It is nearly the end of another year, and I am again asking the question “where have the past 12 months gone?” It seems that the older that I get, the faster the years are passing. 2023 has felt like the forces of disarray have grown stronger. This year we have continued to see disruptions in the supply chain due to the Ukraine – Russia war, and of late, the Israel-Hamas war, and also the ongoing effects to staffing due to Covid infections.
Natural events continue to impact the safety and security of countries globally. From fire to flood, we have experienced them all this year. Many food companies will have gone beyond testing contingency plans in ‘mock situations’ to implementing procedures during a real-time event.
Despite these difficult times, it is important to remember that even though it may be difficult to see the silver lining at times, it is there if you look for it. HACCP Mentor will continue to help make your food safety, HACCP and quality compliance easy – that is our promise.
As this time of the year can also be very stressful for food safety and QA professionals, I thought it timely to update and republish this post on coping with food safety compliance and QA fatigue.
What is QA Fatigue?
QA fatigue is when QA managers are feeling not just only tired – but inarguably exhausted. From a QA perspective, it is often the case that you may be solely responsible for:
- Documenting, implementing and reviewing the HACCP food safety system
- Running training sessions for food handlers
- Coordinating the external and internal audit process
- Verifying HACCP records
- Closing out corrective actions
- Reviewing supplier performance
- Arranging product testing
- Developing new products
- Liaising with significant customer QA departments
- Managing business relationships, and generally,
- Making sure that the food business you work for meets all its regulatory requirements
Signs of QA fatigue
You may be suffering from QA fatigue if you are:
- Grumpier – you may ‘snap’ at your colleagues and family members more readily
- Distracted – you may find it hard to focus and achieve a set outcome
- Overwhelmed – you may feel teary or react emotionally to comments or situations that you would easily cope with usually
Five tips for avoiding QA fatigue
Different people deal with fatigue in different ways. There are a few different strategies that I have implemented over the past few years that have helped with my end-of-year QA fatigue.
Be organised
Having a clear plan, and a clean desk helps keep me focused. Knowing what I am going to achieve for a given day or week allows me to see an endpoint. This includes shopping for Christmas presents and preparing for the holiday season.
Say NO
Say ‘no’ to projects that are going to add massive workload and stress to your plate at this time of the year. If you can comfortably manage the extra work on top of your daily work – great – but if not, be realistic with your available time. I learnt a few years ago not to undertake audits in December. The last thing I want to be doing at this time of year is travel.
Celebrate the achievements of the year
Take half an hour out of your day to write down everything that you have achieved in the past 12 months. This activity alone can make you feel more positive and reduce your QA fatigue. I was fortunate to visit Cambodia, Singapore and Indonesia this year.
Have a technology ban
If you usually check emails, take calls or deal with issues outside of your work-hours put a 48-hour prohibition on yourself.
Take a break
For some people, all that is needed is a break away from your work-place, a time to rejuvenate. It could be as little as 2 hours a day or an extended holiday. In Australia, it is summer over December, January and February. I enjoy heading down to the beach for a few hours each day so that I can swim in the surf and lay around in the sun.
One last thought
If you are feeling more than just the ‘general’ QA fatigue, please consult your local health professional or mental health support agency. How are you feeling? Do you suffer from end-of-year QA fatigue? Share your coping strategies by leaving a comment below this post.
