Every team has seasons where energy dips, especially at the close of a busy year. If your staff is struggling with end-of-year burnout after months of high patient volume, back-to-back appointments and the pressure to meet annual goals, you’re not alone. The good news is that with the right strategies, you can help your team finish strong and step into the new year feeling refreshed and reenergized.
At MINT Aesthetics, we’ve witnessed this challenge firsthand through our experience operating AesthetiCare in Kansas City, the Midwest’s leading medspa. After more than two decades in business and 17 consecutive years of double-digit growth, we’ve learned that maintaining team energy and motivation requires intentional effort, especially during the demanding final quarter of the year.
Through trial and error, we’ve discovered strategies that not only combat burnout but actually strengthen team morale and performance during challenging periods.
What Is Burnout?
If you’ve been in the working world long, chances are, you know what burnout is because you’ve been there. Studies and surveys estimate that up to 77% of people have experienced burnout at some point in their careers. The “Sunday scaries,” a cynical attitude and feeling stressed or overwhelmed at work are all signs that burnout is on its way (or already here).
Other signs of burnout include:
- Constantly feeling overworked or stressed
- Low energy and morale
- Not taking pride in your accomplishments
- Loss of productivity
- Dreading going to work
- Trouble meeting deadlines
- Procrastination and trouble focusing
- Increasing sense of self-doubt
- Dissatisfaction with your current role
- Growing cynicism and negativity
- Easily irritated or frustrated with your co-workers
- Using more sick days or PTO
Burnout is commonly associated with teachers, social workers and emergency responders, but aesthetic professionals are also susceptible due to the demands of the job (such as managing client expectations, navigating what can be a high-stress environment, and irregular hours).
Your team members might experience burnout differently. Front desk staff may become short with callers or struggle to maintain their usual warmth during check-ins, while providers might feel disconnected from their work. Admin may seem disengaged during team meetings or appear to be going through the motions rather than genuinely caring about patient outcomes.
However it manifests, learning to recognize the warning signs gives you an opportunity to intervene and reenergize your team, building momentum that lasts well into the new year.
The Hidden Costs of Staff Burnout
Burnout isn’t just an abstract concern that you can keep on the back burner. It’s a real, tangible issue that can cost your practice real money. According to JAMA Network, burnout is estimated to cost the healthcare system $4.6 billion annually. The biggest culprits that add to this cost? Turnover and a reduction in work hours. Employees experiencing burnout are:
- 57% more likely to miss days due to stress or illness
- 40% less likely to go above and beyond what is expected of them
- 2.8x more likely to be actively searching for a new job
Burnout can have a far-reaching impact that affects more than just individuals, causing organizational effectiveness to drop, too. Left unchecked, it can have a serious impact on service quality, client relationships and care standards — things your med spa is known for.
But Here’s the Good News…
While staff burnout is something you hope to never deal with, the reality is that it’s entirely preventable and completely reversible with the right approach.
Unlike other workplace challenges that require major structural changes, addressing burnout can often be accomplished with strategic initiatives that your team will actually enjoy, like training seminars or hands-on workshops. Think about the last time you learned something new. Remember the feeling of accomplishment that came with mastering a fresh skill? That’s exactly what happens when you provide your team with meaningful development opportunities, helping to increase engagement, expand their skill sets and reignite their passion for aesthetics.
Of course, it’s also important to address the underlying causes of burnout. Is your team feeling stressed by demanding or unruly clients? Are your providers being overbooked? Does your scheduling allow for optimal work/life balance? These are questions you can ask yourself when tackling employee burnout. Your staff will also have valuable insights on where they’re feeling the most pressure, so seeking their feedback can be a good place to start.
Once you start taking a proactive approach to burnout, it helps contribute to a positive feedback loop. Happy, engaged employees deliver better patient experiences, which leads to happier clients, more referrals and better reviews. Everyone wins when your team feels energized and motivated to excel.
Other Strategies That Combat Burnout
In addition to creating new opportunities for professional growth, there are other strategies for combating burnout that you can employ quickly, easily and effectively.
Recognize & Celebrate the Wins
Your team needs to feel appreciated for their hard work. Create regular opportunities to acknowledge both big achievements and small victories that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Consider implementing a peer recognition program where team members can nominate colleagues for going above and beyond. Monthly recognition ceremonies don’t have to be elaborate. Even a heartfelt thank you and a small token of appreciation can go a long way.
And when you hit practice milestones, like revenue goals or patient satisfaction scores, make sure that every staff member knows they played a crucial role in that success.
Make Work/Life Balance a Priority
A team that has space for life outside of work comes back refreshed and ready to give their best. Help your team establish better boundaries by modeling healthy behaviors and creating policies that support work/life balance, like encouraging staff to take their full lunch breaks away from their workstations, resisting the urge to contact team members during their time off unless it’s truly an emergency, and offering flexibility for important personal events.
Address Scheduling Issues
Sometimes, burnout comes from simply being overloaded. Take a look at your staffing levels and patient scheduling to identify areas where you can reduce pressure on your team and give them some breathing room. Ensure you’re not consistently overbooking providers or creating unrealistic expectations for treatment times and build a buffer into schedules to account for complex cases or patient questions that might run longer than expected.
Try These Tomorrow
Small actions can make a big difference in keeping your team energized. Here are a few ideas you can start implementing right away:
- Kick off meetings with shout-outs. Take two minutes for team members to recognize each other’s wins.
- Block time for growth. Dedicate one hour each week to training, professional development or a skills refresh.
- Ask for input. Have each staff member share one way the practice could better support work/life balance.
These quick strategies can spark positivity and show your team you’re invested in their well-being.
Ready to Reenergize Your Team?
At MINT, we design training experiences that go beyond skill-building. They inspire confidence, boost morale and spark new enthusiasm for the work your staff loves to do. If you’re looking for fresh ways to support your team and set your practice up for success in the year ahead, let’s talk. Explore our training options today and see how we can help you beat end-of-year burnout and keep your staff feeling motivated, engaged and excited to deliver their very best.
Comments are closed.