Extinguish Burnout: 10 Proven Strategies For Keeping You Sane

The state of the Western world’s workforce is in utter disarray. With so many trying to survive — yet struggling — in jobs that make them miserable, mental health issues are sprouting up like weeds. The situation is not sustainable for either employees or employers. In order to be effective in their work, people need to have a general sense of well-being and safety in the workplace. They need a stable foundation from which to work. Sadly, that is not the case for many people today.

If you resent your job and feel it’s slowly crushing your soul, a devastating breakdown is inevitable — unless you take action to fix it. No one is going to do that for you; you must take ownership of the situation.

Don’t wait until you are in a crisis; take action now to avoid paying the price later. Here are some strategies you can use to prevent career burn-out.

10 Strategies for Preventing Burnout

Set clear boundaries. Clearly define your work and personal life schedule. With the shift of so many people to remote-work, the boundaries between work and the rest of life got blurred. Make those boundaries clear again, ensuring that you put time in your calendar for doing things that are important to you. You must have time set aside for exercise, for reflection, and for some activities that you enjoy doing. People treat these things as optional, trying to squeeze them in between all their other obligations. That is backwards; pay yourself first, and you will find yourself able to be happier and more effective. Establish a consistent routine that includes regular work hours and dedicated time for relaxation and personal activities, and remember that if it is not scheduled in your calendar, it is not important to you.
Prioritize what truly matters. You cannot do everything. Nor should that even be a goal. Instead, focus your attention on essential tasks and learn to delegate or eliminate less important ones. I was exchanging messages with someone that I had coached years ago. During our exchange, they told me one of the key things they had learned from me was that an effective strategy was to avoid many tasks, as so many of them did not matter. If you can ignore these tasks long enough, they often disappear. The trick is to know what matters and what doesn’t. Employ time management techniques, such as the Eisenhower Matrix, time-blocking, or the Pomodoro Technique, to increase efficiency, focus, and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Incorporate moments of self-care. Stop working periodically during the workday, and pause for a few moments. Pay attention to how you feel, emotionally, physically, and mentally. Brief check-ins with yourself throughout the day will help you recognize what you need to be more effective. Being present matters. As does taking care of the basics; ensuring that you move your body, that you sleep well, that you engage with people, and that you eat properly. You cannot sustain yourself over the long-arc of a career if you aren’t taking care of these foundational elements.
Incorporate stress management techniques. Several techniques lower stress levels, including mindfulness, meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises. These activities can help you maintain emotional balance and cope better with workplace challenges. By incorporating these activities into your daily routine, you will enhance your ability to respond to situations rather than reacting to them. And when you feel stress creeping into your life, you will have a set of tools at the ready to help improve the situation.
Seek social support. You shouldn’t face challenges alone. It is not a sign of weakness to reach out for help when you need it; it signals maturity and self-awareness, as well as humility. No one has all the answers. Connect with friends, family, or colleagues who can offer support and understanding. Sharing your experiences with others can help reduce feelings of isolation and provide fresh perspectives. Everyone faces challenges, and by opening up about the ones you are facing, you can benefit from other’s experiences.
Maintain a positive mindset. The attitude that you bring to any situation matters. It matters much more than you think. Humans evolved to pay more attention to negativity and stress, as that allowed us to survive. But this has a negative impact on our well-being and growth. Invert your thinking when facing a challenging situation. Instead of seeing it as a setback, a negative, or something to shake your fist at in anger, consider what opportunity the situation presents. A ‘failure’ presents an opportunity to learn. A conflict with someone can help you improve your communication skills and develop empathy. You can choose to interpret any situation negatively or positively; the same situation will cause much different outcomes depending on the lens through which you choose to look at it. Practice gratitude and reflect on your accomplishments to maintain a healthy perspective on your career.
Slow down. We live in a ‘hustle-culture’ where many people regard busyness as a badge of honour. Invert this thinking. Being overly busy means you are ineffective, that you lack the ability to prioritize and organize your work. Being too busy is a terrible productivity strategy; you cannot be effective in today’s complex world if you aren’t taking time to think things through. Jumping from task to task, instantly responding to messages, attending videoconferences but only half-listening while you work on something else — these are the antithesis to delivering work that matters. Slow your work down, be intentional and thoughtful about what you are working on. You’ll be much more effective and less stressed. Take brief breaks throughout the day to recharge your energy and re-focus on what you are doing.
Keep learning. One of the best ways to keep yourself interested and engaged in your work and field is to keep learning. Humans seek to expand and improve our capabilities; it is this tendency which has permitted us to achieve such incredible things. By investing in developing your skills and abilities, you increase your ability to stay curious, motivated, and excited about your career. You don’t need anyone’s permission to do this; there is so much content available, much of it for free or low cost, that makes it easy for you to enhance your expertise and stay up-to-date with industry trends.
Understand your purpose. Learn what is the main byline of your work. What are you hoping to accomplish in your career? Reflect on what would make you feel proud of having contributed, and then apply your unique set of skills and talents to moving forward on making those contributions. Your actions don’t have to be big, but your ambitions do. A clear vision of what you want to contribute over your career helps you stay motivated and committed to your work, even during challenging times.
Seek help when needed. If you’re struggling with burnout, consider reaching out to a mental health professional, career coach, family member, friend, or mentor who can provide guidance and support. They can help you identify the root causes of the challenges you are facing and work with you to develop a personalized action plan. Don’t fight burnout alone. While it can be a challenge to open up to others about the challenges you are facing, most people face this type of challenge at some point. Talking to others helps you discover ‘blind spots’ that you can’t see yourself, as well as provides an opportunity to learn what has worked for others that have faced similar situations.

Conclusion

Most people face some level of burnout over the course of their career. Personally, I suffered through a severe one that had me hospitalized for a short period. This was quite a traumatic experience for myself and my family, but one that helped me to grow into the person I am today. It is one of my primary motivations behind me doing the work I do, trying to help people avoid making the same mistakes I made.

Don’t wait until you hit that breaking point to build up your toolbox of strategies and approaches to keep burnout at bay. By incorporating these strategies into your daily routine, you can proactively address burnout and maintain a healthy, fulfilling career.

Quotation that I’ve been pondering

It’s easy to imagine that the most successful people in the world have extraordinary talents and superhuman strengths, that they’re somehow “above” us mere mortals. But G.K. Nielson points to the truth with his quote:

“Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose.”

I believe there’s a lot of truth to that. Of course, talent and luck play a role. But the bulk of one’s success comes from doing hard work that aligns with your purpose.

Journal prompt

“What is the mission you’re on? What change in the world are you seeking to make?”

If you’re not clear on what you’re trying to accomplish with the precious time you’ve got on this earth, you can’t be working towards it. Sadly, not enough people are clear on what they’re here to do.