Burnout in the work place is inevitable. At some point, you’re going to feel overwhelmed, easily irritated, and thus start procrastinating more than you usually do. Many people resolve this by going on vacation and taking a few days off. While vacations are refreshing and can put us in a good mindset, it’s simply not enough.
That’s because burnout is not all about the amount of hours you’re working. It’s also about your mentality shortly after work, what you’re thinking about while you’re not on the clock.
Our recruiting agency has seen every level of burnout in our decades of coaching employees. Here our 5 of our best tips on how to avoid burnout, before it becomes far too stressful.
1) Try “The Pomodro Technique”
This has been one of our most effective ways to stave off burnout and keep our production up. The Pomodro Technique (pomodro is Italian for “tomato”) allows you to work in focused work sessions for short periods of time, with quick breaks in between. Set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on accomplishing one task in that timeframe. When the timer is done, take a 5-minute work break. For every four pomodros, take a longer 15-30 minute break. Repeat this cycle all throughout the day, and you will be guaranteed to feel much fresher mentally at the end of the day.
2) Recognize the early warning signs
What makes burnout so dangerous is that it greatly affects self awareness. We often are not able to realize just how much our workload is affecting our productivity and our mental state. If simple tasks such as going to the grocery store are starting to become overstimulating, you start cutting necessary activities like exercising and relaxing, you start becoming easily frustrated, or you end up staying up far past your bedtime because you didn’t get enough alone time during the day, this means you are going through burnout.
3) Understand which type of burnout you’re experiencing
What many people don’t realize is that burnout can mean multiple things. According to psychologist Christina Maslach’s “The Maslach Burnout Inventory,” there are three types of burnout:
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Exhaustion: your energy constantly feels drained.
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Cynicism: You feel detached from your job and peers.
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Ineffectiveness: You feel that no matter how much you do, it’s never enough and you’re not doing what you should be doing.
4) Learn how to say no
Many of us in the workplace can be people pleasers, and will start to take on far more than we can handle — inside and outside of the office. For the sake of your mental health, learn how to say no. See if that colleague can find someone else to cover the task instead, and if your supervisor is asking you to take on this work, do not hesitate to have an honest and professional conversation with them about your workload.
5) Learn how to leave work at work
It’s crucial for every employee to develop a healthy work-life balance. A lot of people our employment agency has worked with are hard workers, but they have a difficult time of leaving their tasks at the office. Many struggle with not thinking about work while they’re at home. It’s important for your home to be a place of peace and relaxation. We need this in order to be able to be productive the next day. Moving forward, make a conscious effort to leave your thoughts and stresses at work at the front door.
If you need more tips and suggestions about how to avoid burnout, our recruiting agency would love to chat with you. We have years of experience coaching employees in Arkansas and all across the United States with being the best workers that they can be. Contact us here and let’s chat.
Carter Recruiting and Associates is one of the largest independent recruiting and outplacement companies in Arkansas. Our headquarters, located in Little Rock and our satellite office in Conway, both service accounts nationwide. We have satisfied clients and references from some of the largest companies in the state. With over 50 collective years of experience in the recruiting business, we have a vast amount of resources and knowledge to ensure a job well done.
Cherie Richardson
President
Cherie is the owner and president of Carter Recruiting and Associates. She holds a BA in psychology from the University of Mississippi and has over 30 years of experience in the recruitment of executive and manufacturing professionals. Cherie’s work has been instrumental for new plant start-ups, as well as building and maintaining relationships throughout the region and state of Arkansas. She is a member of the National Association of Female Executives and the National Association of Women Business Owners.