How to Cope With Burnout

Written by Alessandra Martinez

Having work-related burnout:

This is a common experience that can affect any of us, regardless of the occupation. Burnout can occur when there is excessive and prolonged stress from work. It can affect you on all levels including our physical, mental, and emotional states. Burnout may make you feel unengaged, overworked, and unmotivated. It might even feel like the work becomes more meaningless.
Due to the increasing rates of burnout, what can we do to combat the challenges being faced with workplace mental health? This blog post will address some strategies for dealing with it. Understanding the causes and symptoms is one of the first steps towards pulling ourselves out of this state. The World Health Organization classified burnout as a “syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”  

How to Cope with Burnout:

• Make Self-Care a Priority: Having consistent self-care is crucial for dealing with work-related burnout. This can include activities that help you decompress and unwind. Activities may involve exercise, meditation, or yoga. Identify the activities that have a likely chance of bringing joy to your life and set aside some time to regularly engage with these things. Healthy habits to build a healthy lifestyle can also be beneficial. It is important to maintain a balanced diet, enough sleep, and drinking enough water. Putting effort into your physical and mental health can restore energy and foster resilience when feeling stressed.

• Create Boundaries: If you find yourself experiencing work-related burnout, it is possible that one of the main causes is a lack of boundaries between work and your personal life. Do you find yourself checking work emails or bringing home with you after normal hours? If so, it might be a sign to begin setting clear boundaries. This may involve having specific work hours, turning off work-related notifications, and avoiding checking work-related calls or messages during “me” time.
  Talk to Your Manager or Supervisor: It may help to speak with your manager or supervisor about how you are feeling. It may present an opportunity for them to look for ways to support you through this. It is okay to be honest about your struggles and to communicate your needs in a clear, respectful manner.

• Taking Time Off: When was the last time you went on vacation or had a day off to relax? Coping with work- related burnout may involve the need to take some time off. This amount of time taken off may depend on your individual needs. What is most essential is using this time to disconnect from work as much as you can. This may require avoiding checking emails or calls so that you can bring full attention to the things that will help you recharge. This time off can be a great opportunity to spend time with your family and friends, going on a walk, or reading a book.

• Seek Professional Help: Sometimes our burnout can be severe or persistent. If this is the case for you, you may want to consider seeking professional help. Options include therapy or counseling which can support you through learning coping strategies and stress-management skills.

Work-related burnout is an issue that we must take seriously due to the significant impact it can have on our overall well-being. It can also affect our job satisfaction and productivity levels. If you start to see signs of burnout, it's important to take action to confront it. By taking care of yourself and seeking support, you can overcome burnout.