Burnout has become a widely discussed topic recently. American social media company Bumble started the conversation when they gave their employees a week off of work to recover from burnout. LinkedIn has been set ablaze with threads regarding burnout culture and the glorification of it in industry.
What is burnout?
It can be identified as a state of physical, mental or emotional exhausted caused by excessive or prolonged stress. Burnout affects individuals long-term rather than short-term. It commonly occurs due to high pressure situations in the workplace, including long hours or the constant need to meet deadlines. The accumulated stress leads to a person becoming fatigued, demotivated and less productive. They may start to dislike their job, feel less capable or find it harder to concentrate. As these mental issues arise, they affect the body and cause physical illnesses.
How can burnout be avoided?
Seek help and support
Talk to your friends or family about your worries. Sharing them can mitigate some of the burden of keeping the stress to yourself. It may also be helpful to seek a professional when dealing with more serious issues.
Discuss with the company HR
The purpose of HR is to ensure all employees are efficiently doing their jobs. If burnout is preventing you from doing so, maybe approaching your HR department and discussing the matter will help create a better work environment for yourself and your colleagues.
Take note of your wellness
When you’re stressed out about work, it’s easy to forget about self care. Within a busy schedule, try to find some time to participate in wellness-related activities, such as exercise, sports, or meditation. Activities that cause you to break a sweat are effective in relieving stress.
Ensure your lifestyle habits are healthy
Related to exercising, maintaining healthy lifestyle habits may reduce some of the stress. Eat proper meals instead of grabbing unhealthy snacks, and attempt to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Furthermore, stay hydrated.
Consider your suitability for the job
Overall, it could be that the job is not right for you. If the job is simply a poor fit with your direction or skills, it may be time to consider a new position elsewhere. This can be considered a last resort consideration if the prior points do not work for you.