Ah, the dreaded word — burnout! Unfortunately, burnout is something that many people will have experienced at some point in their careers or personal lives, and once you’ve experienced it, there’s absolutely no way you want to experience it again!
Essentially, burnout is a repercussion of working too hard, for too long, and not prioritising yourself, both in the short and long term.
Burnout affects your mental health, physical health, and can quite easily zap away positivity, productivity, and knock your general state of wellbeing.
So, how can you avoid something that seems to be wreaking havoc in the lives of most working people in the modern world? And, if you do get struck down by burnout, how can you get over it and move forward?
In this article, we’re going to take on both of these questions, giving you short-term tips and long-term advice to help you stay in a happy and healthy state of being.
Welcome to the ultimate guide to avoiding burnout.
Whether you’re an employee, an HR manager, or a CEO, this guide will help you better understand burnout and help you to support yourself and those around you.
What Are The Signs of Burnout?
Signs of burnout vary from person to person but generally tend to include things such as feeling less productive, feeling overwhelmed by commitments, feeling less pride in your job, feeling irritable, feeling hopeless, and feeling forgetful.
However, burnout isn’t just mental, it can show up physically too. Physical signs of burnout include feeling extremely fatigued, having mood swings, experiencing tension and muscle pain, not being able to sleep, and getting headaches.
Don’t panic though, we’re only telling you the signs of burnout so you can recognise them if they appear — there are things you can do to avoid or get out of a stage of burnout.
Short Term Recovery Tips When Experiencing Burnout
Before we start to talk about how to avoid burnout in the long run, it’s best to start by telling you how you can recover from burnout when and if you’re experiencing it.
Here are three things you can do immediately when you’re experiencing burnout.
1.Pinpoint The Source Of Your Burnout
When you’re burnt out, it’s likely you will feel overwhelmed. However, to stop or at least ease this overwhelm, you should try to pinpoint the exact reason for your burnout.
Are you feeling uninspired at work? Do you have work apps on your phone pinging at all hours whilst you’re trying to relax? Do you feel as if you can’t juggle work and home life commitments?
Once you pinpoint the issue, you can work towards finding a solution.
2. Treat Yourself As You Would A Loved One
To move forward from burnout, you need to practice self-compassion. This is often difficult for many, but trying to treat yourself as you would treat a loved one can help.
Be kind to yourself, don’t hang onto guilt about feeling the way you do, make sure to shower, sleep and rest, prioritise yourself and do what you feel your mind and body truly need.
3. Do Simple Things That Bring You Joy
Do something immediately that brings you joy. This may feel hard, but think about exactly what would make you feel happy right now, and do that.
Whether you want to take a hot bubble bath, head out with your friends for dinner, sit and read a book, or paint, do something every day for at least ten minutes that brings you genuine joy — it can be as simple as making a cup of tea and sitting down for ten minutes!
5 Long Term Steps To Avoiding Burnout
Now you know some useful ways to manage burnout, let’s take a look at five top tips you can use to avoid burnout in the long run.
- Be Clear On and Set Work-Life Boundaries
When you are at work, work. When you are at home, be at home. This might sound simpler than it is, but make sure you’re setting yourself a clear work-life balance. Don’t have work-related apps on your phone, don’t work on weekends, have a wind-down routine after work, and take your holiday!
2. Promote Mental Health and Wellbeing At Work
Whilst this is mainly one for the managers and employers, promoting a positive space at work that encourages talking about wellbeing and focuses on supporting mental health is essential because then, in the future, you can be open, honest, and supported by your workplace if you do experience burnout.
3. Practice Mindfulness
Try to take time every day, or at least a few times a week to check in with yourself either through movement, meditation, journaling, or simply by spending time alone doing something that brings you peace.
By practising mindfulness and taking time to check in with yourself on a regular basis, you’ll notice that you feel a lot clearer, more grounded, and less stressed.
4. Create A Schedule
If you’re particularly worried about experiencing burnout, you may find it useful to create a comprehensive schedule every week. This schedule shouldn’t just include work but should also include the times you are going to take rest, exercise, meditate, see friends, and enjoy your hobbies.
This can help you stay on track with taking time for yourself and the things you enjoy that may otherwise by pushed aside.
5. Stop Saying Yes To Everything
Whilst you may want to be the “yes man”, you can’t and shouldn’t be saying “yes” to everything. Try to get to know your limits when it comes to how much you can take on, and don’t take on more than you can comfortably handle. This goes for work and commitments outside of work.
Remember, no is a full sentence and you have to focus on doing what makes you happy and what benefits your wellbeing.
Most Importantly, Reach Out!
The most important thing, whether you’re worried about yourself or others experiencing burnout, you’re already experiencing burnout, or you’re pretty sure someone in your team has hit the burnout stage, is to reach out to people around you.
If you’re struggling with your workload, reach out to your employer.
If you can’t cope with juggling work and life commitments, reach out to a manager.
If you notice that your employees are unaware of burnout, educate them and be there for them.
If you recognize signs of burnout in an employee, take them aside and have a chat.
The saying, “a problem shared is a problem halved” really is true, and by actively avoiding burnout with others by your side, you’re much more likely to succeed.
