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Expat job fairs & career events in Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam & Utrecht (2026–2027)

by adminJuly 11, 2026 Career Coaching0 comments

Looking to advance your career in the Netherlands? Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht and the cities in between host a variety of job fairs, career events and open company days suited to highly skilled international professionals. Whether you’re in technology, finance, healthcare, marketing, or engineering, these events provide opportunities to network, meet top employers, and explore new career paths. Living or looking elsewhere in the country? See our companion guide to career events in the North, East and South of the Netherlands.

Note on dates: the list runs from autumn 2026 through spring 2027. Where a date shows “to be confirmed”, the event is a recurring annual whose new date is published closer to the event — check the organiser’s website before you go.

Expat-focused career events

  • IamExpat Fair — The Hague (Grote Kerk) — 7 Nov 2026
    Jobs, housing, banking and community — internationals welcome.
    Who it’s for: the international community in and around The Hague — expats, accompanying partners and newcomers looking for work, services and connections.
  • Career Workshop for Internationals — Amsterdam — September 2026 (online & in-person)
    Hands-on CV/LinkedIn coaching; practice employer messaging. Run by IN Amsterdam.
    Who it’s for: internationals new to the Dutch job market — recent arrivals, partners of relocated employees and anyone needing practical, one-on-one application help.
  • Seminar: The Dutch Job Market — Amsterdam — to be confirmed
    How hiring works in NL; optimise your applications. Watch the IN Amsterdam calendar for the next date.
    Who it’s for: internationals unfamiliar with Dutch hiring norms — newcomers and job seekers wanting to understand how recruitment works here.

Job & career fairs

  • Amsterdam Tech Job Fair — Amsterdam — 30 Oct 2026
    Meet multiple tech employers hiring now — CV chats on the spot.
    Who it’s for: international tech professionals — software developers, data, product, design and IT roles, from mid-level to senior, including those relocating.
  • Amsterdam Career Days — Amsterdam — early March 2027 (to be confirmed)
    Top employers; strategy/finance/consulting tracks; pre-book interviews.
    Who it’s for: students and young professionals — especially business, finance, consulting and strategy graduates at the start of their careers.
  • GSLS Life Sciences Career Days — Utrecht — March 2027 (to be confirmed)
    Workshops + employer booths for R&D/biotech careers.
    Who it’s for: life-sciences students, PhD candidates and early-career researchers moving into R&D, biotech and pharma.
  • VU Career Skills Day — Amsterdam — February 2027 (to be confirmed)
    Polish your pitch; meet recruiters and alumni.
    Who it’s for: students and recent graduates working on their CV, pitch and interview skills before entering the job market.
  • International Talent Event Amsterdam (ITEA) — Amsterdam — April 2027 (to be confirmed)
    City-wide employer showcase; internationals welcome; fast networking.
    Who it’s for: international students and graduates in the Amsterdam area looking to kickstart a career in the Netherlands — entry-level to junior.

Industry conferences with hiring potential

Tech leadership, AI & data

  • World Summit AI — Amsterdam (Taets) — 7–8 Oct 2026
    C-suite/data leaders; partner lounges; serious hiring & BD.
    Who it’s for: senior AI and data professionals — heads of AI/data, product and engineering leaders, founders and investors. Not aimed at entry-level.

Cybersecurity & cloud (manager+ audiences)

  • Cybersec Netherlands — Utrecht (Jaarbeurs) — 9–10 Sep 2026
    CISOs/security leaders; vendor briefings; leadership hiring.
    Who it’s for: security professionals and decision-makers — CISOs, security managers, SOC/IT-security engineers and consultants.
  • Cyber Security & Cloud Expo Europe — Amsterdam (RAI) — 19–20 Oct 2026
    Cloud/security platforms; meet MSPs and enterprise buyers.
    Who it’s for: cloud and security professionals — enterprise IT buyers, architects, developers, MSPs and technology decision-makers.

Media/tech & marketing

  • IBC 2026 — Amsterdam (RAI) — 11–14 Sep 2026
    Global media/streaming vendors; exec tracks; active hiring.
    Who it’s for: media, broadcast, streaming and content-technology professionals — engineers, product specialists, executives and vendors across the industry.
  • DigiMarCon Amsterdam — Johan Cruijff ArenA — 17–18 Sep 2026
    Enterprise marketing/data leaders; case-study networking.
    Who it’s for: digital marketing, media and advertising professionals — from marketing managers up to Heads of Marketing and CMOs.
  • Emerce eDay — Amsterdam (Kromhouthal) — 5 Nov 2026
    Digital innovation leads; hiring for product/strategy.
    Who it’s for: digital business, e-commerce, product and innovation professionals — mid-level to senior roles.
  • DMWF Europe — Amsterdam (RAI) — 24–25 Nov 2026
    CMO/Head-of performance circle; martech and data roles.
    Who it’s for: senior digital marketing leaders — CMOs, Heads of Digital/Performance and martech and data specialists.

Life sciences & health

  • Dutch Medicines Days — Leiden (CORPUS) — 7–8 Oct 2026
    Regulatory/clinical leaders; pharma/biotech networking.
    Who it’s for: pharmaceutical scientists and drug-development professionals across academia, industry and government — research, clinical and regulatory roles.
  • Health~Holland Global Investor Forum — Utrecht — 10–11 Mar 2027
    Founders meet investors; BD, corporate innovation, senior roles.
    Who it’s for: life-sciences & health founders, investors and business-development/corporate-innovation leaders — senior and strategic profiles.
  • Innovation for Health — Utrecht — 11 Mar 2027
    NL’s biggest LS&H conference; exec tracks and partnering.
    Who it’s for: life-sciences and health executives, innovators, researchers and partnering professionals looking to connect across the sector.
  • Zorg & ICT — Utrecht (Jaarbeurs) — 13–15 Apr 2027
    Health-IT buyers; CIO/CMIO crowd; digital care platforms.
    Who it’s for: healthcare-IT professionals and buyers — CIOs, CMIOs, digital-care vendors and care organisations adopting technology.

Energy, logistics & heavy industry

Open company days in and around the big cities

Open company days (open bedrijvendagen) are a very Dutch phenomenon: once a year, companies open their doors to everyone — no invitation, no CV required. For a job-seeking expat they’re a low-pressure way to walk into a workplace, see the culture, and talk to actual employees instead of recruiters. Most are free.

  • Wereldhavendagen (World Port Days) — Rotterdam — 4–6 Sep 2026
    The largest maritime event in the Netherlands: around 150 port companies show their operations, ships, cranes and innovation projects on and around the quays.
    Why interesting for expats: the port employs heavily in logistics, energy transition, engineering and IT — sectors that hire internationals. A relaxed way to scout employers like the Port Authority, terminal operators and offshore firms.
  • ESA ESTEC Open Days — Noordwijk — 26–27 Sep 2026
    The European Space Agency’s largest technical centre opens its labs and test facilities to the public once a year. Free, but tickets go fast.
    Why interesting for expats: ESTEC is one of the most international workplaces in the country (English is the working language), and the wider NL Space cluster around it hires engineers, scientists and support professionals from abroad.
  • Wetenschapsdag Amsterdam Science Park — Amsterdam — 3 Oct 2026
    Research institutes AMOLF, ARCNL, CWI, Nikhef and the UvA science faculty open their doors with tours, demos and talks.
    Why interesting for expats: these institutes recruit internationally for research, engineering and software roles, and the Science Park is also home to a growing cluster of deep-tech start-ups.
  • Kom in de Kas — Westland & other greenhouse regions — 3–4 Apr 2027
    The annual open weekend of Dutch greenhouse horticulture: growers across the country, with the Westland (between The Hague and Rotterdam) as the heartland, show how high-tech food and flower production works.
    Why interesting for expats: Dutch horticulture is a world leader that hires in agri-tech, data, robotics, logistics and international trade — not just growing.

The big cities in the west of the Netherlands offer a wealth of opportunities for highly skilled expats seeking career advancement. Whether you’re looking for a job in technology, finance, marketing, healthcare, engineering, or sustainability, these events will connect you with the right employers and provide a competitive edge in your job search. And don’t forget: some of the country’s strongest job markets lie beyond these cities — see our guide to career events and open company days in the rest of the Netherlands.

Looking for personalised career coaching? Orange Expats helps international professionals navigate their career paths in the Netherlands.

Learn More

Career events, job fairs & open company days in the North, East and South of the Netherlands (2026–2027)

by adminJuly 11, 2026 Career Coaching0 comments

Not every opportunity is in Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam or Utrecht. Brainport Eindhoven is the most international tech hub in the country, the North has a tight labour market where employers actively welcome English-speaking candidates, and university cities like Enschede, Nijmegen, Wageningen and Maastricht run large career events of their own. Below you’ll find expat-focused events and employer meet-ups, regional job fairs, and open company days (open bedrijvendagen) in the North, East and South of the Netherlands — plus a few nationwide open days worth tracking wherever you live. Based in or around one of the big cities in the west? See our companion guide to job fairs and career events in Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht.

Note on dates: many of these run on a rolling schedule or are annual events whose exact new date is published closer to the day. Where a date shows “to be confirmed”, check the organiser’s website (linked) before you go.

Expat-focused events & employer meet-ups

  • IamExpat Fair — Eindhoven (Klokgebouw) — 3 Oct 2026
    Career zone + relocation services under one roof — ideal for switching roles smoothly.
    Who it’s for: internationals living in or moving to the Netherlands (and their partners) — job seekers of all levels plus anyone who needs housing, tax, banking or relocation services.
  • Expat Spouses Initiative (ESI) — Talent100 & employer sessions — ongoing (next: 13 Aug 2026, online)
    ESI connects international talent with employers through its Talent100 programme, information sessions and company introductions.
    Who it’s for: accompanying partners and spouses of relocated internationals who want to (re)enter the Dutch job market.
  • Holland Expat Center South — networking & “find a job” events — ongoing (year-round)
    Regular networking evenings, employer meet-ups, start-up walk-in hours and “work / find a job” sessions in the Brainport Eindhoven region.
    Who it’s for: internationals living or arriving in the Brainport Eindhoven / South-Netherlands region — job seekers, partners and entrepreneurs.
  • Make it in the North — career events & job-hunt advice — ongoing (e.g. 27 Aug & 2 Sep 2026, Groningen; EURES Career Workshop Sep 2026)
    The jobs platform for the three northern provinces, with recurring walk-in job-hunt advice, career workshops and employer connections.
    Who it’s for: English-speaking internationals looking for work in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe — all levels.

Regional job & career fairs

East (Twente & Gelderland)

  • Business Days Twente — Career Fair — February 2027 (to be confirmed)
    One of the largest student career fairs in the east, with 160+ companies, held annually in February at the University of Twente in Enschede.
    Who it’s for: students and graduates — especially in technology, engineering and business; English-friendly through UT’s international programmes.
  • Nijmegen Career Event (NCE) — Nijmegen — 24–25 Nov 2026
    Annual career event connecting students and companies in the Nijmegen region (Radboud University).
    Who it’s for: students and recent graduates (starters) across disciplines; companies recruiting early-career talent.
  • WUR Career Day — Wageningen — biennial (to be confirmed)
    Wageningen University’s biennial recruitment day connecting students with employers.
    Who it’s for: students and graduates in food, agri, environment and life sciences. Check the WUR site for the next edition.

South (Brainport Eindhoven & Limburg)

  • TU/e Career Expo (Wervingsdagen) — Eindhoven — 2–4 Mar 2027
    High-density engineering roles; talk directly to hiring teams.
    Who it’s for: students and recent graduates in engineering, technology and high-tech (starters and interns) looking for their first roles in the Brainport region.
  • MedTech Career Event (Brainport) — Eindhoven — autumn 2026 (to be confirmed)
    Medtech employers; hardware/QA/RA/clinical engineering talks.
    Who it’s for: medtech job seekers and professionals — hardware, embedded, QA/RA and clinical engineering, from students to experienced engineers.
  • FSE STEM Career Day (Maastricht University) — April 2027 (to be confirmed)
    Annual career day (the 2026 edition was 16 April) where STEM students and industry meet, network and recruit.
    Who it’s for: STEM students and graduates; Maastricht University is one of the most international, English-taught universities in the country.

Open company days (open bedrijvendagen)

Open company days are a very Dutch phenomenon: once a year, companies open their doors to everyone — no invitation, no CV required. They’re aimed at the general public, but for a job-seeking expat they’re a low-pressure way to walk into a workplace, see the culture, and talk to actual employees instead of recruiters. Most are free and don’t require registration.

  • Open Bedrijvendag Emmen — Emmen (Drenthe) — 7 Nov 2026
    Companies across Emmen open their doors on the first Saturday of November, from manufacturing to services, 10:00–16:00.
    Why interesting for expats: the North has a tight labour market and employers here are increasingly open to English-speaking candidates — a walk-in chance to meet them directly.
  • High Tech Ontdekkingsroute (Dutch Technology Week) — Brainport Eindhoven region — June 2027 (to be confirmed; 2026 edition was 13 June)
    Companies and campuses across the Brainport region open their doors on one Saturday, including the High Tech Campus Open Day where Philips, NXP, Signify and others show their work.
    Why interesting for expats: Brainport is one of the most international tech hubs in the country — this is the one day a year you can walk into its major employers without an appointment.
  • Open Bedrijven Dag — Kempen & Peel region (Noord-Brabant) — spring 2027 (to be confirmed; 2026 edition was 28 March)
    Around 60 companies in the region south of Eindhoven open their doors, explicitly welcoming career changers as well as the curious.
    Why interesting for expats: many participants are manufacturing and supply-chain firms in the Brainport ecosystem — useful for technical profiles looking beyond the big names.
  • Open Bedrijvendag Doetinchem — Achterhoek (Gelderland) — March 2027 (to be confirmed; 2026 edition was 25–28 March)
    A multi-day open house of companies in the Doetinchem area, from industry to services.
    Why interesting for expats: the Achterhoek has a strong manufacturing base with persistent technical vacancies — employers here compete hard for talent.
  • Dag van de Logistiek — Oss (Noord-Brabant) — October 2027 (biennial; skips 2026)
    Logistics companies in the Oss region open their warehouses and operations to visitors.
    Why interesting for expats: logistics is one of the sectors where internationals find work fastest, and this event shows the range of roles beyond the warehouse floor — planning, IT, data and management.

Nationwide open days worth tracking

  • Dag van de Bouw — June 2027 (to be confirmed; 2026 edition was 20 June)
    Construction and infrastructure sites across the whole country — over 130 projects in 2026 — open to the public for one Saturday.
    Why interesting for expats: construction and infra face major shortages, from site engineering to project management, and this is the easiest way to see Dutch projects and employers up close.
  • Ontdekdezorg Week — 8–13 Feb 2027
    A national week in which healthcare and welfare organisations across the country host open days, walk-in sessions and taster activities for anyone considering a career in care.
    Why interesting for expats: healthcare is actively recruiting career switchers; the week is designed for orientation, so it’s a natural entry point even if you’re still exploring whether the sector fits.

Two tips for internationals: at an open company day nobody expects you to be job hunting — which is exactly what makes it work. Ask employees what they do all day, take a business card, and follow up on LinkedIn afterwards. And outside the big cities, the biggest hiring events are often organised by universities and regional expat centres rather than commercial fair organisers — so following your regional expat centre (Groningen, Twente, Brainport Eindhoven, Maastricht Region) is the most reliable way to catch open company days and job fairs as they’re announced.

Looking for personalised career coaching? Orange Expats helps international professionals navigate their career paths in the Netherlands.

Learn More

Volunteering for Expats in the Netherlands: A guide to professional growth and networking

by adminMarch 18, 2025 Career Coaching, Career planning0 comments

Volunteering is not just about giving back to the community; it also presents a unique opportunity for expats in the Netherlands to develop professional skills, expand their network, and gain a deeper understanding of the local culture.

For highly skilled expats, strategic volunteering can be a valuable stepping stone both personally and professionally.

Why consider volunteering?

Volunteering offers numerous benefits for expats:

  • Networking opportunities: Connect with professionals from various industries and expand your career prospects.
  • Local work experience: Gain relevant experience in the Dutch labour market to strengthen your CV.
  • Personal development: Learn new skills and enhance existing competencies through hands-on experience.
  • Cultural integration: Immerse yourself in Dutch society and workplace ethics.

Top volunteering platforms for Expats in the Netherlands

Here are some of the best platforms for expats looking to volunteer in the Netherlands:

1. NL Voor Elkaar

NL Voor Elkaar is a nationwide platform offering diverse volunteering opportunities in education, healthcare, and sustainability. Expats can easily filter opportunities based on their interests and location.

2. Volunteer Centre Amsterdam (VCA)

VCA is an ideal platform for expats in Amsterdam seeking volunteer roles. It provides both short-term and long-term projects, with options where English is the main language.

3. Volunteering.nl

Volunteering.nl serves as a central hub for expats looking to get involved in volunteering. The platform provides information on how to find and apply for various initiatives across the Netherlands.

4. Netherlands Red Cross

Netherlands Red Cross offers opportunities for expats to contribute to humanitarian aid, healthcare initiatives, and social programmes. It’s a great way to make a real difference in communities across the country.

5. Cultural & Heritage Volunteering

Erfgoed Vrijwilliger connects expats with volunteering roles in cultural and heritage institutions, such as museums and historical sites. This is an excellent opportunity for those passionate about history and the arts.

6. NL Cares

NL Cares provides flexible volunteering opportunities in cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht. Their focus is on connecting volunteers with vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, children, and people experiencing homelessness. This is an excellent option for expats with busy schedules who still want to make an impact.

7. Refugee Work Netherlands

VluchtelingenWerk Nederland supports refugees in the Netherlands with legal assistance, language courses, and integration programmes. Expats can volunteer to help refugees with job applications, housing, and adapting to Dutch society, offering both personal fulfilment and valuable networking opportunities.

How to choose the right volunteering role?

As an expat, it’s important to find a volunteering opportunity that aligns with your professional goals and personal interests. Consider asking yourself:

  • Do I want to gain relevant work experience in my industry?
  • Am I looking to develop soft skills such as leadership and communication?
  • How much time can I commit to volunteering?
  • Do I want to expand my professional network within a specific sector?

Volunteering as a career strategy

For many expats, volunteering can serve as a pathway to securing paid employment in the Netherlands. Dutch employers value candidates with local experience, proactive attitudes, and strong networking skills. By volunteering, you demonstrate adaptability, initiative, and community engagement – all highly sought-after qualities in the job market.

How Orange Expats can help

At Orange Expats, we assist international professionals in navigating their careers in the Netherlands. Volunteering can be a powerful tool in career planning, helping you build experience, grow your network, and boost your employability. I can help you identify volunteering opportunities that align with your professional goals and enhance your chances in the Dutch job market.

Want to learn more about leveraging volunteering for career success? Contact me for a free consultation!

This blog is regularly updated with new volunteering opportunities and insights. Do you have suggestions or experiences to share? Let me know!

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A Roadmap to Prevent Burnout

by adminNovember 8, 2024 Blog, Burnout Prevention, Career Coaching0 comments

I’m honoured to be interviewed by Dara Colwell for The Habtic Standard, an online platform dedicated to becoming the singular, leading voice in the opportunistic jungle of corporate wellness, on a roadmap to prevent burnout amid the pandemic. 

The pandemic has turned the world, and certainly work, upside down. Companies are reporting a worrying upturn in burnout as remote employees grapple with juggling kids, unmanageable workloads and concerns about job security, let alone the future of humanity. In short, these are unprecedented times marked by higher stress and poorer mental health.

Before the pandemic, burnout rates were already distressingly high—in a 2018 Gallup1 survey of 7,500 full-time employees, nearly two-thirds said they experienced burnout. Now, with many employees continuing to work remotely, companies are under pressure to identify burnout, reduce its impact and develop new ways to support their employees’ wellness.

 

So, what is burnout?

Burnout results from chronic job stress that won’t go away. It leads to emotional and physical exhaustion (a lack of concentration, even small tasks seem arduous), suffering job performance (feeling incompetent, operating subpar), negativity or cynicism (towards colleagues or clients), and detachment or depersonalisation (switching off or a sense of helplessness.)

“When we’re in burnout, we usually retreat. We shut down like a wilting flower,” says Virginie Baggen2, who gives executive coaching and mental resilience training in Amsterdam. Symptoms might include working harder, feeling the need to prove yourself, panicking, and notably, ignoring your body’s signals, she explains.

“We forget mind and body are connected—we ignore the signs and just push until we break.”

Workload isn’t the only thing contributing to burnout. Control, reward, fairness, community and values also play a role. This could mean having unrealistic expectations about yourself (or your boss does), strained relationships or being in a dead-end job that doesn’t match your values.

Burnout shows up in other areas of our lives, too, such as depression and anxiety, withdrawal or conflict in non-work relationships (spouses, friends, kids, etc.), a lack of focus, forgetfulness, irritability, repeated illness and a glass-half-empty outlook.

The red flags aren’t always obvious, though. As workplace expert Jennifer Moss puts it in an interview3, “An employee tends to experience small ebbs and flows of stress and then suddenly, a cliff.”

 

I’m not working at home, I’m living at work!

For decades, there were calls for greater job flexibility and working remotely, but COVID forced the issue. Organizations with little experience had to quickly develop or expand remote working arrangements, and employees also had to adapt. A study4 from Kennesaw State University found that telecommuting was a new experience for 60% of respondents (white collar workers).

The shift towards virtual work was thought to increase productivity and improve work-life balance, but many have found it tough just logging off. Tales of endless video conferences, getting zoomed out5 and longer days aren’t merely anecdotal. A National Bureau of Economic Research survey 6 of more than 3 million people found the average workday has lengthened by 48.5 minutes.

Burnout has been increasing as work moves online. According to a Monster.com survey7 over two thirds (69%) of American employees say they are experiencing burnout symptoms working from home—an increase of 20% from a similar survey in May. Similarly, the anonymous workplace chat app Blind surveyed 3,921 users8 from tech companies in February and found that 61% of employees claimed they were burned out—by May, the number rose by 12%.

Some sectors are disproportionately impacted, and healthcare professionals are one of the most susceptible groups when it comes to burnout. One study9 found that 74% of medical residents experience burnout. The pandemic is exacerbating this. Not only are they putting in longer shifts, they are also dealing with the very sick and dying and the fear of potentially bringing the virus home.

 

Cultivating connection and other managerial solutions

The responsibility for burnout lies in the workplace, according to the World Health Organization10. The company (employers, managers and supervisors) should take responsibility and not the employee.

Christina Maslach, one of the leading researchers in the field and who works at the Healthy Workplaces Center at the University of California, Berkeley, says the burned-out worker often thinks they are the problem [11]. “The bottom line is…that it is a social phenomenon, not an individual weakness.”

A 2018 Gallup survey1 of 7,500 employees bears her out. It found burnout is strongly influenced by how employees are managed.

So how can companies offer supportive management when many of their staff work remotely? Baggen says it comes down to “fostering a culture that isn’t only focused on discussing outcomes, and performance, but one that incorporates the touchy-feely elements of how people deal with life. This means asking, ‘How are you? How are you coping at home? How is the workload?’ And it has to be genuine and on an on-going basis.”

Stella Pennekamp11, a Stress & Career coach at Orange Expats, says it’s important to create safety by cultivating connection. “People tend to be purely functional when communicating virtually at work. Empathic leadership means being genuinely curious about others and connecting.”

She continues that managers can help employees feel physically, mentally and emotionally safe “by being clear about job expectations, goals and anything the company expects. They can do it by literally asking, ‘What do you need to feel safe?’”

Baggen emphasizes change must come from the top. “If you want to discuss something you’re uncomfortable with but your boss never does, you won’t either. Managers need to be committed to engaging with staff about their lives.” This means welcoming questions and concerns, sharing emotions and enacting the changes they would like to see. For example, if they don’t want employees to overwork, they have to log off, too.

What are the other ways companies can help? Many are introducing stress-reducing measures such as expanding mental health and counseling services, including access to counseling apps, such as Calm, Talkspace and ThinkUp. Others are creating pandemic peer groups or teams, such as Dell12, where 1,500 workers joined together to discuss childcare or loneliness. This supported workplace bonding as employees can’t gather around a physical water cooler to chat.

Many businesses are encouraging staff to take time off, or offering additional vacation days so they can relax. There’s also a new focus into shifting workloads and being more flexible13, both with hours and deadlines, so people have greater sense of control over how they spend their workday.

 

Individual coping strategies

While prevention is the best course of action, there are also things you can do personally to cope, or recommend (if you’re a manger) to employees when checking in on them.

Coping starts by accepting you’re experiencing symptoms and taking it seriously. “It all starts with self-awareness,” says Baggen, who suggests taking steps to reassess and reframe how you approach life.

Pennekamp encourages taking time off throughout the day to recharge away from job responsibilities. “Avoid back-to-back meetings. Restructure your days to do more of what brings you energy. Give yourself the space to take care of yourself.”

Both advise examining your lifestyle, such as sleep, physical exercise and diet (are you eating junk food; using too many medications?). Not getting enough sleep is one of the main risk factors14 for developing burnout. While you might be hampered by less in-person interaction, and social distancing, try to find support—there are dozens of free apps to help you stay connected, including QuarantineChat, for those really stuck at home.

Also, learn to relax. This could mean doing meditation, listening to music, playing with your pets or taking walks in nature. Get away from your computer and move because exercise helps reduce stress.

The only way to turn things around is by doing what makes you feel good, and prioritizing self-care.

BY DARA COLWELL

Read this and more interesting articles related to corporate wellness at: thehabticstandard.com/articles/a-roadmap-to-prevent-burnout    

References

1 Wigert B, Agrawal S. Employee Burnout, Part 1: The 5 Main Causes. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/237059/employee-burnout-part-main-causes.aspx.

2 Virginie Baggen. https://www.virginiebaggen.com/.

3 Moss J. Preventing Burnout Is About Empathetic Leadership. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/09/preventing-burnout-is-about-empathetic-leadership.

4 Hayes S, Priestley J, Ishmakhametov N, Ray H. “I’m not Working from Home, I’m Living at Work”: Perceived Stress and Work-Related Burnout before and during COVID-19. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342800932_I%27m_not_Working_from_Home_I%27m_Living_at_Work_Perceived_Stress_and_Work-Related_Burnout_before_and_during_COVID-19.

5 Friedman G, Browning, K. July Is the New January: More Companies Delay Return to the Office. The New York Times. 13 October 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/technology/offices-reopening-delay-coronavirus.html.

6 DeFilippis Ev, Impink S, Singell M, Polzer J, Sadun R. Collaborating During Coronavirus: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Nature of Work. NBER. https://www.nber.org/papers/w27612.

7 Fox M. Remote work burnout is growing as pandemic stretches on. Here’s how to manage it. CNBC. 28 July 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/28/remote-work-burnout-is-growing-as-coronavirus-pandemic-stretches-on.html.

8 The State of Burnout 2020. Blind. https://usblog.teamblind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/TheStateof-Burnout2020.pdf.

9 Mata D, Ramos M, et al. Prevalence of Depression and Depressive Symptoms Among Resident Physicians A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. NCBI. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4866499/.

10 Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases. World Health Organization. 28 May 2019. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases.

11 Pennekamp S. Orange Expats. https://www.orangeexpats.com.

12 Cutter C. Companies Offer Creative Solutions to Worker Burnout During the Pandemic. Wall Street Journal. 8 November 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-offer-creative-solutions-to-worker-burnout-during-the-pandemic-11604836834.

13 Madell R. How Employers Can Help With Burnout Amid the Pandemic. FlexJobs. https://www.flexjobs.com/employer-blog/companies-prevent-employee-burnout-during-pandemic/.

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