We spend so much of our week working, focusing on projects, overcoming challenges, and finding ways to grow and maintain our businesses. It shouldn’t be surprising then that, according to the American Institute of Stress, nearly 80 percent of us experience stress while at work and also have trouble managing it. Our lives can be stressful as is, so when there’s additional stress coming from our jobs and careers, the outcome isn’t always pretty. Job burnout comes when we experience severe stress that goes unacknowledged. Eventually that stress can cause us to become doubtful of our work, and can even affect our ability to problem solve and limit our creativity. Fortunately, job burnout happens incrementally, so when we know what to look for, it’s easier to address. Here are some ways to prevent job burnout before it begins:
Identify your support systems at work. Teams are important for many different reasons. We solve problems as a team, make decisions, and share responsibilities. It’s also important for teams to support each other on a personal level. This doesn’t mean we have to know everything about our team members, but we should be able to identify when they need to be supported and how to do so. It can be difficult for many, but it’s crucial that when we begin to feel stress we know how to ask for help. Think about ways you need to be supported and how others can help you.
Think about the big picture. Stress and subsequent job burnout builds slowly, and can be exacerbated by everyday triggers. Thinking about long-term goals can help us reorient, regroup, and get reenergized. When we feel like we’re burnt out, it’s best to think about the reasons why. Are your values and passions being met at work? Do you feel useful? Are your ideas coming to fruition? A lot of times, stress can appear in different ways. Identifying where it’s coming from and why it’s happening is a great way to know how we can address our burnout.
Practice self-care. Taking care of yourself has a bad rep in the business world. We all want to give 100% of ourselves and energy to creating the best business we can build. But, the truth is if we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t take care of our businesses. Go back to the basics. Eating, sleeping, and spending time with your family might seem obvious, but a lot of times it’s what can keep us from experiencing burnout. Know what you need to take care of yourself. And remember, chances are you won’t regret taking that vacation.
You can access more tips and advice on how to handle burnout here. Need some guidance on how to avoid burnout? Let us know!
