Beyoncé’s New Song ‘Break My Soul’ Is a Call to Ease Worker Burnout
From the Bay Area to Boston, worker bees need a break because job burnout is real — and even Queen Bey knows it.
Beyoncé’s newest single, a clarion call titled “Break My Soul,” feels perfectly on time — capturing the shifting attitudes about work across the globe.
“You won’t break my soul,” the R&B diva belts in the bouncy anthem, collectively channeling employees who are trying not to burn the candle at both ends.
And perhaps she’s also encouraging employers to ease off the accelerator as she calls out:
Damn they work me so damn hard/Work by nine/Then off past five/And they work my nerves/That’s why I cannot sleep at night
More employees are speaking up and demanding flex work, healthier company cultures, and the ouster of the 1 a.m. work hero. In Beyoncé’s words, they’re “looking for motivation.” And companies that get on board — and prioritize employee well-being — will attract and retain talent.
Beyoncé’s song, the first release from her album Renaissance and hailed by many as the anthem of the Great Resignation, arrives as employee mental health has taken center stage at many companies. Those organizations are experimenting with four-day workweeks, no-meeting days, weeklong shutdowns, employee well-being programs, and other offerings to address the workplace issues raised by “Break My Soul.” Some are even creating full-time leadership positions that focus primarily on worker well-being.
Some companies are encouraging employees to share their mental health experiences peer to peer. Like Beyoncé says, “telling everybody.” The idea is to hold safe space for workers to talk about and seek help for their problems while reducing stigma.
When organizations heed the call to improve and protect the mental well-being of their employees, everyone benefits. Everyone will be healthier for it — at work, at home, and wherever they crank up Beyoncé as she urges the working masses to:
Release your anger/Release your mind/Release your job/Release the tide/Release your trade/Release the stress
After all, we need to be as mentally fit as possible to “run this mutha” like Ms. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles.
*Image from WikiMedia Commons
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