Avoiding Burnout
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Tips and Tricks
Avoiding Burnout
“I’m burnt out.” It’s a phrase we’ve all come to use at one point or another, most often as a way to describe our workplace exhaustion.
Interestingly, burnout is not a medical term; it’s an “occupational phenomenon” characterized by the combination of three distinct factors: exhaustion, alienation from job/cynicism, and sense of personal/professional ineffectiveness. It likely comes as no surprise that the number of people experiencing burnout has increased substantially in the last year. So, how do we avoid or recover from burnout (aside from taking a vacation)?
- Seek out support. Having friends at work lowers stress levels and provides a means to vent or work through problems.
- Practice mindfulness. Taking time out to focus on our feelings in the moment can help guard against the cumulative effect of burnout. And meditation two to three times a week is shown to reduce stress and blood pressure.
- Prioritize sleep. Just look to Arianna Huffington’s Sleep Revolution Manifesto and 12 Tips for Better Sleep.
- Take breaks. Not to scroll through your phone, but to take a walk, look out a window, stretch, read a chapter of a non-work related book, have a healthy snack, or drink water.
- Organize your desk. Research has found a correlation between clutter and cortisol levels (the stress hormone). Conversely, an organized desk has been shown to increase feelings of productivity and actual productivity. Take time at the end of each day to prepare for the next.
- Gratitude. We can deliberately shift our attitudes if we intentionally focus on the parts of our job for which we are grateful. It can also help us to refocus our efforts on those parts of the job that we love.
(Are we seeing the trend in these posts, yet?) Continue to make self-care a priority, and in the words of Demolition Man, “Be well.”
This Wellness Tip was brought to you by the Quality of Life Subcommittee of the Primerus Quality Assurance Board and Featured Contributor Nicole Quintana. We also welcome your tips, which can be submitted to Paige Neirman at pneirman@primerus.com for publication consideration.