David Morel, Founder and CEO of Tiger Recruitment, shares tools to help manage the everyday burden of emotional labour
As a CEO, I’ve seen firsthand how much emotional labour the Assistant profession demands. I believe it’s one of the most underestimated elements of the role.
Assistants are often the calm centre of the storm. They’re expected to absorb pressure, anticipate needs, and maintain composure, no matter what is happening behind the scenes. And while many thrive under pressure, I’ve also seen the toll this can take – not just in terms of physical energy, but in emotional and mental wellbeing.
When an executive is under strain, it’s the Assistant who feels it the most. Some Assistants I’ve worked with are excellent at masking the burnout and chronic stress that comes with the role. From my perspective, it not only has an impact on their personal life but can also have an impact on their performance and the wider business. If left unaddressed, decision-making, staff retention, and overall workplace culture could also suffer.
The rising expectations placed on Assistants, often without an equivalent increase in recovery time, is one of the most striking realities I’ve seen. The pandemic blurred the lines between the home and office, impacting work-life balance. Some professionals normalise exhaustion and wear burnout like a badge of honour. But it isn’t a measure of commitment, and it shouldn’t be the norm.
We asked our network of Assistants what they found most stressful about their work, 38% of respondents said unrealistic expectations, a 33% said lack of recognition, 16% said managing others’ emotions, and 13% said constant context switching.
These numbers reflect what many of you might know from experience.
‘Emotional labour often goes unrecognised, but it can be as demanding as any operational responsibility.’
It’s no surprise to me that these issues come out on top. Stress can spread through the whole business if it isn’t managed.
For Assistants who are often required to be hyper-responsive and switched on, the flight, fight, or freeze response can be dangerous, as it keeps you in a constant state of high alert and drains your energy reserves.
I believe it’s the manager who must actively support their Assistant’s wellbeing; however, here are some tools to manage emotional labour day-to-day.
1. Take Microbreaks
If you’re feeling stressed, take a few seconds to ground yourself. Feeling your feet on the floor while you continue a conversation can help regulate the nervous system during high-pressure moments.
2. Set Mini Milestones
To combat the sense of ineffectiveness that comes with burnout, set small, value-led goals.
3. Recognition
Don’t wait for others to praise you; instead, acknowledge a good job well done. It can have a tangible effect on the brain’s reward systems.
In my experience, managing emotional labour shouldn’t always be up to the individual. If executives model healthy boundaries, acknowledge their own challenges, and avoid glorifying burnout, other employees are likely to follow suit. At the end of the day, protecting your own wellbeing isn’t selfish; it’s what allows you to perform at your best and sustain your career in the long term.
