How to Avoid Burnout at Work
Burnout in the workplace is common in normal times, let alone in stressful ones. With medical professionals still overwhelmed, remote workers struggling to separate their home office and their home, no matter what profession you’re in, burnout is a major concern.
What is burnout?
According to the World Health Organization, “burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and reduced professional efficacy.”
What does it look like?
Burnout can look different in people, but there are some common signs. Recognizing these signs can help you better understand whether the stress you’re feeling at work is impacting you in a serious way. Here’s what to look out for:
Changes in sleep patterns
Concentration and motivation issues
Feelings of depression
Stomach issues
High blood pressure
Getting sick more often
Recurring headaches
Loss of interest
How can I avoid it?
There are steps you can take on your own to avoid burnout once you’re aware of the symptoms and what might be causing them. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Prioritize self-care
Self-care is always important, but if you’re nervous you’re reaching your threshold of stress at work and want to avoid burnout, prioritize it even more. It’s essential to replenish your emotional and physical energy, which will in turn increase your capacity to focus and your motivation.
There are plenty of ways to work self-care into your daily routine, so find what works best for you. Some people enjoy a morning routine that includes meditation and journaling, while others enjoy an afternoon walk. Self-care can look like exercise, enjoying nature, practicing mindfulness, creating art, listening to music, or journaling. Whatever promotes inner peace for you is self-care.
2. Address workload
If your stress is increasing at work, it may be due to a overwhelming workload. If you find there’s not enough time in a day or week to get all of your responsibilities completed and completed well, then bring it up to your manager or supervisor in a touch base meeting.
If you’re nervous about a negative reaction, try looping in a member of the HR team to observe the meeting. You should be given a reasonable amount of time to complete your tasks well.
3. Reach out to your community
If you have any community at your place of work, reach out to them. Let them know you’re feeling overwhelmed and see if it’s a systemic problem within the company that needs to be addressed. Talking through stress with others can give us a sense of relief.
If you don’t have a strong community in your workplace, go to your friends or family to vent about the stress you’re feeling. If your loved ones have ever experienced something similar, they might be able to give you tips on how to work through it. Whether it’s a loved one or a coworker, our communities can be a great resource for support during times of stress.
4. Mental and physical breaks
Mental and physical breaks are essential to avoiding over-stress. These breaks can look like taking a 15 to 30-minute walk over lunch, or even just stepping away from your desk to chat with coworkers or family members. If you’re feeling overwhelmed at work, try building in 10 minutes every hour to decompress. This may seem undoable if your workload is too much, but research shows that taking breaks actually increases our productivity.
Another great way to take a break is by taking a vacation. It’s best to take at least a week off, completely disconnected from work, to relieve some of the stress you’re feeling at your job. If your benefits package comes with paid time off, use it. We all need to take breaks from work.
If you or a loved one are experiencing excessive amounts of stress in the workplace and fear burnout, please reach out to us. Our team of therapists is here to provide support and guidance. We look forward to connecting with you.
