At one point or another, we've all felt burned out. Burnout has a negative effect on just about everything in your life including your performance, attitude and motivation. If you don't understand the cause of your burnout and make a change, you can face major risks. Burnout at work is a real problem and during quarantine, we are all more at risk of feeling its effects. Take action to learn about what drives burnout and how you can reverse yours.
So why does burnouts happens in the first place?
Overdoing it at work can happen for a few different reasons. When you understand why you're starting to run out of drive, it's easier to reverse the effect and get back to feeling and performing your best. Here are some of the causes of burnout.
You might feel run down or unmotivated if your workspace is chaotic or dysfunctional. It can be exhausting to function in a fast-paced high-stress environment day after day especially if you're not able to control your schedule or other aspects of your work. And if you struggle to communicate well with your co-workers or boss, things can get even worse. Work life in balance is potentially a huge factor for feeling overwhelmed at work. Too much work and not enough pay can lead to a loss of energy, productivity and a sense of high stress. Lack of social support also plays a role and working in a helping profession such as nursing, social work or education or having difficulty with boundaries can all contribute to burnout as well.
There are both short and long term impacts of burnout. If you're experiencing burnout, you might not feel interested in your work or any other work related activities. You can't muster up any enthusiasm for projects that you once got excited for and you're having trouble focusing at work with your performance suffering. As a result, this can cause you to feel tired, drained and low energy. You might even experience physical symptoms such as stomach aches or headaches. These are all signs that you're reaching the end of your rope. The longer you allow yourself to feel exhausted from work the worse things will get.
If you're feeling burned out, don't just sit back and wait for things to get better. Take action to address it now. If you don't, you could potentially derail your career growth for many years. But you can avoid burnout by following these simple steps.
Define the root causes
If you're feeling worn down and want to fix the issue once and for all, you need to figure out the root cause. Is this feeling caused by a chaotic workplace, work life and balance, both neither? It's impossible to effectively reverse course unless you find and address the root cause. So this should always be your first step.
Learn how to ask for help
Stop biting off more than you can chew. By learning how to delegate, you won't feel as much pressure to get everything done. If you have trouble asking for help, start small by finding a trusted co-worker or friend to take some of the work off your plate. This is a smart method of making your to-do list more manageable and help keep you on track in the long run.
Set realistic expectations for your workload
Start by learning good time management skills to reduce burden network. Make a log of how you spend your time at work so you can see exactly where your hours are going. This will help you figure out how much you can realistically accomplish each day and any schedule changes you need to make to get the work done. Setting realistic deadlines is also helpful when you have a new project to work on. Estimate a due date by thinking about similar projects you've completed in the past and how long they took. You'll also want to factor in time for any other projects you're working on simultaneously. By setting realistic deadlines, you won't have to push yourself so hard trying to finish the work on time.
Learn how to communicate with your boss when their expectations and or your workload are too unrealistic Approach your boss as soon as possible and respectfully lay out your concerns. Suggest an alternate option like "i'm not sure i can give this project the time it deserves if you need it by friday maybe someone can help you get it done". Chances are your boss will appreciate your honesty and your commitment to getting the work done well.
Learning how to set realistic expectations and deadlines will help you feel less stressed and more productive in the long term.
Be proactive and make a change
You can outrun burnout. So things won't get better unless you make a change. Be proactive by making ongoing lifestyle changes to support your physical and mental health. These might include working out, doing mindfulness exercises or anything else that's important to you throughout the work week. Investing in yourself can help you stay focused and boost your confidence.
