5 Ways To Overcome Job Burnout (And Get Awesome At It!)

‘It’s time for a break!’ 

A shrill and sharp voice cries inside as you keep telling your brain and body to keep pulling through one last time.

‘But, we have to complete this!’

You tell your brain to keep pushing until you realize that you’re actually running on empty.

Stress and anxiety are the biggest silent killers of the 21st century. So much so that it seems to affect almost everyone from our generation in nearly every prospect of life. Studies indicate that chronic stress is linked to six leading causes of death. Besides having an effect on your mental and physical health, chronic stress can also cause an imbalance in blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure; making you susceptible to health ailments like stroke and heart attack.

Burnouts are caused due to prolonged stress, anxiety or anticipation of an event that is full of uncertainty. You’ll relate to this if you feel easily overwhelmed, constantly drained and unable to complete your day-to-day activities generally or at work. Burnouts in this era are frequent, not because we’re always working in a high-stress environment or pace, but because we fail to care for ourselves. Taking care of your mental health is as essential as your first cup of coffee, the cup you would never miss.

Try these 5 ways to overcome job burnout and stress, and emerge a winner at your workplace.

#1. Through the looking glass

The first step towards finding a solution for any problem is to acknowledge the problem. It’s important to understand how you’re feeling, what you’re going through and how it affects you. Burnouts generally build-up over time and tend to be majorly overwhelming with feelings of excessive mental and physical exhaustion. You might also have days when you feel extremely helpless, unproductive, overloaded with repetitive thoughts and often unappreciated. If you relate to the above, you might be experiencing symptoms of burnout.

 

#2. Breaking away

Now that you’re better aware of how you think, it’s time to break away from that burnout routine at your workplace. Burnouts are an excellent reminder to slow down and take things slow. Start by identifying things, triggers or people that stress you. Do something that relieves your mind and body from breaking away from those thoughts of hopelessness and lack of motivation. How about a walk? A 5-minute music power break should also do wonders.

 

#3. Habits, old and new

Snoozing the alarm again? If you feel like reaching out for the third bottle of beer or binging on the second pack of chips more often than usual, it’s time to make some changes. The trinity of good health — sleep, exercise, and nutrition often tends to take a backseat in life because of our negligent lifestyle and ‘don’t care’ attitude for self-care. Moreover, the lack of motivation or appreciation can drive you to continue bad habits (or abandon the good ones) to compensate for all the stress. Consider restructuring your habits to work for you. Take little steps, tailor your habits to your needs and remind yourself that it’s ‘A-OK.’

 

#4. Getting back up

There’ll be days when you try hard but still end up having the worst day at work. The most important lesson for such days is the art of learning to take time off for yourself and not being hard on yourself all the time. It’s important to acknowledge that your brain and body have a certain capacity that will diminish if you keep burning yourself up. Setting your priorities and scheduling your day strategically can help you weave a solution, even if things go south. Remember to reach out to your close friends or support system; it’ll help you relax and focus better.

 

#5. Meet the ‘new’ you

Nothing matters more than knowing that you survived the day without breaking a (major) sweat! The more you detach from stressful situations and surround yourself with positivity and optimism, the more you will value yourself. Take time to appreciate the little things in life, your journey, your strengths and how far you’ve come. It’s always a good idea to take a breather, relax and treat yourself every now and then, there’s more to life than just upcoming timelines and compromises. Good luck, fellow survivor!

P.S: Remember, there are no rules but your own. You do ‘YOU’!