This year has been rough for all of us.
The stress of it all has left us feeling off-kilter, drained, and burned out more often than not. Sometimes it feels like we’re barely keeping our heads above water. Sometimes it just feels like drowning.
Listen: burnout is real. Most of us have experienced it from time to time over the course of our careers, but it seems more prevalent than ever in the midst of COVID fears, financial worries, and a brand-new recession. There are different ways to feel burned out. It could be overload fatigue — too much on your plate, too much to ever feel like you’ve caught up or are in-control.
It could be burnout from a lack of challenge or indifference because of past failures. These both stifle our professional growth, undermine our confidence, and make us feel isolated at work.
No matter what kind of burnout you’re experiencing, it’s critical that you recognize how to climb out of the pit — not for the sake of productivity, but for your own wellbeing.
5 Ways to Bounce Back from Burnout
1) Recognize Your Role
First things first: be honest with yourself. While outside forces definitely contribute to our burnout, we’re often guilty, too. We chose to work late, put in extra hours on the weekends, say yesto every request, and put off taking a vacation. So often it’s our bad habits that lead to burnout. Not only do we have to recognize these destructive behaviors, but we have to challenge them, too.
2) Build Up Barriers
In our technological age, it’s harder than ever to enforce the workplace boundaries that were once a given. We need to build up a reflex for guarding our time. While it’s okay to take on something extra here and there, habitually staying late, coming in early, or taking weekend calls and answering late-night emails has got to stop.
Give yourself room to say “no” and “later.”
Friend, it’s a slippery slope when it comes to this stuff. Given an inch and you’ll wake up someday a mile away. It’s not that you become selfish — it’s that you know to value your time not just as a boss or employee, but as a person who must prioritize their wellbeing.
3) Prioritize Health
Health plays a big role in burnout. I write a lot here about nutrition and exercise, and there’s a good reason for it. Health plays a huge role in preventing burnout and bouncing back when it happens. What does that look like?
One, it looks like getting enough sleep. It’s hard to be at your best and focused when you’re running on fumes. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep each night. Get exercise before or after work — it’ll boost your energy levels overall, help maintain fitness, and make sleep more rewarding. Eat right. When we’re stressed and burned out, it’s more tempting than ever to reach for the comforts of fast food, chips, and desserts.
Give your body the good nutrition it needs. It may not satisfy your sweet tooth or Big Mac craving, but you will find that it gives you more mental and physical energy. It’s harder to burn out when you have more to give! Healthy habits effectively increase your capacity and ability to work — alongside countless other benefits.
4) Reward Your Efforts
Take a break. Recognize when you’ve worked hard and reward yourself! A reward can look like a lot of different things, but I have a few ideas. Actually use that vacation time. Have a date night or guys night out. Get a massage. Fire up the hot tub or hit the steam room. Invest in a hobby. Whatever it is that helps you relax? Do it. That means not only prioritizing mental relaxation but social and emotional relaxation, too. Spend time with friends and family without thinking about work. Rewarding yourself will help keep your job from feeling thankless, even if you’re the only one who recognizes the hours and effort you’re putting in.
5) Unplug, Reset, Refresh
Last but certainly not least, unplug. While we usually think unplugging is something we do while on vacation, it’s something we’ve got to make a regular part of our week. Take a long weekend. Refuse to look at your phone during dinner or before bed. Even if you’re not focusing on work, the constant bombardment of news, information, and emails can be a mental stressor that you just don’t need.
What are your strategies for preventing burnout? Share in the comments.