Regaining balance requires long-term effort. Speaking to trusted friends and family who may have experienced burnout themselves can be immensely helpful in getting back on the right path.
Solving workplace burnout requires taking a holistic approach that involves considering employees' relationships with managers, roles in the company and its values, physical and mental well-being and overall satisfaction at work.
1. Take a Break
If you're feeling exhausted or burned out, the first step should be taking a break. Speak to your boss about reducing your workload or taking some time off work; alternatively, build in some extra breaks throughout your day such as meeting with co-workers for coffee breaks or taking brief walks outdoors. Reaching out to friends and family may offer invaluable support and fresh perspectives.
Burnout occurs when we place work ahead of personal responsibilities or other parts of our lives. As well as taking a break, to help refocus your priorities by asking for what you need - whether that means some alone time at lunch or an extension on that 10-page project - maintaining our physical and mental wellbeing requires effort; but it will be well worth your while in the end!
2. Get Some Exercise
If you find yourself getting overwhelmed at work, start by speaking with your manager and asking for a break. This could mean spending some time at home or heading away somewhere; just make sure you completely disconnect during this time and take an unplugged vacation from any stressors at work.
Consider engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise to reduce burnout. Studies show that exercise reduces stress while improving well-being, mood and sleep quality.
Mindfulness and meditation practices can also help increase resilience, compassion, and emotional regulation. Journaling can aid self-reflection and can improve coping. Though taking steps to avoid burnout at work may seem challenging, doing so is crucial if we want to avoid long-term adverse health effects such as compromised immunity and frequent illnesses such as colds and flu. By following these simple tips you can make your workplace a better environment for all!
3. Spend Time with Family and Friends
Focusing on relationships - be they with friends or loved ones - can help prevent burnout. Being involved with people you care for reminds you what's really important and can help ease stressful situations.
When feeling exhausted and burned out, it can be easy to believe you are an inferior individual and your work doesn't matter. These types of thoughts can quickly escalate your stress level and increase feelings of burnout; thus it is vital that you recognize these tendencies and take measures to address them immediately.
Job burnout symptoms may include feeling exhausted most of the time, difficulty focusing, poor sleep quality and dreading going to work. Anyone can experience job burnout - from office workers to stay-at-home mothers caring for kids, housework and aging parents - regardless of your position in life or profession. As well as these signs, motivation may fade and you might feel that what you do doesn't matter; all these issues can be managed with appropriate strategies.
4. Take Care of Yourself
Burnout is an ongoing reality that can significantly alter all areas of your life. To combat it effectively and maintain overall wellness, it's crucial that we prioritize relationships outside work as much as possible. This Whole Health tool reviews warning signs of burnout while offering tips for managing it - such as consulting a therapist.
Burnout makes it easier for you to become stressed and irritable, less sympathetic towards patients or co-workers, and begin questioning whether what you do makes a difference in the world.
While "burnout" usually refers to career stress, I have also witnessed it occur when family members become extremely ill or when too many caregiver duties become overwhelming. While quitting your job might not be an option, changing behaviors such as prioritizing tasks and delegating tasks and decreasing social media and email use could help lessen its effects on daily life.
