Burnout!!
Yesterday, I started a series on “burnout”. Today, we are looking at more ways to avoid the great frustration, mental and physical distress caused by working too hard.
3) Know your breaking point!!
With some jobs, taking a vacation just isn’t going to work. I can picture a CPA during tax season saying “Hey, I’m taking next week off - I will be out-of-touch”. It can be pretty hard to do when you have been booked for months in advance.
The article suggests that you need to know yourself. Are you teetering on the edge of a breakdown? Will the next phone call put you over the edge? Is there somebody that knows how to “press your buttons” and drives you up a wall?
I’m thinking of Marty McFly (and Biff Tannen) from the ‘Back to the Future’ movies. Bill knows that he can call Marty a “chicken” and he will come unglued. But, by the end of the movie when another car wants to drag race with Marty, he has learned to not be enticed into a fight.
Do you know when you are getting close to that breaking point? Do you know how to turn away from the problems of life - even if just to have an evening away - going to the movies or doing something fun.
Another way to think of knowing your breaking point came in a beer commercial from a few years ago ‘Know when to say when’. If you can’t take a vacation, at least get away from the pressures for a day or a weekend.
4) Fill your day with joy!!
The article says:
“Our business works to fill our people's day with what they love. When work feels like a job, we redirect those tasks to someone who loves them. Not a great organizer? We have a team member who is. Hate numbers? We've got someone who loves them. We are fueled with so much joy that we have a term around the company called the 'joy hangover.' When work is such a blast, burnout doesn't exist.”
I’ve been playing bridge in two groups. One group is outgoing, laughing - win or lose; but the other group is not much fun. Guess which group I’m dropping? I do walk away from my Thursday bridge job with the “joy hangover” that the article mentions!!
5) Schedule free time
The author of the article writes:
“Schedule free time on your calendar, just like you would schedule a meeting, and stick to it. It's crucial to take the time you need for yourself, even if it's just 30 minutes a day. You'll get back to work feeling recharged and inspired, and chances are, you'll accomplish a lot more than you would if you worked straight through the day.”
On my teaching positions, I tried (not always successfully) to get away for a walk at lunchtime. And, if I could put on my headphones and listen to some great classical music, that was even better!!!
So, how do you handle stress and burnout at work? Can you find a way to lighten the load? I hope so!!!
Hugs!!
Karen
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