: How do I stay true to myself, achieve my career goals, and maintain healthy boundaries at work? There is no straightforward answer.Stress is inevitable in most professions. Recently, and most notably through the pandemic, we have witnessed a significant increase in levels of chronic (low-level and relentless) workplace stress.Chronic stress is not the rush of a deadline, with leeway to rest and restore afterwards. It's constant, nagging, and ultimately debilitating. The World Health Organization recognized this debilitating impact when, in 2019, it defined chronic workplace stress as being the cause of burnout. The Impact of Chronic StressStress triggers a physiological response in our body: our sympathetic nervous system is engaged, and we shift into `fight, flight, freeze, or fawn' mode. This is healthy. It's part of our survival mechanism. However, when we are subject to chronic stress, we become stuck in this reactive, high alert mode. What was designed to help us survive wears down our systems. Our immune system is weakened. Our concentration is compromised. We become short-tempered and exhausted. Eventually, we lack the objectivity we need to make healthy decisions for ourselves and others. For HR professionals a big part of our jobs is the ability to deeply listen to others, lean in with empathy and come up with solutions that helps to support `people centric' HOW TO CREATE BETTER BALANCE WITH THE UNCERTAINTY OF HYBRID WORK: THREE HEALTHY STRATEGIES Lauren Serota
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