Stress is a part of a professional lifestyle. A professional must make crucial decisions and meet specific work deadlines, which are essential to becoming a success. Extreme pressure and stress can lead to a debilitating state called burnout.
Mental burnout results from pressure and exhaustion; It is, therefore, very easy to experience burnout as a professional.
It is important to note that burnout is not stress or exhaustion. Burnouts result from an individual being exposed to so much pressure and stress, mentally and emotionally, that it leaves them in a less productive state.
They lose interest in life and work and prefer to be left alone. It can be accompanied by depression and other health issues.
It is important to avoid job burnout, for it will not only affect your career but can also leave you without direction, vulnerable to disease, and render you insignificant.
Strategies to Avoid Work-Related Burnout
1. Recognize the signs of Burnout:
One of the most dangerous aspects of burnout is that it impacts self-awareness. When you’re in it, you’re running on adrenaline, and the momentum feels so exhilarating that you end up adding more and more to your plate. But once burnout hits, it can take months to overcome.
So, what early signs should you look out for? Here are some subtle cues you need to reassess how much you’re taking on.
- Feeling tired or drained most of the time
- Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated
- Feeling detached/alone in the world
- Having a cynical/negative outlook
- Self-doubt
- Procrastinating and taking longer to get things done
- Feeling overwhelmed
Find your triggers for burnout and avoid it at all costs.
2. Have a working structure:
Work is one thing that never seems to end. As you clear a list of tasks, you will find out that other tasks keep piling up. Too many deadlines, unfinished tasks, and meetings can cause burnout.
To avoid this, you must have a functional work structure to plan your tasks and meetings for the day. Having a practical working plan helps reduce pressure too.
3. Exercise regularly:
Regular exercise is a sure way to avoid burnout. Exercise gives a sense of productivity and increased energy. Exercising also helps you get a good sleep. Proper rest enables you to feel motivated to face the day’s work.
4. Learn how to manage stress
Stress, when not properly managed, can contribute to mental burnout. This is why it is important to learn how to manage stress effectively. You can manage stress by keeping stress journals, taking breaks, relaxing, and talking to a professional.
It is important to talk to someone when you feel overly pressured, which could lead to burnout. Learn to manage and avoid stressful situations.
5. Take control over your professional and private life:
Remote work has successfully bridged the gap between professional life and private life.
Professionals can now be reached by phone or through email at any time of the day. While this seems good for career and business, the consequence is that they often forget to take a break and risk mental burnout.
Take control of your professional life. Schedule breaks and rest time in between work. Set time apart for your mental health. Time to reconnect with yourself.
Many apps have the “Do not disturb” mode that you can set for the period of your break. It would help block out work-related notifications. This will enable you to get a break and prevent burning out.
Burnout is not a medical condition; it is a syndrome that affects your mental health and that you must manage effectively.
Manage how you think, manage your schedule, plan your work and give back to others. This will leave you with positive energy, and you will beat work-related burnout.
