3 Ways to Avoid Burnout at Work

You hear every day how important a good work/life balance is, but have you ever stopped to think about the repercussions that follow if you fail to find stability? It’s called burnout, and it’s affecting most millennial women before they even turn 30 — stress is one of the biggest factors leading to burnout among employees.

According to Dictionary.com, burnout is defined as physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress, and the symptoms can be misconceived. Looking forward to a break up in your workday, becoming impatient with co-workers, and feeling like you aren’t working efficiently at the office or that there aren’t enough hours in the day could be a case of the Monday blues — but could also be a sign you’re overworking. Here are 3 ways to avoid burnout at work:

TURN TO OTHERS
The road to burnout can often feel helpless, but you often have a lot more control over stress than you think. Talking to someone who is a good listener is a great way to calm your nerves and relieve stress — without being distracted or judging you. Invest in your closest relationships, such as your kids, partner or friends. Putting aside what’s burning you out and making time for the ones you love can be enjoyable and help keep your mind off work and stress.

When at work, consider being more sociable with your co-workers and develop friendships with them to help buffer you from job burnout. Try limiting your social contact with negative people, which will only drag down your mood and outlook. Consider connecting with a cause or a community group that is meaningful to you to make new friends. Relying on others to help curb your job burnout is a great way to keep your mind off of the stress and constant to-do list.

REFRAME THE WAY YOU VIEW YOUR JOB
Do you hate your job? Even in the most mundane jobs, you can focus on the positive work you’re doing to help others, like providing a much-needed product or service. Focusing on the aspects of your job that you do enjoy can change your attitude towards your job and help you regain a sense of purpose.

If you dislike your job, try compensating by looking for meaningful satisfaction elsewhere in your life like your family, friends, hobbies or volunteer work. Like we mentioned before, making friends at work can help reduce the effects of burnout. Having people to talk to a joke with during the day can help you improve your job performance, or simply get you through a rough day. Changing your viewpoint on your current job situation is a simple fix that could help you avoid burnout, and focus on the positive things work brings you.

EAT HEALTHY AND EXERCISE
It seems these two things can cure anything! What you put in your body can have a large impact on your mood and energy levels throughout the day. Throughout the work day you might crave sugary snacks or comfort foods, but these high carbohydrate foods can quickly lead to a crash in energy. Choosing healthy fats can affect your mood for the better, including Omega-3 fatty acids to give your attitude a boost.

Although it can be the last thing you feel like doing when you’re burned out, hitting the gym can be a powerful antidote to stress and mental fatigue and instantly boost your mood. We aren’t saying you need to do a high-intensity workout for an hour, but with just 30 minutes or more per day can result in a happier mood and a decrease in stress. These simple adjustments to your schedule and lifestyle can dramatically help increase your mood.

Experiencing burnout due to work stress is more common than you think. It’s important to evaluate and examine your levels of stress to determine the source. If you believe you are experiencing burnout at work, these three simple exercises can dramatically increase your mood. However, if these don’t help, it might be time to start looking for other job opportunities that allow you to be happy and maintain a healthy work-life balance.