It can be difficult to know whether you’re making the right choices in your career and work life. Here are some tips on how to balance your personal and professional lives, and avoid work burnout.
First of all, you need to;
Figure Out What’s Making You Feel Burned Out
Understanding the causes of burnout is a good place to start. Burnout isn’t an inevitable part of working, but you may have more risk for burnout if you’re in certain jobs or industries. For example, research has shown that people who work in social services are at greater risk for burnout than others because they’re exposed to so much suffering and trauma as part of their job.
Next, understand what it means to be burned out: It’s not just feeling tired all the time or overwhelmed by stressors at work; rather, it’s an emotional exhaustion that can affect your physical health and well-being (and it can be dangerous).
If this sounds like a description of how you feel right now, know that there are many things you can do about it — and we’ll get into them below!
5 Ways To Avoid Burnout
1. Take a Break
If you’re working in an office environment, there are probably other people around to remind you when breaks are due.
Freelancers or home-workers have no one to monitor their breaks and can be tempted not to take any at all. This is a mistake. Your mind and body need time to rest, recharge, and recover. So, even if you’re feeling pressured to work “all the time,” try to take some breaks throughout the day.
What’s the point? It’s important not only because your body needs rest, but also because taking regular breaks helps keep your mind fresh and productive throughout the day.
The best way to avoid burning out is by having some sort of routine that involves getting away from your desk every few hours. For example:
- Take five minutes every hour or two when you can stretch your legs or go outside for some fresh air.
- In between those times, whenever possible, try not to sit still too long — instead opt for short walks around your home office or even just walking up and down the stairs or doing jumping jacks in place!
2. Examine Your Priorities
If you’re new to prioritization, it’s important to start with a clear understanding of what those priorities are. To do that, answer the following questions:
- What must be done?
- What can be forgone?
- How much time does each task take?
- How much time can you dedicate to work today?
If you’re not sure about the importance of a certain task or how much time it should take, use your calendar to help organize your day.
Prioritize your tasks.
After you’ve answered the questions above, it’s time to prioritize them using some kind of methodical process. One way to do this is by assigning each task a number from 1-10 based on its importance (1 being least important and 10 being most important).
This will help you sort out what needs to be done first, second, and so on.
You may also find that some tasks are just not worth doing at all—your job isn’t worth burning out over!
3. Don’t Confuse Exhaustion With Excitement
It’s easy to get so caught up in the adrenaline of a new project, a team win, or an idea that your brain starts telling you that you’re not tired anymore. But if you’re running on fumes and still feel like working? That’s when it’s time to ask yourself if this is really something worth doing—or if maybe it’s time for a nap or some rest instead.
Know when enough is enough and take care of yourself first.
We all have our limits, and while achieving balance may take some trial and error, being too hard on ourselves just isn’t worth it in the long run. If you find that work has become an obsession rather than something enjoyable and rewarding, then maybe it’s time for change rather than more of the same old stuff!
4. Take Care of Yourself Physically, Mentally, and Emotionally
- Sleep.
- Exercise.
- Eat well.
If you’re constantly pushing yourself to the limit, it’s inevitable that your body will start to wear down and break down. If you’re experiencing burnout, it’s important to take care of yourself physically. Sleep. Exercise. Eat well. Taking care of yourself physically can help keep you energized and alert.
5. Ask for Help
You’re not alone! Burnout is a common problem among all workers, and it can be hard to admit that you need help. But asking for help doesn’t make you weak—it makes you smart.
The first step toward feeling better is admitting that your job is too much to handle on your own. That’s why it’s so important to reach out and ask for help from someone who cares about you: whether that person is a friend or family member, a professional counselor, or even another colleague at work (you might be surprised by how many people have been there before).
There are many resources available to people who need mental health care: look up “mental health services near me”.
Remember That Perfectionism Is Not A Sustainable Lifestyle
A constant striving for perfection is not a realistic option.
It’s important to know when to stop. Perfectionism can be good, and it’s often a key component in achieving success. However, perfectionism can also be stressful and can lead to burnout if you’re not careful.
Burnout is not the same as being tired—it’s a state of emotional exhaustion that can lead to depression and physical illness if left unchecked.
Burnout Is Real
Burnout is real, and it’s something you can’t always avoid. However, there are ways to manage burnout if you’re aware of the symptoms, including:
- Feeling like nothing you do is good enough
- Having negative thoughts about your job or team members that seem uncontrollable
- Not being able to switch off from work when you leave the office
Take-Away
Burnout is something that affects so many people, but it’s not talked about much.
The main takeaway here? Burnout is real and can happen to anyone. The best way to deal with it is to be aware of the symptoms and take action as soon as possible. If you’re feeling burned out, try taking a few days off from work, talking to your boss about how you’re feeling, or getting some help from a professional.