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Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly half of the employees surveyed have reported symptoms of burnout at work. The WHO defines "burnout" as a syndrome caused by long-term work stress, which is characterized by exhaustion or lack of energy, negative or cynical feelings related to work, and reduced efficiency. 1 1. "Burnout as an'occupational phenomenon': International Classification of Diseases", WHO, May 28, 2019, who.int. As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 crisis, emotional and psychological responses to long-term uncertainty may have a major impact on returning to work.

The good news is that psychological resilience can be learned. Research shows that people with higher psychological resilience are healthier, more productive, happier, and have closer interpersonal relationships. 2 2. Cindy A Kermott and others, "Does higher resilience indicate lower stress and better mental health for corporate executives?", PLoS One, June 11, 2019, Volume 14, Issue 6 ,page 2. E0218092, journal.plos.org. The fact is that although the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s lives may be fresh, fortunately, resilience to adversity is not. As the company resolves the problem of returning to the workplace, providing the necessary support may be a top priority.

Amit Sood, MD, is a leading expert in the field of psychological resilience, with more than two decades of experience, is the executive director of the Global Center for Resilience and Well-being, and the creator and executive director of the Resilience Option , This is an evidence-based framework that improves resilience and builds a positive work culture. The COVID-19 crisis has brought Dr. Sood's years of work and clinical trials to the forefront.

McKinsey’s Ashish Kothari and Dr. Sood discussed how people can use their mental resilience to deal with the mental health challenges brought about by the COVID-19 crisis, strategies to maintain well-being under fluctuating conditions, and what companies can do to support employees. The following is an edited excerpt of their conversation.

McKinsey: Let's start from the beginning. What is psychological resilience and how can it help people adapt in a crisis?

Amit Sood: The definition of psychological resilience is the ability to withstand, rebound and grow-despite the economic downturn. The COVID-19 crisis can be regarded as one of the biggest recessions in our lives. However, although 42% of employees worldwide have reported burnout and other mental health problems since the beginning of the pandemic, psychological resilience during the pandemic is actually improving.

What does it mean? Historically, pressure has always existed. Every generation has experienced different events, from the Great Depression in the 1930s to World War I and World War II, to the Cold War to 9/11 and many other challenges in between, as well as the current COVID-19 pandemic. Popularity. Uncertainty and lack of control are not new. The source of stress just keeps changing.

But this is not the real title here. The title is that we are getting more and more adaptable. We are a very flexible species in realigning our expectations. In the current climate, I believe we have lowered our expectations. This is basically the way we are adapting. For example, I asked a little girl from my daughter’s elementary school, "What makes you so happy?" She said, "I am happy because the grass is green. I am happy because the swing works. I am happy because the sky is blue. Luscious." She came from a country with severe smog. In the first eight years of her life, she had never seen a blue sky. Therefore, this is entirely to meet the specific expectations of the individual.

As we emerge from the pandemic, those with more realistic expectations may have a more balanced view of reality, which helps to form happier views and emotions and allows them to better cope with ongoing challenges .

As we emerge from the pandemic, those with more realistic expectations may have a more balanced view of reality, which can help generate happier views and emotions.

McKinsey: What is the connection between mental resilience and overall physical and mental health?

Amit Sood: Mental resilience and physical and mental health are interrelated. In the past 30 years, as a doctor, I have seen a lot of struggle and pain. I started to study neuroscience and evolutionary biology, trying to understand the brain mechanisms that cause struggling. Why do most people want to be happy, but they struggle to be happy and stay happy?

I realized that the brain is designed as a tool for survival and safety, not as a tool for peace and happiness. This may be one of the proximate causes of struggle that are missing in many psychological and mindful traditions. Since then, we have conducted more than 30 clinical trials on happiness and resilience.

If I had to summarize the entire scope of well-being research, it would be: You want to tell your genes and immune system, "I have a great time on this planet." This positive outlook will tell your genes to shift from inflammatory effects. Anti-inflammatory effect, and strengthen your anti-viral immunity. The opposite is also true: when we feel pain or negative, inflammation increases and antiviral immunity decreases. 3 3. Steve W Cole et al., "Social Regulation of Gene Expression in Human Leukocytes", Genomic Biology, September 13, 2007, Volume 8, Issue 9, Page 3. R189, Genomic Biology.biomedcentral.com.

Stress is not the product of our own will; it is part of the way the brain works. By improving mental resilience, we can also increase physical resilience to cope with whatever happens next. Please note that if your resilience increases by 5%, your risk of being diagnosed with a mental health problem will be reduced by 10% to 15%. 4 4. Shasha Song et al., “Psychological resilience is a protective factor for public depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak”, Frontiers in Psychology, January 22, 2021, Vol. 11, p. 4. 618509, frontiersin.org. In our practice, we have seen success when we first verify that a person’s experience is a struggle we all face from a scientific point of view, and then establish “micro practices” that provide immediate rewards and satisfaction.

McKinsey: From the perspective of your cooperation with the organization, what can employers do to help ease and improve the overall mental health of employees, thereby increasing their mental resilience?

Amit Sood: I am deeply impressed by the in-depth response of many employers to COVID-19. Many people are fully adapting to a comprehensive review of the mental and behavioral health issues related to epidemics from the perspective of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.

From a prevention perspective, I see leaders accept new ideas and emphasize employee fairness throughout the process. They are considering setting up a "safe room"-a place for safe conversation-and doing all they can to eliminate the stigma. I have seen prevention programs ranging from meditation to mindfulness to weight loss guidance. Employers are increasing supportive services, such as remote mental health care, and are making plans to ensure that people have vacations to meet family needs and childcare support, as well as appropriate insurance.

From a therapeutic point of view, I have seen many employers who have started or have provided mental health diagnosis and treatment-including counselors, coaches, therapists and psychiatrists. When these programs are provided for free, they help eliminate stigma and get people to come forward.

Finally, from the perspective of rehabilitation, only a small percentage of people are truly in a very difficult situation requiring long-term rehabilitation. If they do, many employers will develop support or referral plans. But the biggest focus is prevention.

McKinsey: Some employers are struggling to cope with the transition to return to the office. What advice do you give them to reduce the pressure on employees and make them more successful?

Amit Sood: I will tell them to continue to focus on their mental and behavioral health, focusing on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Instead of focusing on productivity, focus on goals, cultivate compassion, and provide employees with agency for decision-making.

Helping employees find their goals and meaning can increase productivity. Compassionate and caring people tend to learn skills better and become more capable. In addition, the more autonomy employees have, the more likely they are to play a role in their work, and the more involved they will be.

It is important to remember what makes employees tick. What really keeps them going is a sense of control and a sense of purpose. If you give them at the same time, it can help combat the cognitive overload that we may all feel.

McKinsey: In most cases, people are social people who tend to thrive in the community, but continuous restrictions may weaken social relationships. What strategies can help people reconnect and deepen relationships?

Amit Sudd: Speaking of connection, wearing a mask and keeping physical distance caused some separation, but the crisis also brought us together in new ways. There are several techniques that can help deepen the connection.

One method is based on perspective. We have an approach called "goodwill attention," where you assume that everyone is struggling in some form. With this awareness in mind, it can help bypass judgments about others, and instead produce a kind of empathy—a silent good wish—even before you get to know the person. Doing this preemptively will establish a stronger bond and bond with the other person.

Thanksgiving for the transformation also has a lot of support. I believe that when gratitude and kindness become part of our breadth, physical distance and mandatory requirements are less important, because the potential to connect with the person you are talking to remotely may be as powerful as a face-to-face conversation. If you encounter difficult business meetings or potentially hostile meetings at work, you can preemptively ask yourself: "Why should I thank the people I will meet?"

Connecting the other part of us is a common goal and recognizes that we are all together. The more we connect through common purpose, the more we can transcend these artificial short-term distances.

McKinsey: As a medical professional, what is the biggest lesson or moment since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Amit Sood: First of all, due to the evolution of the pandemic, the COVID-19 crisis has expanded and deepened my understanding as a medical professional. It replaces norms at all levels and proposes new ways to connect with people around the world on topics such as mental resilience, happiness, and mental health.

Fifteen years ago, if I was talking about the resilience of healthcare professionals or lawyers, I would probably be ridiculed by about one-third of them. This is no longer the case. Sincerely connect with people and know that we are very powerful on the same page when applying some of these ideas.

Secondly, I know more about children who are struggling. The struggles we see children face include sudden loneliness, loss of parental attention, parents "being too much in front of them", and parental stress. Most children don't know how to deal with sudden stressors in life.

Therefore, we have developed a neuroscience-based method to increase flexibility to help elementary students master three skills: breathing, concentration, and sensation. We have completed five pilots of the program called HappiGenius and have 40 trainers teaching it.

In general, during the COVID-19 crisis, human ingenuity and adaptability have left a deep impression on me. The increase in mental resilience seems promising, because we are becoming more comfortable with the controllability of things. As the stigma associated with mental health issues diminishes, I hope that we can verify each other through gratitude and kindness, and maintain our growth while we are completely free from the pandemic.

Amit Sood, MD, is the executive director of the Global Center for Resilience and Wellbeing. Ashish Kothari is a partner in McKinsey's Denver office.

This article was edited by Astrid Sandoval, Executive Editor in the London office.

The comments and opinions expressed by the interviewees are their own, and do not represent or reflect the views, policies or positions of McKinsey & Company, nor are they recognized by it.

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