Are You Burned Out at Work?

From getting hired to earning a promotion, it can seem like stress has no end in the workplace. You might love your job, but that doesn’t make it any easier when your to-do list keeps getting longer.

Burnout is a major threat to workers in our ultra-connected society. If you’re wondering why it’s affecting you, there are some questions you can ask:

● Am I saying yes to too many requests, even when my schedule is full?

● Do I feel a sense of dread and anxiety whenever I think about work?

● Is my job becoming unmanageable, even parts of it that used to be easy?

Ways to Recover from Burnout at Work

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may be dealing with burnout. Left untreated, it can derail into depression, anxiety and crippling stress. However, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

Following these 10 strategies can help you work more efficiently, alleviate stress and find greater balance between your life and career.

1 | Address Your Workload Habits | In our society, many people associate being a hard worker with constantly working. In reality, you can be a dedicated professional and still set boundaries. When you feel burnt out or overwhelmed, it’s not uncommon to put tasks off until the last minute.

Unfortunately, leaving things undone only adds to mounting stress. Time management and boundaries are key here. Set priorities each morning, and work from the most important to least important.

Also, focus on blocking out anything that isn’t relevant to your job. It’s OK to say no to other projects when your plate is full.

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2 | Craft a Response to Changing Roles | Your work environment relies upon the people in it. We all know that offices are social spaces, and even if you work independently, your manager and coworkers directly affect how you feel each day.

When a coworker leaves, or management changes, it can throw you off your usual flow. Maybe your new boss isn’t understanding, or you don’t get along with your colleagues.

Role changes mean you have to also reexamine your needs. Perhaps your boss wants you to start at 8 a.m. instead of 9 a.m., or your colleague has a completely different approach to a project than you’re used to.

Whatever the case may be, you need to decide what changes you can make that will help balance out external circumstances beyond your control.

3 | Manage Your Stress Off the Clock | A lot of people try to fix their workplace stress in the office, but this rarely works. If you rely on the source of your stress to also be the antidote, you only wind up more frustrated.

The best way to start combating burnout is to find ways to destress after work hours. You can journal, exercise, do something creative or even book a vacation for a weekend at a Westgate resort.

There are a lot of options, and you have to figure out what’s both accessible and achievable for you. Don’t pressure yourself to fix everything overnight but do work on crafting a stress management plan that helps you unwind and refresh after every shift.

4 | Work with Your Supervisor | Sometimes there may be issues in the workplace that simply have to be addressed by a higher authority. If you truly can’t resolve a problem by changing your actions or perspective, it’s time to speak with management.

Schedule a call with your superior to discuss your current struggles. Before you do, make a list of your top three issues and provide three potential solutions.

Resolving burnout can become a team effort. You may be surprised at what changes can arise from a single conversation.

5 | Stop Taking Work Home When You Can | You may get home from the office and think, “I’ll just answer a couple of emails.” This turns into another two hours of unpaid work.

Your relationship with your job should have boundaries like any other. Unless it’s urgent, work should stay in the office. Whatever was leftover today can be tomorrow’s top priority.

6 | Make Sleep a Priority | Good sleep naturally helps alleviate stress. It’s like hitting the reset button on your mind and body. Burnout can lead to insomnia, and you might find yourself tossing and turning all night.

Create a ritual to put workplace stress aside at the end of the day. Many people find it helpful to write a list of the thoughts that usually keep them up before bed.

Putting them aside for the night helps you get a better sleep without feeling like you’re ignoring something important.

7 | Embrace the Power of Teamwork | You don’t have to do everything by yourself. Collaborate with your family to make household management easier. Ask your coworker for help with a project.

Teamwork helps combat burnout in two ways. First, it literally lightens your load, so you have less to stress about. Second, it provides a much-needed sense of support that can make you feel less helpless in your struggles.

8 | Work with a Therapist | Chronic burnout can lead to mental health problems. You may also come to realize that your burnout stems from a constant need to chase achievement or be an idealized version of “success.”

Therapy is a great space to discuss whatever you’re going through in a judgment-free zone. You can also reach out to your company’s HR department and see if they have any mental health resources available.

9 | Learn to Say No | No is one of the most powerful words in the English language. Saying “no” to other people is saying “yes” to yourself. This isn’t easy for everyone, but it can make an enormous difference in your life.

While you may not be able to always turn down your boss or colleague, you should say no when the option is there.

If you feel pressured to always accommodate other people’s needs, ask yourself why that is. And remember that your own need for peace and balance is just as important as everyone else’s.

10 | Use ALL of Your Vacation Days | A lot of people hold onto vacation days for dear life, waiting for the perfect moment to cash in on their PTO (paid time off). But if your job was going so well that you didn’t want time off, would you even need vacation days in the first place?

It’s completely acceptable to give your boss a heads up that you want to take off sometime in the coming week or two. Maybe you just use one day to give yourself a three-day weekend, or you go all-out and fly to a resort for two weeks of rest and relaxation.

Vacation days = mental health days. Sometimes the best thing you can do to treat burnout is to simply give yourself a break. You deserve it.

Way to Recognize Work Burnout and Cope with It

Burnout is real and needs to be recognized. Get in tune with yourself and ask the important questions. For more career advice and guides, visit our Westgate Blog.

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