Feeling burned out?
These days, there are many more ways to end up feeling spent
than just overworking. Look out for symptoms of burnout which may include a
lack of focus, decreased concentration, increased general anxiety, lingering
fatigue, and problems with sadness and/or lack of motivation.
You may feel like the more you work, the better off you are
in your career, but there’s a point where the benefits depreciate, just like
the diminishing returns concept.
9 Pathways to Burnout: How to Avoid Them
If you have a number of these symptoms and are interested in
getting to the bottom of your burnout, please consider the following culprits
for your current state of being.
1) Working Too Many Consecutive Hours
In our attempt to be productive, we often make the mistake
of believing the more time we put in, the better. Rearrange
your thinking and your schedule and make sure you schedule shorter
work periods and significant breaks in between those work periods.
2) Neglecting to Diversify
When we have an important project it becomes easy to focus
on that one project to the exclusion of all other things.
That singular focus can be a blessing. Of course, it can
also be a real curse. If you find that your sole focus on one project is draining
your creativity, change it up, add something just so your brain can get a
break.
You may specifically want to choose something that involves
helping out another person, which will help re-balance your outlook.
3) Forgetting to Enjoy
When we learned how to work, we were taught to maintain our
focus and to put away ideas of play.
What can get lost in this way of learning is the joy of learning, the joy of working, and the joy of
creating. Even if your project is daunting, try to find the piece of it that
brings you joy. Who will benefit from the project when it is done? How might
your life be better when it’s finished?
4) Over-Focusing On How You Feel
If we pay too much attention to how we
are feeling during a difficult time or work period we may hamper our
capacity to push the work through to the finish line. Observe how you feel. No
need to deny your feelings.
But do remember the feelings you have upon completing your
work will restore you to your happier self.
5) Perceiving Yourself As Not Being In Control
When we think of ourselves as being a worker serving someone
else’s needs, it becomes easy to fall into a rebellious stance.
We push back instead of pushing forward. We might resent
what’s ours to do. Change the emotional picture by envisioning yourself as the
one in control — even if it’s only of your own actions. Regaining that sense of
your own power will help you get through your tougher moments.
6) Letting Stress Mount
We allow stress to mount when we follow the cycle of our
inner anxieties. We forget that talking to other people and sharing what’s on
our mind eases our stress. We forget that we are not alone.
7) Taking On Too Much
One of the fastest ways to burn out is saying “Yes” to
everyone around you and to every project offered to you. We all have limits.
We can only take so much. Know your limits. Look at your
calendar right and check your reaction to it. Does it bring your stress? Or
does it seem well-structured and sane? If you are over-scheduled, make a deal
with yourself to say “No” to all new projects for one month or until
your schedule opens up.
8) Feeling Responsible For Too Much
This category is related to the one about over-scheduling
oneself.
But this category deals with the emotional weight of feeling
responsible for taking care of everything in your zone of functioning. Not
everything is up to you. Not everything rests on your shoulders. If you feel
like everything does, then it may be time to seek professional help or some
other type of effective support.
9) Wanting to Impress
Wanting to impress others is a never-ending game and a fast
track to burnout.
There’s always another project. There’s always another
person. There’s always another spin on things. Get out of the impressiveness
game as soon as you can. Instead of trying to impress, focus instead on doing
work that works.
Remedies for burnout are many. Find the right mixture of
them for your own recovery.
Take action to take care of yourself as soon as you can do
it. Look for what action will get you the most effective relief from your
exhaustion and stress. Stop being the hero and running yourself into the
ground. You’ll be very happy you did.
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