On a recent trip to Lapland, Finland, a group of us ordered burgers and fries for lunch at a local cafe. We waited for a few minutes and, almost involuntarily, started getting agitated because our order was not ready. One friend exclaimed, “What’s taking so long?” and, in an instant and uncalculated reply, I said: “They’re not in a rush.” The 21st century ushered in an era of extreme speed, technological advancement and ruthless competition. Life became overwhelming and complex, working hours extended from eight to around the clock, and individuals developed the entitled habit of wanting everything yesterday. Outside of the workplace, employees are working on their weekends and even on vacations. In the UAE, employees on average work an additional 24 hours every month, which is more than those in the US and Hong Kong (both 23 hours), according to a study by Maxis Global Benefits Network. A prime byproduct of society’s addiction to faster work and living is increased rates of employee burnout. Employee burnout leads to many mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, and, in some cases, suicide. In Japan, working conditions are incredibly intense; people even invented the word “karoshi,” which literally translates as “overwork death.” The case of burnout has grappled the world recently, more so in 2019, and for good reason. The World Economic Forum reports that burnout costs the global economy an estimated £255 billion ($335 billion). In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive revealed “work-related stress, anxiety and depression accounted for more than half of all working days lost due to ill health.” In the US alone, the American Psychological Association estimates that 550 million workdays are lost each year due to job-related stress. Closer to home, individuals are struggling with backbreaking workloads and long workdays. A recent study by LinkedIn revealed that the majority of working professionals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are overworked and hesitant to take time off. The survey reported that 65 percent of employees of all ages in both countries feel overworked, and that 45 percent of millennials in the UAE and 24 percent in Saudi Arabia opt out of taking all their vacation days. Perhaps not surprisingly, working women in the UAE were more reluctant than their male counterparts to take time off, citing reasons such as the lack of a replacement or simply having too much on their plate. Until 2019, burnout has been referred to as a stress syndrome. Fortunately, however, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently updated its definition and it now refers to burnout as a “syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed” in its International Classification of Diseases diagnostic manual. Burnout is now officially and rightfully a workplace syndrome, and a legitimate diagnosis. For years, psychologists have seen how burnout can impact a person’s mental health. With the WHO’s new definition, the hope is that it may help increase awareness about the extent to which our stress levels can affect our overall mental health and well-being. A prime byproduct of society’s addiction to faster work and living is increased rates of employee burnout Maria Hanif Al-Qassim and Asma I. Abdulmalik However, while we recognize the significance of this new perspective provided by the WHO and countless psychologists and experts in the field of mental health, we believe it is hardly sufficient to addressing this growing issue. The truth of the matter is that burnout is a systems issue. Over decades, the corporate culture and capitalist nature of our economies have created unhealthy, fast-paced and competitive environments. Ironically, they have also created a whole new industry around issues of mental health and burnout by outsourcing their treatment and management to the suffering individual. The overall rhetoric surrounding mental health brings the focus back to the individual. So, if you are suffering from burnout as a result of working long hours, or not getting enough sleep, and have a very pessimistic view of your life, career and yourself, then you should try reaching out to your family, your therapist or life coach. Maybe even all three. You should also try joining a gym or a mindfulness center. Why not both? You see, our addiction to getting everything we want by yesterday has extended to our need to feel less stressed, burned-out and exhausted. We no longer have the time or patience to identify what we feel or think about the underlying causes of why we feel this way. Naturally, there is a reason why we are where we are. While burnout and mental illness cost hundreds of billions of dollars, the fact remains that this has become yet another lucrative industry. The responsibility of managing and treating a phenomenon that has been aggravated by corporate culture simply cannot be solved by the very corporations that were responsible for creating such syndromes to begin with. Furthermore, the systematic efforts of traditional media channels, some government bodies and countless loud voices on social media consistently lead people to believe that mental health and stress management lie solely with the individual. Who, then, should assume the responsibility of guarding the mental health and well-being of employees around the world? A quick internet search reveals that very few governments have taken worthy measures to combat workplace burnout. Yet it is governments (as impartial public service providers) that should be spearheading efforts to address such a growing issue and safeguarding their precious human capital. When it comes to mental health in the context of workplaces, much is left to be done by governments as we approach a new year and decade. Mental health is a key driver of economic participation and productivity, and hence has the potential to impact incomes, living standards and social engagement. Burnout has been proven to lead to increased spending on health care, higher death rates and decreased productivity. Prioritizing workforce mental health is therefore crucial for the health of both our societies and economies. Prioritizing workforce mental health is crucial for the health of both our societies and economies Maria Hanif Al-Qassim and Asma I. Abdulmalik In 2020, we hope to see the Arab world, and the Gulf Cooperation Council more specifically, champion the mental health of employees and address the growing rate of workplace burnout head-on. Legislation and policies to protect the mental wellbeing of employees, young and old, male and female, citizen and resident, must be at the forefront of our public agendas. Furthermore, we must put more resources into making mental health services more accessible and affordable to those who need them. Guidelines that put the mental health and well-being of employees first should be enforced on organizations in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Studies such as the one conducted by LinkedIn in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which shed light on the reality of our workforce, must be commissioned regularly and expanded to delve deeper into burnout triggers that are unique and specific to our societies and economies. Finally, stricter measures and regulations must be enforced on social media channels that claim to treat mental illness. Arab societies have made incredible strides in combating the stigma around mental illnesses, and there is growing awareness of how modern life affects our overall mental health. It is now time for governments to step in and actively restore balance in workplaces. Mental health must move from the hashtag sphere to the public policy sphere, and must do so soon. • Asma I. Abdulmalik is an Emirati civil servant and a writer interested in gender and development issues. Twitter: @Asmaimalik • Maria Hanif Al-Qassim is an Emirati from Dubai who writes on development, gender and social issues. Twitter: @maria_hanif Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News" point-of-view