5 Effective Ways to Tackle Burnout at Work
“Maintain a work-life balance!”
Whether you’re a fresher; an employee with a few years’ worth of experience to your credit; or a senior in your field, you’ve heard this gem of an advise being doled out to you (repeatedly) over the years. But how does one do it? That’s left for me, you, us to figure out, often through trial and error. In today’s world where there is incessant competition at every little stage, the balance is inevitably tipped towards work, with “I’m too busy” being everyone’s default, or rather, preferred state. The more stressed, the better.
We all know the repercussions of not having a good work-life balance: reduced efficiency in performance, inability to work, and in some of the worst (but sadly too common) cases, severe physical and mental health issues. Pack it all in together and you get burnout, which is classified as a serious health concern according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (used by the World Health Organization). Here, we address the five most important methods to fighting burnout in the workplace:
1. Prevention is Always Better Than Cure
If you consciously pay attention to how you work, rather than just concentrating on working continuously, you will recognize the warning signs that announce the onset of a burnout. Constant exhaustion, reduced concentration on the work at hand, taking twice as much time to complete tasks or leaving them incomplete, and the most telling of them all, frequent stress-related illnesses such as insomnia or stomach ache. If you keep an eye out, you can put in place enough check mechanisms to prevent it before it settles in well and good. To that end, small measures like
- managing breaks every 30 minutes (the Pomodoro Technique is a great method to increase productivity without losing yourself in your work)
- making a habit out of disconnecting and going offline over the weekends to allow yourself some essential rejuvenation by turning off notifications or setting a small window in which to check mails
- avoiding multitasking if you can help it, instead focussing on finishing a series of tasks one after another in order to maximize productivity
- focussed breathing
can be immensely helpful.
2. Speak Up
Once you figure out that the burnout is getting to you, that you’re succumbing to it, do not cut off from the rest of the world. Many individuals in workspaces keep quiet for fear of being looked upon as someone weak, which is counter-productive, to say the least. Understanding and accepting that burning out is a common occurrence in today’s world, a natural offshoot of the constant demands made of us and our mental resources is the first step towards fighting it. When you share your experience with someone you view as your mentor, or a colleague, or a loved one, it significantly relieves you of the burden that’s gathered itself on you, that acts as a roadblock towards any progress. You might just get some important insights from them on how to fight it; or, if not a concrete answer, a support system that is going to see you through the harrowing situation that this is.
3. Healthy Body = Healthy Mind
It isn’t stressed enough (okay, maybe it is, but it still can’t be reiterated enough) that exercising and keeping your body healthy leads to a hale and hearty mind that naturally translates into greater work efficiency. Taking up a sport or something as simple as a thirty-minute walk each day does the trick. Keep in mind also that your day isn’t just about your work: set aside some time for a hobby that you’ve been withholding from for a long time, or just pick up a book and read. Give your eyes some respite from those glaring blue screens, too.
4. Listen to your Body
A lot of people try overcoming burnout by fighting it. By trying to prove a point to others that, indeed, they are capable of coming back up stronger than they were. As inspiring as it may seem, it might not be the best way to go about the process of recovering from it. Burning out sets in primarily when the mind and body are unable to keep up with the always on mode that you need them to be in in order to work at the pace you’re used to and putting additional pressure on them by trying to fight burnout with an aggressive state of mind hardly helps.
Turn that part of yourself off, instead.
Regular counselling sessions can help you in better understanding how your mind and body can work well together, figure out the root cause of the burnout and try to undo it by allowing yourself a degree of much-needed calmness and peace of mind. Reconnect with parts of your life that were overlooked because of work; with family and friends; with new experiences you were putting off for later.
5. “Be Water, My Friend”
One of the most popular and helpful tips is to change some part of your routine or schedule significantly. For example, if you’re used to waking up late, try doing the opposite — sleep earlier and wake up earlier, too. It does not look like a lot, but the effects will speak for themselves. Be open to changes of this sort based on the situation at hand. At the heart of it, overcoming burnout requires a complete shift in the way you’re used to seeing life on the daily. Remember, to be able to hustle, you also need to be able to give serious time and patience to your well-being.
