Burnout is a less commonly recognized ailment than the common cold, however often the symptoms are misdiagnosed as a common cold or flu. It’s the tired, worn out feeling that the onset of flu can create. But not always is that the case. Of course, people can experience burnout in various forms.
The fact is most people are stressed, over-stressed in comparison to say 30 years ago when taking into consideration what life was like then. We have increased work and social pressures than ever before, and this puts strain on our mental, emotional and physical condition, with little in the way of counteracting it as we’re just expecting to keep up the pace.
Burnout is a less commonly recognized ailment than the common cold, however often the symptoms are misdiagnosed as a common cold or flu. It’s the tired worn out feeling that the onset of flu can create. But not always is that the case. Of course, people can experience burnout in various forms.
The fact is most people are stressed, over-stressed in comparison to say 30 years ago when taking into consideration what life was like then. We have increased work and social pressures than ever before, and this puts strain on our mental, emotional and physical condition, with little in the way of counteracting it as we’re just expecting to keep up the pace.
The difficulty lies in identifying when they combine and push someone to a breaking point. If we trace these symptoms back to their roots, two causes become apparent: a lack of structure and growth opportunities in the workplace and a lack of time with friends and family. These absences will lead to an unsustainable lifestyle in the future, so take control of your work life now with these tips to overcome burnout and increase your work-life balance:
Try Remote Work
If your burnout symptoms stem from a lack of time with your family and friends, try remote work. Not only will you be at home where you can see your family, but you also cut out your commute time, giving you more time to work or socialize. In fact, remote workers are more productive than their in-office counterparts, and while remote workers should be aware of burnout too, remote work has many perks that can leave you feeling rejuvenated within a week.
Prioritize Your Schedule
Creating a schedule makes it easier to visualize what you need to do and what you want to do. Be sure to find a balance between them. Set aside time for yourself or your friends and family every day, even if it’s just an hour or two. It’s called a work-life balance for a reason. The best way to avoid burnout is to stay productive and happy, so be sure that your schedule includes activities that make you feel both.
Channel Your Stress Into Productivity
If you’re stressed at work, that’s not always a bad thing. At its best, stress can be an excellent motivator to get you to focus and accomplish your goals, while at its worst, stress is a sign that you should talk with your boss about setting realistic expectations at work. However, this isn’t the same as burnout.
To overcome burnout, don’t focus on stress as a negative aspect of your life. Use stress to your advantage and fuel the fire of your productivity, whether you focus better at the office or release that stress at the gym. In the right doses, stress can help you avoid the boredom of burnout and revitalize your sense of purpose in the workplace.
Say No!
That’s right! Tell your boss you don’t feel like working on Monday. Ok not really. What we mean is that “No” is one of the most powerful words in the English language, if you use it when you need to. If your schedule is full or there’s a task that you’ve done a thousand times and want someone else to do it, then say “no.” Its called delegation and sharing the workload with someone else in a position to do so.
Leave Work At The Office
In many respects, this is the hardest step, but to achieve a true work-life balance, you need to leave work behind once you leave the office. TV showrunner Shonda Rhimes took a famous stand with this last year when she established that she would not check email or work-related activity after 7 pm or on weekends while encouraging her employees to do the same. “Work will happen 24 hours a day, 365 days a year if you let it,” Rhimes said in an interview with Fresh Air. If you want a work-life balance for yourself, you have to make it happen. No one will do it for you.
Burnout can happen to anyone, so be on the lookout for any symptoms in yourself or others at your workplace. This, however, does not exclude the emotional burnout one can experience through difficult personal hardships. But the principles we feel remain similar. It’s about creating structure and boundaries in your life that allows you the freedom to regain control over certain aspects that had perhaps taken on a life of their own.