Burnouts are a common form of exhaustion almost every worker will come to deal with. This is especially true if you’re in a field requiring lots of creativity. Burnouts are important to deal with the moment you feel one coming on. If you feel you are experiencing one, here are 5 ways to handle a burnout:
Take a break
The main cause of a burnout is that you’ve been overworking or overwhelmed by all the tasks you have piled up. The solution to this? Take a break!
Now, going on a full-on holiday might not be an option, but taking just a couple days off can help you get back in check. Spend your weekend doing something fun, maybe even take a day off work. The key is to relax. You just need a short breather to get back on your feet.
Remember why you love what you’re doing
If you’re in a field you know deep down you’re passionate about, try to understand why you came into it in the first place. This can be difficult if you’ve been feeling burned for a long time, but you need to make an effort to reflect.
Ask yourself what you enjoy about your job. Why did you come here in the first place? Where do you hope to be in the next ten years?
Focus on the parts of your career that make it more bearable.
Take some things off your plate
If you’re the type of person who’s got lots of goals to achieve and will do anything it takes to climb the ladder, remember to be realistic over how much you can actually handle without going insane.
If you overload yourself, you’re going to burn out. Focusing on less will help ensure you stay on track.
Workout
You’ve heard all your life that exercise releases endorphins and can make you feel happy and good about yourself. The doctors aren’t lying to you, you really will notice a change in your productivity if you move around a little more.
Working out doesn’t have to be awful either. Just make an effort to be more active than what you usually are. Try going for a short walk during your lunch break. Or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Make little efforts here and there and you’ll notice a difference soon enough.
Identify the problem
If nothing you’re doing seems to help cure your burn out, find out what the root cause is. This is easier said than done, of course.
Think hard about what’s getting you so burned out. Are you getting tired of work because you’ve lost the passion for what you do? Are you feeling burned because you feel you aren’t being paid enough? Do you think your co-workers dismiss your contributions?
Figure out what the underlying issue is. And when you do, find a solution to get over it.
