How To Avoid Burnout
What is burnout?
Burnout has been a buzzword in the last couple of years, and many of us think that burnout simply comes from working long hours. However, there are different forms of burnout. Sure, we can burnout from overworking ourselves, but we can also experience burnout if we feel that we have no control over our careers, if we are working towards a goal that doesn’t align with what we really want, if we lack support, and so on.
In order to be diagnosed with burnout, the following three conditions need to be present; emotional exhaustion (feeling constantly tired and waking up every day with a feeling of dread), cynicism or depersonalisation (feeling increasingly angry or irritable towards people that you used to get along with), and reduced efficacy (losing confidence in your ability to do your job).
The following are a few tips that will help to avoid the experience of burnout in the first place.
Separate yourself from your job
Although we all like to feel like we are irreplaceable in the workplace, it is actually beneficial to think in the opposite way. We are all expendable, and that is a good thing. If we are expendable, it means that we can take a sick day, and the world won’t end. If we are expendable, it means that we can take some time to look after our mental health without the company falling apart.
The world, and the fate of the company, is not resting on your shoulders 24/7. Even if you are self-employed or heading up a division or company, the world will not end if you take ten minutes for yourself.
Learn to separate yourself from your job. You may be a doctor, but you are also a person. You may be a mum, but you are also you. You may be a student, but you are also a human being. You do not have to be switched on all of the time, you are allowed to mess up, you are allowed to take time off, and you are allowed to just be good enough.
Learn how to say ‘no’
Learning how to say no can be difficult. We feel the need to justify why we are saying no. If a colleague asks us to cover a shift or a client asks something of us that we are unwilling to deliver, we struggle to say no if we feel that we don’t have a good enough reason.
The difficulty that we feel in saying no often stems from a fear of conflict and a fear of being disliked, and as children we are taught to obey others. It is ingrained in us to be helpful.
It is important for us to learn to say no, and to say no without feeling the need to justify it. One way to develop this skill is to start small. Say no to smaller things like sharing a dessert at a restaurant or joining the company netball team. By starting with smaller things, you will get used to saying no to people, but other people will also get used to you saying no to them. When you do start saying no to bigger things, they won’t be so shocked and outraged.
Before saying yes to a request, pause and take a deep breath. This will give you time to really consider what the other person is asking of you. Take that minute to assess how you will feel if you say no to this request; will you feel guilty, anxious, happy, relieved, proud? What will the fallout be of you saying no? Will the company lose money, will your friend never speak to you again? Both of these scenarios are unlikely.
Saying ‘no’ to others shows them, and yourself, that you value your own time.
Schedule in downtime – but don’t overload your downtime
Block off time in your calendar daily or weekly for downtime. Downtime can include anything from meditating, going for a walk, watching a movie, having a relaxing bath, going to the gym, and so on. Anything other than working. Anything other than sitting at a desk.
Book these appointments in your diary as if it was a work meeting. Commit to sticking to these times. If someone tries to book a work appointment with you, tell them that you are busy.
Downtime is not something that you do only when you aren’t busy. People are always going to try to take up your time. Your boss, you partner, friends, kids, parents, and so on. But you need to take time for yourself.
Don’t find the time – make the time.
Downtime is also not a time that has to be totally filled with fun activities. You don’t have to justify taking some time out for yourself by actively doing anything during that time. You could take that time to do a bit of reading or go for a long walk.
We all recharge in different ways – some of us get our energy from socialising with others, while some of us get our energy from spending some time alone. Never feel guilty for choosing one over the other.
Change Your Environment
Sitting in the same office, at the same desk, staring at the same computer screen can be incredibly draining and uninspiring.
Yes, having a set place to work can mean that your work doesn’t carry over into your free time once you get home. However, ensuring that you leave the office or your work environment for lunch can avoid the workday becoming overwhelming. Break up the working day with a lunch break in a different location, whether it’s the break room, a walk around town, meeting a friend, or going to the gym. Just make sure you do something different.
If you work from home, try working in different rooms for different projects. Use the kitchen for one, the dining room for another, and so on. However, never use the bedroom as an office – this can cause you to feel like you should be working in the evening when in fact you should be winding down for a good night’s rest.
Sometimes it can be good to leave the house altogether. Try working in your local library or cafe for a bit of inspiration from the outside world. If it is nice weather, why not try working in the park!
Find a hobby
Find something that you enjoy doing that is totally separate from work! If you work at a computer all day long, doing something active can completely revitalise you. If you work with numbers or do something quite logical, try doing something creative.
Think back to the things that you liked to do as a child. Did you like to paint or create things? Perhaps you enjoy being part of theatre productions or music groups? Or maybe it was football or tennis that excited you? Children have all of these passions when they are a child but they often end up falling to the side as we grow up. Try picking a few of these up again and see how it feels to let your inner child roam free for a while.
You never know, it could lead to some inspirational breakthrough at work!
If you would like to get started on your therapeutic journey, head to our Therapist Profile page to find someone who can support you.
