Careers: What to do when burnout hits
May 28, 2009 by admin
Filed under Time & Stress Management
Burnout can happen to anyone and may manifest in a variety of ways. On rare occasions burnout happens suddenly, but most of the time it is a gradual build up that it isn’t noticed until the exhaustion appears.
One person’s tolerance for burnout may be different than another’s. Additionally, the organizational environment almost always comes into play; in these cases sometimes it is difficult to deal with burnout because there are certain aspects in the workplace that are beyond an employee’s control.
If burnout hits, the best approach is to examine and try and change the things you do have control over. Once you pinpoint the areas in your job that you can change to reduce feelings of stress and exhaustion, you can get to work on making those adjustments.
In some cases you may be able to eliminate the sources of stress you find by making adjustments to schedule, work habits or personal philosophy. Here are a few contributing factors to burnout and what you can do to try and reduce it:
*Take Breaks
Everyone needs a break once in a while. If you come to work, sit down and work straight through until quitting time, over the course of time there is a higher probability you’ll exhaust yourself.
The way to reduce this probability is to make sure you take lunch hours and other designated breaks throughout the work day. A change of pace, if only to give your eyes, body and brain a rest will do wonders. Taking a breather is always a good way to help combat burnout.
*Take Time Off
If you feel the seeds of burnout coming or have reached the point, you may want to consider planning to take some vacation time. Taking several days vacation can give you a chance to rejuvenate and flush out some of that burnout. If you don’t have vacation time, and can’t afford to take non-paid vacation time, see if you can take a long weekend.
The key to being successful by taking time off is not take work with you. Instead, shut down the laptop, turn off the cell phone, and any other work related gadget. Leave it all behind and focus on recharging your batteries during your time off.
*Positive Attitude
Trying to keep a positive approach is a roundabout way to combat burnout. Negativity has a tendency to weigh people down.
The upside is by changing your own behaviors to reflect a positive approach is you can help make difficult work situations more positive too. Try adjusting your approaches to people who stress you out, or if possible, eliminate contact if they aren’t directly