5 Practical Tips to Prevent Burnout

The job market has become seriously competitive, and not everyone can stand the pressure that comes with it.

It doesn’t matter how good or passionate you are about your job.

There will be days when you feel so overwhelmed and stressed that you couldn’t take it anymore.

You see, no matter how great your work ethic is or how dedicated you are to your career, the stress of a competitive job market will eventually catch up to you.

That’s why it’s almost inevitable that sooner or later, even the most productive among us will reach their breaking point.

The catch is that once you experience burnout, it can be extremely difficult to get yourself out of it again.

You see, burnout doesn’t just affect people exposed to relentless stress over long periods.

It affects anyone who feels trapped in an environment where they receive constant negative feedback about their performance and capabilities.

So yes, being repeatedly told that there is something wrong with what you do and how much effort you are putting into it doesn’t just drain your energy, but it causes damage as well.

Thankfully there are some practical tips for preventing burnout from creeping into your life without realizing it until one day.

Suddenly everything seems impossible anymore.

So if this sounds familiar to you now or if this article interests you in any way, keep reading so we can learn together how to prevent burnout. 

 

1) Recognize the Early Warning Signs

The first step to preventing burnout is recognizing the early warning signs.

If you feel constantly stressed and aren’t able to spend with your family if you find yourself putting in more hours than the average person.

Or if you’re feeling significantly less motivated, it could be a signal that you are on your way down the path of burnout.

If you know these signs well enough, then what do you need to do?

Well, it’s simple! The first step is admitting that there is something wrong.

Second, ask for help from those around you who love and care about you.

Hopefully, they will be on board with your decision and help support it.

It may be scary.

But it’s extremely important that when we hit the point where we feel like our work has started taking over our lives.

And we feel like nothing else matters anymore, we take a step back and take time for ourselves.

Nothing is more important than our mental health and happiness.

So ensure that before this happens again, you take some time to recuperate and give yourself space away from work.

So that when things get difficult again.

And it does happen eventually again, at least you aren’t too exhausted or too resentful of your job to find out how to get back on track successfully before going through another instance of burnout.

 

2) Try to Understand the Type of Burnout

You’re experiencing work-related burnout is tough enough to deal with, and there are many different types of work-related burnout to consider.

The most common types of work-related burnout include physical exhaustion, emotional exhaustion, cognitive depletion, and spiritual depletion.

Physical exhaustion is the result of an extreme physical effort that you are unable to recover from due to long hours of work or too much stress at the office.

Emotional exhaustion occurs when you struggle with your social relationships at work without rest.

Cognitive depletion happens when your brain becomes overwhelmed by stress and feels “broken” after a few hours of going over tasks nonstop.

Spiritual depletion occurs when your spirit is exhausted from feeling like you aren’t good enough for your job or in general.

It can also happen if you get very little time off from work because of overwork.

So what can we do about these types of burnout?

Most importantly, try to identify the kind so that you can get help and avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.

For example, if you wake up one day feeling emotionally drained, tired, or stressed out…

Then it may be worth taking a break and doing something else for a while before things get worse.

 

3) Try to Break Your Stress Cycle

It’s not easy to break the cycle of stress and negativity you find yourself in.

Even when you are aware of it, there are still times when you can’t seem to shake that feeling.

The key is constantly trying new things and exploring what else you might enjoy doing outside your current job.

It can be as simple as trying different tasks at work or thinking about a new role at your company.

To break the stress cycle, try these three things:

1) Try something new When you are stressed and feeling overwhelmed, it may feel like nothing else is possible but changing anything seems impossible.

However, if you take a minute to think about what else could be done.

Or try something new for a day, even for just one day, it will give your mind a break from all the negative feedback and relieve all that pressure.

You never know what might come out of it, either!

2) Try a mental break.

When burnout feels like there is no way out and nothing makes sense anymore, taking a mental break might help reduce your stress levels by focusing on something positive.

Whether that is taking time to exercise (or yoga!), or spending time with friends/family.

Or try an entirely new activity like painting or writing – whatever works best for you – do something that gives your mind clarity again.

3) Don’t let fear rule over you. There may be moments when fear seems unavoidable.

 

4) Practice Good Sleep Habits

Not getting enough sleep can have severe negative impacts on your health and quality of life.

It’s essential to ensure you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

This will help you recharge your batteries, so you don’t feel as drained in the morning when it comes to work or other activities.

You can also practice good sleep habits by setting the alarm 10 minutes before bedtime and turning off all electronic devices, including your phone.

That way, you won’t be tempted to check social media or text too much during the time before going to sleep.

 

5) Set Healthy Boundaries

Everyone needs breaks from work to spend time with family.

When you face a specific situation where you’re consistently working long hours and spending less time with your loved ones, it can lead to burnout.

To avoid burnout, you must create healthy boundaries and a healthy balance between work and personal life.

Setting boundaries will help give you the space you need for emotional and physical exhaustion.

For example, if your work negatively impacts your relationships, set some boundaries by limiting how much time you spend at work or the office on any given day.

If someone is constantly calling or texting you late into the night, set some boundaries by setting rules about what times of day they can reach out after hours.

The more specific your limits are, the easier it is for everyone involved to understand what is expected of them.

 

Conclusion

Sometimes overload is not a bad thing.

You can learn how to avoid burnout by understanding the signs and taking steps to change your daily routine.

With these five tips in your back pocket, you’ll be well on your way to feeling more refreshed and less overwhelmed.

People who are burned out often experience a high level of stress and physical exhaustion, but it is possible to prevent burnout.

In nutshell, here are five tips for avoiding burnout:

1. Recognize the early warning signs of burnout.
2. Learn the type of burnout you are experiencing.
3. Try to understand the cause of your burnout. Try to find out what is causing it and how you can change it.
4. Practice good sleep habits and get enough sleep each night.
5. Set healthy boundaries in your relationships.