How to Pivot Away from Burnout
Burnout is the state people enter when they have been in a prolonged state of stress. If you aren’t sure if you are approaching burnout, or are already burnt out, here are a few questions you can ask yourself to evaluate.
- Are you consistently lacking energy and failing to be productive?
- Is feeling physically and emotionally exhausted preventing productivity?
- Do you find it hard to get excited about work and activities outside of work?
- Does every day feels like a bad day?
- You feel as though your work is not valuable and is not making a difference.
If you said yes to some or all of these questions then you may be experiencing burnout or nearing burnout. Don’t worry, everyone at one point in their career will experience this. But there are many techniques and strategies you can use to pull yourself out. It may take time, but taking this seriously and finding what works for you will make you feel better in the long run.
How can you pivot away from burnout?
- Identify the main stressor
- Knowing what is causing stress is just as important as knowing how to fix it. If there is something in particular that has been nagging at you then ask a manager, supervisor, or colleague for help. There is a large stigma around asking for help. However, the biggest strength is asking for it.
- Find ways alleviate stress
- Everyone has different methods to feel more at peace. Some of the most popular ones are walking outside, talking to friends, reading, watching TV and partaking in hobbies.
- Make time to do activities and hobbies for yourself
- Having hobbies and partaking in activities can give you instant gratification and a sense of happiness and accomplishment. This will also give you something to look forward to at the end of your days or week.
- Exercise
- Exercise is proven to alleviate stress and help with overall wellbeing. If exercising isn’t your cup of tea, find a simple way to move your body and get the blood flowing. It can be anything from a light stroll, to an intense full body workout. Whatever floats your boat.
- Be more social in the workplace, and build relationships with coworkers.
- Friendships are so important in the workplace. Having a work bestie will give you something to look forward to when going into the office. It is the simple pleasures that make work much more enjoyable.
- Create small daily goals to accomplish
- If you feel like you just cannot seem to hit your end goal, then create small ones throughout the day. For example, I find it effective to grind it out with no distractions for an hour or so and then rewarding myself with a stroll outside or even a nice little stretch. Creating small things to look forward to each day will help you feel more accomplished.
- Stop comparing yourself to others
- It is so easy to see someone your age getting a promotion or moving up more than you think you are. Each individual person is on their own journey. Remember that you are doing the best that you can. Equally important, remember that it is so common to feel stuck in a rut. It may not seem like it now, but you will make it out better than before!
- Disconnect
- It’s important to give yourself the needed time to recoup and energize yourself. If you feel burnout or nearing a burnout, take a mental health day and prioritize yourself. This should also be a time where you step away from technology in order to reconnect with yourself.