The word ‘burnout’ is becoming very common in today’s work life. Here are some ways to avoid it.
Deepak Nerurkar awaits weekends eagerly. However, unlike most, he does not socialise on weekends. Instead, he zips out of town to his holiday home on the outskirts of Lonavla. This is his getaway, from his hectic daily schedule. Here, he does not answer any calls and spends his time gardening, a rare luxury in city life.
Many like Nerurkar are realising that life in the fast lane needs stress busters. And there are enough innovations to help you cope with stress, from up-market spas to personal life coaches. As long as you are willing to pay.
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Seeking professional help to deal with stress is catching on, with companies taking a lead. While some have hired therapists who counsel the staff, some have started yoga classes during office hours.
Ketki Bhogle attends a yoga class at her workplace. She feels this helps her relax and also get some much-needed exercise, which she misses due to hectic schedules. Besides, this literally reduces her work load. The hour spent in the yoga class is included in the mandatory eight hours of work.
LIFE COACHES
While employees avail such services for free in a corporate setting, the costs for such sessions are steep if you were to approach a professional independently. For instance, a 12-hour session with a life coach will set you back by Rs 2-6 lakh.
A life coach helps individuals focus on goals and maximise their potential. The stress management is mostly incidental. Sujit Sumitran, executive coach, Erehwon Innovation Consulting, explains “A life coach helps you prioritise in life. And along the way he addresses your stress and anger issues to enable you to focus better.” Sumitran explains with an example of a client who had worked with a series of IT start-up firms. He had changed many jobs and was beginning to doubt his abilities. The sessions with Sumitran focused on understanding his core values and finding out if the jobs he held were in sync with his personality. This helped Sumitran's client to identify his key strengths. And moving on to his current job at a senior position with an MNC.
Many senior executives and top brass of the corporate world seek help from life coaches, at their own expense.
On the other hand, traditional counsellors and therapists focus on stress management. Hence they continue to be popular, especially with those in the 25-40 age group, who face severe burn-out problems says counsellor Amrish Bhatt. Also, as compared to the life coach, a counsellor or therapist will charge you less. A single visit can cost you Rs 500 to Rs 15,000, depending on the counsellor’s reputation.
MUSIC THERAPY
Many executives are even taking up private music lessons to deal with stress.
According to guitar instructor Vivek Soares, “When I started taking guitar classes about seven years before, 20 per cent of my students were working professionals. Today, that percentage has almost doubled.”
Taking up music could mean additional investment in the instrument you wish to pursue, with the tutors’ charges. An entry-level keyboard will cost Rs 7,000-8,000 and a basic acoustic guitar will cost Rs 3,000-6,000. Tution fees differ according to the instrument you choose to learn. For instance, fees for group tuition for the guitar will be Rs 200-300 per session. Home tutoring will be more expensive, at Rs 700 to Rs 1,000 per session.
SWEAT IT OUT
Abhideep Das, a sports journalist, feels an hour-long workout in the gym after work is the best way to de-stress. Gym owners have identified the needs of the likes of Das. Numerous international fitness chains have set up shop in India over the past five years.
The annual membership fees for gyms can be anywhere from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000, depending on location and brand name. If you opt for a personalised exercise regime and want a personal trainer, you may have to spend some more - about Rs 5,000 for an in-house instructor and Rs 10,000 for an external instructor.
GETAWAYS & SPAS
If you believe in self-indulgence while dealing with stress, then you can head towards the spa. Stand-alone spas offer therapies in the range of Rs 600-5,000. A five-star hotel’s spa may only begin at Rs 5,000.
The takers for these therapies have steadily risen. Says Harpreet Baweja, director, Aroma Thai foot spa, “When we first set up, our clients included mostly housewives. Today, working professionals, both men and women, constitute almost 50 per cent of our clientele.”
Owning your personal haven like Nerurkar is one of the costliest ways to de-stress. A holiday home can cost anywhere from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore. There will also be a monthly outflow towards maintenance. For instance, Nerurkar, pays Rs 10,000 monthly to his staff at his holiday home. However,this is the only expense which will let you create an asset as well as give you a permanent option to de-stress.