If you love your job, you probably consider yourself lucky. Not everyone gets to go to work every day happy about their career. However, no matter how much you love your work, it’s still possible to experience burnout.
Struggling with burnout at work can feel like a hole you can’t dig yourself out of. Everything from monotonous daily tasks like sending and checking emails to attending countless meetings can suck up your time and energy. It might even be affecting your work-life balance.
So, how can you break the cycle? What can you do to better balance your work life and home life and overcome burnout? By making a few changes, you can reignite the spark for your career while beating burnout and thriving at what you do. It’s about shifting your mindset and making positive, healthy choices for yourself and the longevity of your current career path.
With that in mind, let’s look at some of those changes and how you can start implementing them right away.
Understanding Burnout
When you love what you do, it’s not always as easy to notice the signs of burnout right away. You might feel like you need to keep pushing forward every day at work, even if you’re exhausted. You might even want to go to work and do more each day, despite your mind and body telling you to take a break.
Because of that, it’s important to recognize the common signs of burnout and why it can be such a problem. The sooner you recognize that you’re struggling, the sooner you can take steps to fight back against it.
Some of the most common signs of burnout include:
- Exhaustion
- Isolation
- Escape fantasies
- Irritability
- Frequent illnesses
If you allow these symptoms to continue, it can lead to issues like anxiety, depression, or even mental collapse. You might even start to resent your job and feel like quitting or “running away” from it.
Do any of those symptoms sound familiar? If so, it’s time to take action in overcoming burnout and taking control of your life again. The good news is burnout tends to happen in stages. The earlier you “catch” it, the easier it is to fight back.
Strike a Better Work-Life Balance
For many, the biggest cause of burnout is spending too much time at work. Maybe you’re not even in the office more than usual, but you feel like you bring work home with you, or you’re always thinking about it.
How often do you answer emails after hours? Do you ever stay up late trying to get a project for work done on your laptop? Working long hours or doing work at home after a full day of it can be detrimental to your mental health and your social life and relationships.
Some of the best ways to improve your work-life balance include:
- Learning to say “no” to more work
- Communicating your boundaries
- Asking for flexibility
- Making your health a priority
- Taking frequent breaks
One way to combat spending too much time at work is to switch to a remote position. Consider asking your employer if working from home is a possibility. There’s no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic changed the workplace. While many people were working remotely before the pandemic, 82% of Americans are now hoping to work remotely in some capacity in a post-pandemic world. However, there are several vital considerations that remote workers should think about when choosing a new home in post-COVID-19 America, including property taxes, healthcare access, and downright happiness. Nevertheless, working remotely is a fantastic way to reduce stress, feel more comfortable each day, and improve your flexibility.
Find Ways to De-Stress
If you’re experiencing burnout from work, your mental health needs to be your top priority. Find ways to reduce your stress immediately, and put them into practice.
That looks different for everyone, of course. Find ways to incorporate self-care into your daily routine, even if it’s just for a few minutes each day. Not sure how to get started? Try some of the following ideas:
- Meditation
- Mindfulness
- Journaling
- Exercising
- Cooking
- Spending time with friends/family
It can also help to spend more time outdoors. Mother Nature is a natural stress-reducer and mental health booster. Taking frequent breaks to step outside throughout the workday can do wonders for your stress levels. You can also take advantage of working out in nature to double those benefits. Or, take a long weekend away and go camping to get “off the grid” and reset your mind. Taking a “stress leave” from work can be one of the best ways to overcome burnout and recharge before easing back into your job.
Even if you love what you do, don’t let that dedication distract you from your health. Keep the signs of burnout in mind and make your well-being a priority. When you do, you’ll be able to overcome burnout, find joy in your career again, and move forward with health and success in your job for many years.
