Gmoffi Corner - Gmoffi Insight: Stress and burnout – How to get through?

Stress and burnout are not new to the game industry, nevertheless as the industry continues to turmoil and change the topic is more relevant than ever.  

What it is? 

Occupational burnout is not simply just high stress and exhaustion, it's a complex, multifaceted chronic result of unresolved long-term stress which can last for months. It has been linked to increased turnover and long-term medical absences. Occupational burnout has negative effects for both the employee and the employer which is why it's important to recognize it as soon as possible. 

How to recognize it? 

There are three key ways to recognize burnout; exhaustion, ineffectiveness, and personal detachment. 

Exhaustion is usually the first symptom to be recognized. The kind of exhaustion that is linked to occupational burnout won't go away with some time off. If this is the case for you, you should look out for other signs. 

You can recognize ineffectiveness from your own work. Your quality of work and your ability to accomplish your tasks may fall below your normal or previous performance, and you might feel overwhelmed by those regular tasks. 

Personal detachment may be recognized by your peers as well as yourself. You may be mentally disengaged, cynical, apathetic towards others, or even passively agreeing. This kind of negativity and disengagement may result in poor work outcomes and isolation from your colleagues. 

How to manage and overcome it? 

Before you can find ways to manage and overcome burnout it's important to figure out what might be the cause of it.  

Common causes for burnout in the game industry include, but are not limited to, high workload, tight deadlines, long workhours, lack of communication, absence of rewards and recognition, lack of control, poor interpersonal relationships, unfairness in the workplace, as well as the misalignment of yours and the company's values. Many of these stressors are outside of the influence of an individual and many can be an result of poor leadership. 

Some causes can be dealt with individually, but some require effort from your team and your employer. 

As an individual you can incorporate healthy habits to your work life and thus maintain a good work-life balance. For example, you can prioritize tasks, take periodical breaks, maintaining regular physical activity, upkeeping good sleep, nutrition and hydration, set emotional boundaries, practise effective communication, engage in offline activities, as well as utilizing occupational healthcare services for professional help when needed. 

With your team and employer you can discuss adjusting workloads, improving communication within the team, maintaining regular check-ups within the team, and possibly adding task variety among other things. It may be intimidating for an individual to bring these topics up with your employer which is why it's good to turn to your staff representative or HED. They are supported by the union to bring up difficult or sensitive subjects to the employer anonymously.  

Conclusion 

All in all, burnout and stress are not simple conditions to fix. The symptoms and longevity depend on the individual and their environment. Nevertheless, working together with your team, your employer and occupational healthcare professionals you have the best chances of overcoming burnout and stress. 

Written by  

Wilma Ramona Ikäheimonen 

Chair of the Board, Game Makers of Finland