Even if you have the job of your dreams, it won't always be all rainbows and unicorns. If you work too hard or just have a bad few weeks, you could experience job burnout. Burning out affects you in many ways, from poor performance to mental health issues. Before you suffer, follow a few tips to preventing burn out.
First, you should know that burnout is quite common. You might think that it can't happen to you, but it can happen to anyone. According to one survey of 1,000 full-time workers, 34% of them had effects of burnout. Anxiety, depression, and physical ailments were a result of their excess work.
Because burnout is so common, the World Health Organization considers it a syndrome. It's not a medical condition but does have enough of an impact to warrant a mention. When people don't deal with burnout, they tend to go to the extreme. Workers who don't address their feelings often cry at work or may even lose their job
Typically, people associate burning out with a feeling of being drained. You might leave work every day and feel like you can't take any more. When life starts to feel unenjoyable or your mood affects you every day, you're experiencing burnout.
There are a variety of causes of burnout, but it's not the cause that matters so much as the effect. When people burnout, they might suffer from depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions. In addition to impacting your performance at work, burnout also affects your home life. You could be working so hard that your family and friends suffer.
If you don't understand something, you can't prevent it. So, the key to preventing a burnout is knowing what causes it. By definition, burnout syndrome is a result of chronic stress that goes mismanaged. When you're mad at your boss, you're not burned out. But when you're constantly overwhelmed and stressed, you're burning out.
One of the most common causes of burnout is working too hard. If you have a workload that's too tough, you won't be able to keep up with it. For a few weeks or months you might make it work, but it's only a matter of time before you can't manage it anymore. Even if you love your job, you can only handle so much work.
Another cause of burnout is emotional stress. If you have a boss that bullies you or a coworker who frustrates you, burnout is a possibility. The mental anguish of dealing with the conflict every day takes a toll on you. Individuals in certain careers like healthcare and social services are more likely to experience burnout. Typically, these individuals commit so much time and energy to their jobs that they burnout quickly.
If you know when you're about to burnout, you might be able to prevent it from happening in full force. Regardless of the cause of your burnout, the signs are all similar. You might start to make excuses, procrastinate before working, or start focusing on social media rather than work. If you feel as if you have no motivation or energy, you are already in burnout mode. It's only a matter of time before it affects you even more.
At times, the signs of burnout resemble an illness. You could experience frequent headaches, stomach pain, and other ailments. Unless you're actually sick, you should tie those symptoms to burnout. Think about what's happening in the workplace and what you can do to alleviate your stress. If it's helpful, keep a log of your feelings and symptoms.
Once you identify an imminent burnout, consider taking a short break. You don't need to take a month off from work; even a long weekend could be enough to rejuvenate you. If you can't afford to leave town, stay local and have a "me" weekend. Make an effort to relax and do what you enjoy.
When you get back to work, you'll still have the same problem. However, a short break is a great opportunity to reset your mentality. If you take other measures to prevent burnout when you return, you won't have anything to worry about.
A new mentality could keep you from taking on too much work. Instead of trying to be the "yes man," be willing to say no to your employer. If you have too much on your plate, tell them you need help or delegate a task to someone else. Your employer would rather you be honest than see your performance suffer.
If you're a perfectionist, try to stop aiming for perfection. No one is perfect, and holding yourself to impossible standards will only keep you from ever being happy.
Every so often, take a break to do something you love. For some people, this could mean taking a walk outside. Others might want to exercise on their lunch break, or take 15 minutes to meditate. Find what relaxes you and what brings you joy.
Once you figure out what helps you, determine how frequently you need a break. You might only need a break once a day, or you may need one every couple of hours. For the best results, figure out what works for you.
No matter what you do for work, you need strict rules. Make a promise to yourself to leave your work at the office, or make a rule to set your phone down at 7pm every night.
In certain fields, you may be tempted to be available all day every day. Unfortunately, this almost guarantees burnout. You should have rules that work for you and your job.
Depending on your current position, there may be no way to avoid burnout. If you have a bad employer or a toxic workplace, you can't avoid burning out. The best thing to do could be to find a new job. Just make sure you don't make the same mistakes you did with your previous employer.
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