The Signs of Burnout and What Can We Do About It
Your body is made to recover. From illness, from injury or from an emotional letdown, your body is working hard at all times to bounce back and keep you moving forward.
In the workplace, wherever that may physically be, there is a tendency to overwork to the point of burnout. Burnout is a syndrome the World Health Organization characterizes as, “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” You may experience exhaustion or low energy, feelings of cynicism regarding your job or an inability to complete tasks or work effectively.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. According to a Gallup study of 7,500 employees, 23% reported feeling burned out at work very often or always, while an additional 44% reported feeling burned out sometimes. Is this a sign of weakness? Far from it. Life demands a lot from you. To lighten the load, we have some easy steps to keep you focused, well-rested and precisely the opposite of burned out: engaged.
Community. We crave it because it serves us. Right now, community may not include social gatherings, but it still means cultivating relationships that provide a sense of inclusion and belonging. When you feel burnout encroaching on your mental territory, reach out to a coworker who can relate to your busy schedule and ask for support. Reach out to a family member you trust or a friend you know makes you laugh. It’s natural to feel a heightened sense of isolation during burnout. Connecting with your community gives you access to ancestral knowledge –– how did others navigate what you’re currently going through? What did they do to re-engage?
Incoming calendar invite. No, it’s not another meeting –– it’s free time. “Schedule free time on your calendar, just like you would schedule a meeting, and stick to it,” says Evrim Oralkan, startup founder and member of Young Entrepreneur Council. “It's crucial to take the time you need for yourself, even if it's just 30 minutes a day. You'll get back to work feeling recharged and inspired, and chances are, you'll accomplish a lot more than you would if you worked straight through the day.” Looking for ideas for what to do with your free time? Put on your favorite playlist and dance it out. Listen to a podcast. Take a nap. Make a delicious snack. Or, do absolutely nothing –– this is your time.
Invest in yourself/self-care. This does not mean spending a lot of money on bath bombs, although it certainly can mean that –– we love a luxurious bubble bath moment. Self-care includes essentials like getting enough rest, drinking water and modifying expectations. “Burnout prevention is about living out what is true about your body, your personality and your reality,” writes Elizabeth Grace Saunders for the New York Times. Try completely unplugging from electronics 30 minutes before bed and see how that affects your sleep. Set attainable goals, like hydrating throughout the day, and see how that positively impacts your energy. Adjust your expectations to match the current climate, for yourself and for others, and see how that better fulfills your needs.
Burnout is common because hard work is common. To succeed, we need to keep a watchful eye on our most important asset, ourselves. If you’re feeling the effects of burnout, take time to pause, reset and remind yourself that you do in fact, got this.
