7 Ways To Avoid Burnout At Work

 

7 Ways To Avoid Burnout At Work 

Your job is great.  You love what you do and you’re good at it.  You go in everyday and do your best work.  You’re proud of what you do... until one day you’re hit like a ton of bricks.  You're exhausted and stressed out. Your inbox is overflowing, the phone won’t stop ringing and you have more projects than you can manage.  You’re hitting a wall.  It’s called burnout. 

What is burnout?  Burnout is a feeling of exhaustion and stress.  It’s a feeling that no matter what you do you can’t get ahead.  You may feel like you can’t break out of a slump.  Your peers may notice that you have become irritable, detached or depressed at work. If burnout takes hold, you’ll behave like a different person and your work will suffer. 

So how do you avoid it burnout? 

Exercise 

Exercise is a great way to reduce burnout. Studies have shown that exercise releases powerful chemicals called endorphins into your brain.  These chemicals make you feel happy.  Exercise is important to both your physical and mental health. In addition, you’ll feel satisfaction from knowing that you’re taking care of yourself.  

Sleep 

Sometimes it’s as simple as getting rest. When you’re feeling burnout, you can feel exhausted. Sleeping well can help you feel refreshed in the morning. Start to become intentional about winding your day down earlier.  Get into bed by 9PM and asleep by 9:30. When the 6:30 alarm goes off, you’ll have had a full 8 hours of sleep. You’ll awake feeling ready to take on a new day.  

Mix up your routine 

Doing the same thing over and over is boring. Start to mix up your routine. Shift meetings around on your calendar. Change the times that you do what work. A change of pace can make the same work feel new and different.  In our Business Consulting practice we’ve found that working on projects at different times of the day can help you see things in a new perspective. You may even find yourself coming up with new innovative solutions due to the change. 

Say no! 

We’ve talked about this before. You can get more done by doing less.  People have a natural tendency to want to say yes. Most people feel an obligation to accept every request that comes their way at work.  This can lead to you having more on your plate than you can handle.  You’ll tread water for a while, maybe even a long while, but eventually you’ll begin to sink beneath the surface.  Be mindful of your workload and how much you can realistically get done.  Say no, when the additional work will be too much. 

Disconnect 

We’ve talked about how to get ready to take a vacation.  It’s important to setup a way to disconnect. Use those same principals to disconnect when you leave the office or on the weekends.  If your job doesn’t require you to be available 24/7 then don’t be. Turn off notifications to email and the company chat program at 5, when you leave for the day.  Those notifications suck you back in and then leave you in a state of anxiety. You’re not at work, so you can’t really respond in an appropriate way, but you still feel the obligation. This can be overwhelming.  Turn off those notifications and you’ll feel suddenly free and a rush of excitement at the thought of not having to deal with work. 

Schedule time for yourself 

Spending time on you is important. If you’re in Business Management, or a business owner, it can feel like you need to dedicate every waking moment to the business, but you cannot forget to take care of yourself. We like to rise early and begin work early and that leads to leaving early of course.  Try waking up earlier and spending time reflecting on yourself or reading(need suggestions?).  At work, be playful to ensure that you take your lunch free of work distractions.  Take all your breaks and use them as an opportunity to get up and take a walk.  

Get a Hobby 

If you’re having trouble disconnecting when away from work, it may be a sign that work has become the only focus in your life.  A hobby gives you an escape.  Think about the things that you love doing the most and find a way to incorporate those into a new hobby. Spend some time every day on your hobby. Whether your hobby is woodworking or bonsai tree trimming, you’ll find that the pressures and distractions of work melt away. You’ll even feel more confident when you hit the mute button on your notifications. 

If you’re feeling burnout or overwhelmed, try this tips.  We want to hear from you on how these tips helped or on tips you have that we should add.  Comment below!