Burnout is a common thing that can happen in any kind of workplace. Remote working doesn’t really help mitigate burnout, either. A global research by The Workforce Institute and Workplace Intelligence, it was found that work-from-home and work-from-office employees are equally concerned about burnout (43%). Involving 11 countries, the research also found that although steps have been taken to prevent burnout, almost 30% of employees would like the company they work for to show more empathetic qualities during the process of decision-making.

There’s an interesting relationship between burnout and employee engagement. In a typical situation, burnout usually occurs when you feel drained after being unable to meet constant demands that eventually decrease employee engagement. However, a study finds that 2 out of 10 employees feel burnout after high engagement. For these employees, they initially cared a lot about their jobs, but intense stress and frustration created a lukewarm feeling towards what they do. These findings point out to the fact that burnout can happen anywhere and to anyone.

As burnout can happen wherever you are and whoever you work with, burnout can threaten a team’s solidarity and productivity, especially when double burnout occurs. In a double burnout, a team’s leader and its members are both feeling exhausted and demotivated. Sounds familiar? If you’re managing a team with low level of motivation while being unmotivated yourself, there are ways to replenish the team’s energy. Here are some ways to double tap the danger of a double burnout.

Take Care of Yourself

Whether you’re a team leader or a team member who is experiencing burnout, the first and most important thing to do is to take care of yourself. They say that you cannot pour from an empty cup. If your cup of motivation is empty, it is probably time to fill it up again. Take the time to get the break that you deserve. Take some time away from work. Do that hobby you’ve abandoned for a while. Get yourself your favorite coffee. By taking care of yourself, you will become more capable of taking care of others.

Respect Each Other’s Work-Life Balance

In addition to allow yourself some free time, give others the life that they deserve. Some jobs can be tough. Certain departments sometimes have their staff work overtime due to the high amount of workload. Asynchronous working during WFH can also make work become more intrusive that it’s harder for everyone to take some time for themselves. Set a certain period of time where no work-related assignments can be discussed. Also, prioritize the delegation of tasks. Less important works can wait. There’s still time.

Identify the Root Cause

A good leader is capable of identifying the source of various existing problems, one of which is burnout. High amount of workload, for example, might make your team members feel more exhausted. Strained relationship between team members can also be another possible cause of burnout. Improvement might be needed for existing company culture, where your staff might not feel accommodated. Let your team members honestly share their concerns and tackle the root cause together as a team.

Commit to the Resolution of Issues

Once the sources of burnout have been identified, make a commitment with your team to resolve these issues. Nonetheless, resolving burnout-related issues sometimes cannot be done overnight. Burnout can be caused by the accumulation of little things. And people can easily forget little things. This is why a team who wishes to combat burnout should look out for each other and remind each other if there are setbacks that drag them away from a more vigorous teamwork environment.

Empathize and Empower

Last but not least, always treat your fellow team members with empathy, and try your best to empower them. Some people have some bad days, but some people may have a rough life. Try to empathize with what they bring to work and how their work changes them. Additionally, some team members may feel exhausted because they feel like they lag behind without getting any help. Empowering them with what they need (whether it’s training or an extra pair of hands) can make a lot of differences.