“I used to be the one who got things done. Now I stare at my screen for an hour before I can start anything.” This is not a complaint from a weak employee. It is what burnout looks like in your best people. Across Indian workplaces, that invisible cost adds up to an estimated ₹1.1 lakh crore every year in lost productivity and poor mental health. This article is for leaders who want to get ahead of burnout before it starts affecting their team’s health and performance. 

Sometimes the most important changes happen unnoticed. A team slowly becomes less energetic, less engaged, always slightly stressed. It is subtle at first. Then one day it is obvious  and by then, most leaders are already behind. Burnout is recognized as an occupational syndrome by the World Health Organisation (WHO), formally classified in the ICD-11 in 2019. (WHO, ICD-11, 2019 — who.int)

The Silent Burnout Problem

Burnout develops slowly, quietly and often invisibly. It is not a person feeling tired or stressed during work. It is a state of chronic, unmanaged stress that leads to physical, emotional and mental exhaustion.

Team members push through, keep up appearances, and hold on until they can’t. By the time burnout shows up in missed deadlines, rising conflicts, or a resignation letter on your desk — you have already absorbed the cost. Replacing a single burned-out employee costs between 50% and 200% of their annual salary, once you factor in recruitment, onboarding, and the productivity lost in between.

According to a 2023 McKinsey Health Institute survey, 59% of Indian employees report burnout symptoms among the highest rates globally. By 2025, a Modern Health study published by Forbes put the global figure at 66%, an all-time high. (Modern Health / Forbes, 2025)

 What Is HRV and Why Should it matter?

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is the variation in time between each heartbeat. It’s one of the most reliable indicators of how well the body manages stress.

For organizations, investing in healthcare solutions that measure medically validated features is a valuable consideration, for long-term benefits. Unlike self-reported stress surveys which are often underreported, HRV provides personalized, real-time data on stress and recovery status. This can empower organizations to make informed decisions that ultimately drive financial gains by enhancing talent retention and fostering a healthier, more engaged workforce.

When the team is chronically stressed, the autonomic nervous system shifts into a fight-or-flight state. This suppresses the body’s natural recovery mechanism, causing HRV to decline over time. A declining HRV is an early physiological signal that stress is accumulating faster than it is being resolved. By ignoring stress signals, organizations risk a decline in employee performance, engagement and retention. Ultimately this can result in increased turnover costs and decreased productivity.

Modern HRV tracking platforms translate that signal into actionable insight for organizations.

Warning Signs Your Team’s HRV Is Declining

Before burnout becomes visible in actual performance either linked to  a project delivered late, an error in a client report, or a meeting where there is sudden silence, the body is already in fight or flight-state before hitting the surface of attention. Here is what declining HRV looks like in practice:

• Decreased focus and productivity: Team members struggle to concentrate, leading to an increase in errors and inefficiencies
•  Increased sick days: Chronic stress suppresses immune function, making the team more susceptible/prone to illness
• Emotional detachment: Previously engaged team members withdraw, communicate less
• Irritability and conflict: Low HRV is closely linked to reduced emotional regulation, leading to tension and friction within the team
• Persistent fatigue: Team members report tiredness despite adequate sleep to be seen as a clear sign that the nervous system is under severe pressure

Most signs are noticed only when they become severe. HRV is a healthcare tool for organizations to help  identify physiological stress responses before turning into critical states of overload. This gives the organization time to act proactively. 

How Leaders Can Act Early

Organizations that address stress early, with the right tools and culture, consistently outperform those that wait for the problem to surface. Take immediate action by implementing these four easy-to-follow steps:

• Build a stress-aware culture: Normalize conversations about stress and recovery at work. Team members should feel safe to say when they experience work overload: , when the inbox never clears, the deadlines keep moving, or the pressure to perform leaves no room to breathe. As an organization, openly acknowledging stress and recovery as performance factors creates the psychological safety that teams need to function at their best.
• Introduce/Integrate regular HRV monitoring: Integrate HRV tracking into your corporate health strategy. Every team member gains access to a clinically validated tool every day. The data moves decisions from instinct to evidence.
• Build/Incorporate recovery into the workday: Performance strategy is directly linked to recovery. Encourage your team to take 2–5 minute recovery breaks between focused work sessions. Brief breathing exercises or short walks can  improve HRV over time.
• Monitor work trends, not just fragmented moments: A single HRV reading provides limited insight. What matters is the trend over time. Sustained low HRV across a team is a signal that something structural needs to change, whether it is culture, deadlines, management style, or workload.

The ROI of Stress Management

Investing in team stress management is a measurable business strategy, worth taking into account. Stats show: .

• Replacing a single employee costs an average of 50–200% of their annual salary, factoring in recruitment, onboarding, and lost productivity
• Burned-out employees are 63% more likely to call in sick  and 23% more likely to visit the emergency room (Gallup, Employee Burnout: The Biggest Myth)
• Burned-out employees are 2.6 times more likely to actively seek a new job, multiplying your turnover costs (Gallup, 2020)
• Organizations with strong health programmes report up to 25% lower employee turnover

The cost of proactive stress management  including tools like HRV monitoring  is a fraction of the cost of losing and rebuilding a burned-out team.

Conclusion

Burnout is not inevitable,  it is detectable. The technology now exists for organizations to move beyond guesswork and gut instinct. When under pressure, decision-makers naturally default to fast, reactive thinking which psychologist Daniel Kahneman calls System 1 thinking. (Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow, 2011) Investing in objective data — like HRV monitoring activates more considered, evidence-based responses instead of instinct-driven ones.

HRV measuring  is no longer reserved for elite athletes or  patients. With clinically certified tools like the Sumondo app, organizations of any size can give their teams the ability to detect stress early, recover faster, and perform at their best .

Your team is worth protecting.  Investing in HRV as a healthcare tool drives measurable business outcomes, including increased productivity, reduced turnover and improved cost management.

References

• World Health Organisation (2019). Burn-out an occupational phenomenon: ICD-11. who.intMcKinsey Health Institute (2023). Employee burnout survey — India at 59%, highest globally.Modern Health / Forbes (2025). Global employee burnout reaches all-time high of 66%.
• Gallup (2020). Employee Burnout: The Biggest Myth. gallup.com
• Upstox/Indian mental health workplace report. Poor mental health costs Indian companies ₹1.1 lakh crore annually. upstox.com
• Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

• Date - April 15, 2026
• Author - Abhishek Jain
• Categories - Blog

Have you ever wondered what is considered ‘good’ HRV and for you, personally? You are not alone! Today HRV is a widely recognized standard for tracking the vagus nervous system health and stress management. To obtain good health, it is necessary to learn how HRV levels can be increased, thus leading to a more stable condition, enabling you to stay calm, flexible and focused.

Below is a scientifically proven step by step guide with instruction,

https://youtu.be/jDOmQgH1q3k?si=ayxic4znvVe2KPbg

What is HRV

HRV (Heart Rate Variability) is the time variation between each heartbeat, defined by the number of times your heart beats in a minute. Thus, HRV indicates how flexible it is also known as Interbeat intervals.

HRV is controlled by the Autonomic Nervous System which can be divided into two parts:

• Parasympathetic Nervous System– “Rest & Digest” helps you to stay calm and focused and is usually associated with High HRV levels
• Sympathetic Nervous System – “Fight-or-Flight” triggers a high adrenaline emergency response and is usually associated with Low HRV levels

HRV reflects Stress, Recovery and Cardiovascular fitness of the body also framed as the body’s internal stress meter. A low HRV can best be described as a warning sign, related to chronic stress, dehydration, mental burnout and poor sleep quality.

The vagus nerve plays a key role in calming the body. It activates the parasympathetic system helping you relax and recover. The goal is to manage stress by enabling you to bounce back quickly.

Ways to Improve HRV

To improve HRV it is more important to build consistent habits in order to effectualize recovery of your body from stress.

Below are listed effective and scientifically proven ways to improve your HRV significantly:

Quality Sleep

Sleep is considered the leading factor affecting HRV. Poor or inconsistent sleep can lower you HRV and increase stress levels.

• Try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule
• Avoid screen time prior to bedtime
• Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep

Coherent Breathing

Breathing exercise directly stimulates the vagus nerve which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to a significant increase in HRV.

• Try 5-6 breathing pattern (inhale for 5 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds through your nose)
• Practice it for 20 minutes daily for better results

Follow this simple guided breathing exercise to activate vagus nerve and improve HRV in just a few minutes. https://youtu.be/orqPrUcVEhs?si=CLZJCr7ZC2aMCbhD

Regular Exercise

Physical exercise strengthens your cardiac system and improves HRV significantly.

• Include moderate exercise (cycling, training, walking) in your daily life

• Allow time for rest and recovery

Over-training without proper recovery can lowers HRV

Daily Stress Management

Stress can keep your sympathetic system activated, which can lower your HRV.

• Meditation
• Yoga
• Staying in nature

These practices activate the parasympathetic system, helping your body shift out of fight-or-flight mode.

Stay Hydrated

Your internal system can directly affect HRV. Dehydration reduces blood volume, making your heart work harder and lowering HRV

• Drink plenty of water (around 2-3 litres daily
• Limit processed food

Take Short Breaks for Recovery: 

Your body is in its biological nature not designed to stay stressed for long periods of time

• Take 2-5 min breaks in-between your work schedule
• Go for a small walk

Your HRV levels can determine when you need a break. You can check it through Sumondo where you also get introduced to a 3 minutes exercise to calm you down and maintain your HRV levels.

Is Your Tracker Accurate?

Not all HRV trackers are created equal. The majority of smart watches and fitness bands give you an HRV reading, but its accuracy may vary according to the quality of technological functionalities. Most wearable devices use optical sensors (PPG) for measuring HRV. They seem convenient but the readings can be affected by the body’s movement and how tightly you wear the device.

For reliable data, you need built specifically for this and is medically certified. So, if you have been tracking your HRV on a random smartwatch and wondering why the numbers feel inconsistent — your tracker might be the problem, not your health.

This is where the Sumondo app stands out. The app is built specifically for HRV monitoring and stress detection. It is clinically tested and holds a Class I medical device certification, and meets the standards required for medical-grade accuracy. It measures your heart rate and HRV accurately and displays your stress levels clearly in real time.

Decoding Your HRV Values – What is Good HRV for Your Age?

One of the most common questions people ask is: “What should my HRV number ideally be?” The answer is highly subjective as it depends on age, fitness routine, and even the time of day you measure.

Below is a general reference guide:

• 20s: 55–105 ms
• 30s: 45–90 ms
• 40s: 35–80 ms
• 50s and above: 25–65 ms

HRV naturally declines with age, so avoid comparing your number to a 25-year-old athlete. What matters is your own baseline and whether it is trending upward over time.

This is where the Sumondo app becomes your personal HRV coach. Once it detects your stress levels, it does not just leave you with a number — it actively suggests ways to bring your

HRV back to a healthy range, including:

• 3-minute breathing exercises to stimulate your vagus nerve and calm your nervous system instantly
• Guided meditation to shift your body out of fight-or-flight mode
• Movement exercises to get your body active and improve recovery
• Daily reminders to measure your HRV consistently so you can track your progress over time

Think of Sumondo as a tool that not only tells you where your HRV stands but also shows you what to do about it — right in that moment.

Final Thoughts

HRV is one of the most powerful indicators of your body’s overall health, but only if you measure it accurately and act on the insights it provides. Start small, stay consistent, and let the data guide your progress.

• Date - April 7, 2026
• Author - Abhishek Jain
• Categories - Blog

“Music is a powerful tool in galvanising people around an issue”, – famous singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran said. But could music help us to manage our stress and overcome anxiety? 

Different types of music could influence our brains in non-identical ways. Speed music makes us more energetic; some songs make us sad or nostalgic; calm music helps to relax. 

Sometimes when we feel stressed, we go to YouTube and look for specific music for stress. Other people turn on their favourite music. Is it helpful? 

Two years ago, there was news about ten songs scientifically proven to make people happy. You will find well-known songs in that list, like Dancing Queen, Don’t stop me now, Eye of the tiger and others. 

What is nice is that you can listen to music everywhere: while you are cooking, biking, commuting to the office, working, or studying. 

But when you are stressed, which kind of music do you prefer? Research has demonstrated that music, in addition to standard therapeutic tools, can provide additional benefits for reducing stress, improving emotional well-being and even healing patients being treated for depression. 

The most convenient thing is that you can listen to music anywhere and anytime. For example, you are committing to the office in the morning, but there is a traffic rash, and you will probably be delayed. If you are going to an important meeting, this situation will stress you a lot. But can you do something with traffic, sitting in the bus or car? Maybe, you will feel stressed because of this. You have two options here: continue to be stressed or manage stress. With a few clicks on your smartphone, you are listening to calm music. 

It can be stressful in the work environment when different personalities are in the same space or office politics, and personal issues are compounded by overwhelming work pressures. The workplace is also where people can easily listen to music to be more productive, still focusing on tasks and maintaining mental health. 

So, if you are stressed, you can handle your stress level with music and breathing exercises or meditation. You will manage stress not only in one way but with many things, and it will be more effective. 

Sumondo music is designed to be used while you are working and it will keep you focused and calm while working all day long. This is not the case, if you are listening to Jazz, Rock or Pop music, as you will get tired listening to it after a few hours.

Vishal Sisodia, CEO Sumondo, said that choosing music for the Sumondo app was an essential part in the development process. “Sumondo’s music is based on natural sounds infused with instrumental sound, so it is not boring, which is good for our soul, not just to ears. Our app is clinically tested and approved. Doctors use our app to measure their patient’s stress levels. In Sumondo we went one step ahead and realised that the complexity of stress relieves could have a powerful effect on mental health. More weapons against anxiety and stress you have – the more effectively you will manage your stress.“

References

https://www.ascap.com/help/wellness/7-ways-music-reduces-stress-anxiety 

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/12-ways-to-reduce-stress-with-music.htm 

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the_role_of_music_in_stress_management 

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/music-happiness-neuroscience.html 

Photo:

https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-a-woman-listening-to-music-813940/

• Date - January 17, 2023
• Author - Iryna Pakosh
• Categories - Blog

Work-related stress

Work-related stress is one of the huge health and safety challenges faced in Europe. It is the second most frequently reported work-associated health issue, affecting 22% of workers in EU since 2005. The number of people suffering from work-related stress is likely to increase in upcoming years due to the current situation of COVID-19.  Due to current pandemic situation, many people are losing their jobs and at some places people are facing salary/wage reduction.

Research shows a relation between declining quality of life with declining quality of relationships with spouse, children, and family due to work-related stress (Crouter et al., 2001).

Prevalence of stress

The highest levels of stress were reported in Greece (55%), and in Slovenia (38%), Sweden (38%), and Latvia (37%), and the lowest levels noted in the United Kingdom (12%), Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands (16%) as well as in the Czech Republic (17%), France and Bulgaria (18%) according to European risk observation report.

Implications of long-term stress

Long term and intense stress may lead to pathological ramifications. It has been proved that work-related stress can potentially lead to cardiovascular, musculoskeletal diseases along with immunological and mental health problems. Research has also shown that work-related stress can cause acute myocardial infarction and it is significantly associated with developing hypertension, atherosclerosis, angina pectoris, coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes mellitus.

Economic Burden

‘Human costs’ of stress and psychosocial risks at work include the emotional strain and reduction in quality of life experienced by affected individuals (Hoel et al., 2001). This may lead to to increased medical and insurance costs and reduced income. At an individual level. Health care costs are covered in the Europe by the national health care systems than individuals; however, it may increase economic burden on the healthcare system (De Curtis, 2012).  Stress-related illness or injury can impact worker’s earning due to productivity loss and absenteeism.  Alternatively, some workers might have to leave employment completely.

At the organizational level, the financial impact of work-related stress and psychosocial risks are associated with productivity loss, higher levels of absenteeism and employee turnover. In the United Kingdom, in 2011/12, work-related stress caused workers to lose 10.4 million working days, and workers were absent for on average 24 days (HSE, 2013).

At a societal level, ill health related to chronic work-associated stress and prolonged exposure to psychosocial risks at work can strain national health services and reduce economic productivity, having a negative impact on a country’s gross domestic product (GDP) (Hoel et al., 2001; Béjean and Sultan-Taieb, 2005).

References

• Bejean, S. and Sultan-Taieb, H., ‘Modelling the economic burden of diseases imputable to stress at work’, European Journal of Health Economics, Vol. 50, 2005, pp. 16–23.
• Crouter, A.C., Bumpus, M.F., Head, M.R. and McHale, S.M., ‘Implications of overwork and overload for the quality of men’s family relationships’, Journal of Marriage and the Family, Vol. 63, No 2, 2001, pp. 404–416.
• De Curtis, M., ‘Universal healthcare coverage in Europe’, The Lancet, Vol. 380, No 9854, 2012, pp. 1644–1645.
• Hoel, H., Sparks, K. and Cooper, C.L., The cost of violence/stress at work and the benefits of a violence/stress-free working environment, International Labour Organization (ILO), Geneva, 2001. Available at: http://www.ilo.org/safework/info/publications/WCMS_118190/lang– en/index.htm.
• HSE — Health and Safety Executive, Costs to Britain of workplace fatalities and self-reported injuries and ill health, 2010/11 (data complemented through direct correspondence with the HSE), hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm

• Date - June 24, 2021
• Author - admin
• Categories - Blog