How to Prevent and Recover from Burnout: When you feel like it’s Never going to End
Burnout is different from stress. Burnout, a result of too much stress, too little rest, and too many hours, comes from having to do everything at once. In today’s society, it seems less likely for individuals to experience a sense of balance. In fact, an Australian study performed by the University of Queensland found that the average person spends 10 hours a day in front of a screen.
That’s 72 hours a week. Another study found that the average working professional checks multiple devices over 50 times a day. The same goes for a lot of parents, who devote an excessive amount of time to getting their kids where they need to be each day. When this type of life is repeated often enough, it can lead to burnout. According to the American Psychological Association, burnout leads to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, which can create barriers between us and our family and friends. It can also create job dissatisfaction. Bottom line: Burnout is not sustainable.
The good news is I have put together a few things I’ve been doing to prevent and recover from burnout:
Honor Your Working Hours Do everything you can to stick to the number of hours you're expected to work. One of the first clues you're gravitating toward over-work is noticing that you're working longer hours than required.
For example, if you’re scheduled to work 9AM - 5PM Monday - Friday each day and you notice that you are actually working to 6:00, 7:00, or even later, recognize that continuing to work at this pace will eventually catch up with you.
Working extra hours occasionally can be beneficial for your career development or your bank account. But the long-term effects of chronic overwork can be inefficient in the very career field you are aiming to succeed.
Tap Into Available Resources Familiarize yourself with the tools available at work to help you achieve success. Take the time to pinpoint or learn how to use the time-saving resources offered by your workplace.
Clock-Out This is something you should do whether you are feeling burned out or not. Giving yourself the chance to get up out of your chair for five minutes can be energizing and refreshing. Walk around the office, chat with a coworker or just get up to stretch your legs.
Whatever you do during your break, get out of your usual environment. If you normally stare at a computer screen, go outside, or gaze out a window. If you're running around as part of your job, take a relaxing break. Sit down somewhere or meditate if you can.
Use Your PTO Make a habit of using ALL of your allotted time off. Using your PTO will help you prevent job burnout.
When you decide to take time to unplug from work, use this time to really recharge. Enable your Out of Office Message and state that you will reply to all messages once you return.
Engage in activities that are totally unrelated to work.
Acknowledge Your Feelings. When many of us feel that our jobs are "too much," we tend to gloss over our feelings; to brush them off as something that will fade with time. If you're feeling burned out, however, it can be an indication that you're headed for a major career roadblock.
Are you getting tired of working all the time? Are you totally excited and interested in your job? Or is it becoming humdrum or even a hassle?
If you discover you're feeling negative about your work, take steps to resolve the challenges that are causing you to feel this way. It's important that your work provides a positive force in your life rather than zap all your energy.
Delegate whenever possible. One of the signs of burnout is the belief that you are the only person who can carry out a task or job.
Whether or not your belief about others is true, you don't have to act on it. When you do, the result is that you do more and more of the work.
When you delegate, you also give others the opportunity to grow and develop. If you're in a position to delegate, fostering this growth may even be part of your job!
You can see here from the tips that I have shared, the best way to avoid developing job burnout is to take care of yourself. Practice proper self-care and make time for things that rejuvenate you. Make sure you take the time to stop, reflect and work on your well-being. I hope that these six tips are a start to helping you avoid burnout at work so you can flourish in your career every day.