May is coming around — and besides welcoming the season of summer, May also means burnout is running hot at the workplace. You’ve almost had 5 months of hard work, so what can you do to sustain that energy? Today’s article will cover 3 tips for you to fight burnout.
What is burnout and why does it happen?
Burnout refers to a state of mental and physical exhaustion that usually comes about when you push yourself too hard at work. It makes you feel tired and moody, all the while affecting your relationships and productivity at work.
But how exactly do you know if you’re experiencing burnout? Some common symptoms of work-related burnout include exhaustion, feeling lonely, getting irritated easily, or falling sick often. Essentially, these symptoms are a side-effect of your body asking you for a proper break.
3 tips to fight burnout
#1 Exercise
This first tip might seem counterintuitive — after all, won’t exercising make a tired person feel even more exhausted? That’s not always the case, though. Exercise is a great way for you to get a boost of adrenaline and motivation. Physically, the chemicals that run through your body after a workout are amazing for your happiness and could help you fight burnout. Psychologically, just working out and having a solid 30 minutes away from your work can do wonders for your mental health. Additionally, exercising gives you that short-term happiness associated with completing a goal. This is a great pick-me-up that can add color to your day especially during particularly challenging periods at work.
#2 Talk it out
People often believe that they should fight off their problems on their own. But they also underestimate the number of people who experience burnout around the world. Everyone feels work-related burnout once in a while. In fact, with most people still working from home, plenty of employees are feeling “Zoom Fatigue.” Burnout is an extremely common issue and you should deal with it with a community. This could mean sharing your feelings with family and friends, who can encourage you to step away from your desk once in a while. This could also mean opening up to your coworkers, who are probably experiencing burnout as well. If you’re uncomfortable sharing your struggles with those around you, you could even find support through an online community or by seeking professional help. There are plenty of people out there who can relate to burnout or are willing to hear you talk about it. So share your thoughts, get any weight off your chest and start the day anew.
#3 Plan your time well
Sometimes, work-related burnout comes about when you don’t plan your time well. As a result, you end up juggling many tasks, feeling stressed, and constantly feeling like you’re working all day while getting very little done. In this case, you should plan your time well — however you choose to. For some people, this means starting the day with a bullet journal of prioritized tasks. For others, this means using better time management techniques at work. A Timeqube, for example, is a tool that you can use to improve your time management. This mindful timer indicates the passing of time through a change in color, becoming a serene addition to your office. It’s a simple, seamless tool that can help you use your time better, feel stress-free, and fight burnout at work.
