Burnout in Business – The Role of Self-Care

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11 March 2021 | Updated 23 March 2021

After one of the most challenging years in recent memory, stress and burnout are real risks in the workplace.

Charlson Gaines, renowned speaker and former US Air Force veteran, believes that an increased focus on emotional wellbeing could hold the key to enhanced teamwork, camaraderie, morale and commitment. 

Gaines, a Ph.D. candidate in Health Psychology, sees emotional intelligence as a central tool in empowering the workforce to be cognisant of and to manage their emotions successfully.

Self-Awareness and Emotion Regulation

Mastering the art of self-awareness and emotion regulation means that employees could recognise negative symptoms before they begin to impact daily work tasks, and take proactive prevention measures. Using emotional intelligence to combat burnout, Gaines argues, leads to greater morale, productivity, innovation and cohesion, and fewer workplace accidents and absenteeism.

He says: “So many people are looking for help to transform their misery into a fulfilling, satisfying life because they don’t know how to do that for themselves. I teach them how. No more waiting for someone else to make you happy. You are in charge of your life. You deserve to be happy.”

Burnout is the number one cause of stress-related on-the-job injuries, illness and absenteeism. Additionally, 40 per cent of employees in the construction and engineering sector took time off work due to poor mental health in 2019, compared to 35 per cent across all sectors, with workers absent for between two and five days on average. This costs UK businesses an estimated 40 million individual days of work across all sectors.

Gaines approach aims to help people reach new levels of self-understanding in order to better themselves on both personal and professional levels, whether it’s for self-improvement, becoming a better leader (or coworker), or getting a handle on the difference between burnout and depression.

Watch Charlson Gaines Speak at RE:Connect 2021

Charlson joined us on our RE:Connect Workplace Excellence channel, and spoke about how an increased focus on emotional wellbeing could hold the key to enhanced teamwork, camaraderie, morale and commitment. You can access his session here.

Charlson Gaines is a retired US Air Force disabled veteran, who served all over the world as an intelligence analyst including stints in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Qatar and Korea.​

During this time, he earned his Master’s Degree in Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine. He is currently a Health Psychology Ph.D. candidate. He also spent four years as a DoD-Certified Sexual Assault Victim Advocate.​

He fully embodies the US Air Force Core Values of Integrity, Service and Excellence. Upon retiring from the US Air Force, his career choices led him to earn a second Master’s Degree, this time in Project Management. With 20 years of military experience and two Master’s Degrees, he re-engaged with the military working in both the US Navy and US Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Headquarters.​

Gaines then became a Violence and Suicide Prevention Program Manager. While in this position, he became a certified DoD Master Resilience Trainer and cognitive behavioral life coach. He also became a Certified Trauma Professional through the International Association of Trauma Professionals.

He has a unique combination of skills, education and experience that led him to integrate emotional intelligence and resilience into a system that not only prevents suicides, but teaches people to replace misery with happiness. He’s spoken at over 30 events to over 5,000 people.

His audiences have included US Southern Command, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, and members of the Chicago Teachers Union.

Picture: a photograph of Charlson Gaines

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 11 March 2021

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