#Burnout #WorkLifeBalance #StressManagement #CareerTips
Are you feeling overwhelmed and burnt out at work, but can’t afford to take a break due to financial constraints? You’re not alone. Many individuals find themselves in a similar situation, where the pressure to perform at work while dealing with high stress levels can take a toll on their mental and physical well-being. But fret not, there are practical solutions you can implement to combat burnout without having to take a leave.
Understand the Root Cause
Identifying the underlying factors contributing to your burnout is the first step towards finding a solution. Is it the workload, lack of support, or unrealistic expectations from your manager? Once you pinpoint the root cause, you can strategize on how to address it effectively.
Practice Self-Care
Self-care is crucial for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Make sure to prioritize activities that help you relax and recharge, such as exercise, meditation, or spending quality time with loved ones. Setting aside time for yourself can significantly reduce stress and prevent burnout.
Communicate with Your Manager
Open and honest communication with your manager is key to resolving work-related issues. Express your concerns about feeling burnt out and discuss potential solutions together. Your manager may be able to provide support, delegate tasks, or adjust expectations to help alleviate the pressure.
Seek Support from Colleagues
Don’t be afraid to lean on your colleagues for support during challenging times. Building a strong support network at work can help you navigate stress and workload more effectively. Collaborating with team members and sharing responsibilities can lighten the burden and prevent burnout.
Set Realistic Goals
Setting realistic goals and priorities can prevent overwhelm and burnout. Break down tasks into manageable chunks, prioritize projects based on deadlines and importance, and avoid taking on more than you can handle. Learning to say no when necessary is essential for protecting your well-being.
Take Breaks and Unplug
Give yourself permission to take breaks throughout the day to recharge and rejuvenate. Step away from your desk, go for a walk, or engage in a relaxing activity to clear your mind and reduce stress. Additionally, make sure to unplug from work during evenings and weekends to create a healthy boundary between work and personal life.
Remember, addressing burnout is a journey that requires self-awareness, self-care, and proactive steps to prioritize your well-being. By implementing these practical solutions and making your health a priority, you can navigate through burnout and thrive in your career without having to take a leave. You’ve got this! 💪🏼✨🌟
Take a vacation to change your surrounding. Go somewhere international where your phone/comp/electronics won’t work
Time to find out how much a ticket to Tahiti is these days.
You can do like the old song says about taking a trip and never leaving the farm…
I’m in the same situation as you, about to say fuck it and resign to take a break. It’s not going to do anything because the mortgage and bills are still going to be there but no money coming in.
Let me know if you find an alternative…. Ugh
Oh man, I feel for you. Do you work in IT ? I would suggest going for a run everyday at least for 10 to 20 mins and/or hit the gym three times a week. For rest and relaxation, try Yoga Nidra or as Huberman calls it NSDR.
Sick leave is the answer here
Can you take a short term leave?
Quiet quitting maybe? Doesn’t work for all jobs.
I try to have one day a week where I will absolutely leave on time no matter what. If that’s not possible, then at least once every project. I also do a guided meditation daily, even if it’s just 5 mins. You can youtube or use apps like calm for this. Of course taking a break is best, but every little bit helps. Hang in there!
Boundary setting: no working off the clock, leaving at regular quitting time, taking breaks (I also recommend taking lunch outside, if possible, for some fresh air and a mental break), leaving work at work, etc
And make sure you have a hobby to engage in in your off time
Really strenuous exercise really works the anxiety out of your body and brings a biological sense of calm as your body signals your mind to rest
From my experience there is no answer. I took 6mo off from a high stress job. Came back to a better job with higher pay.
I loved my time off. I thought something in me changed. I thought I just needed a reset.
I was wrong. It probably made things worse. I’ve learned since that what I need it to find a happy and productive routine that I can stick to. Workout in the morning (5am these days). Meal prep healthy food. Bring the dogs for a walk when I get home. Do an activity with my 1.5yo son. Make a good dinner. Clean up. Read a good book and fall asleep. I take a good number of vacations. I have hobbies i spend time doing.
What you’re looking for is wrong. Find the joy in each day, and enjoy it
What is drained must be refilled. Make time for the things that refill you.
Stress and burnout 🔥 have to do with cortisone levels. You want to lower that. Find all the ways to reduce cortisol.
If you are able to go for a walk in nature, that helps more than walking around in built-up areas
If you are burned out you are sick. So taking a leave is not for when you are sick. Taking days off are for when your are not sick but to have free time. Contact a doctor to determine if you have burned out and for advice.
Also, if you are seriously burned out a (short) leave won’t solve it. You can’t “fix it” while you keep running, you have to stand still first.
The only advice I can give is to have something outside of work that makes it impossible to think about work. Some examples:
– working out + music/podcast/audiobook
– learning something (i.e. an instrument?
– doing something in a group setting (boardgames, meeting friends).
IMO often when we do something that doesn’t take all our mental capacity, like watching tv/netflix or just lounging around work just doesn’t leave our mind.
All the best, I’m sure this is more nuanced but that’s all I got.
It’s written to women but works for everyone: Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagowski.
The first bit about breaking the stress cycle is really critical. If you don’t move through the stress, you just sit in it and it builds.
Cliff notes:
Things that complete the stress cycle:
1) Physical activity – the most effective method.
2) Deep breathing (5 in, 5 hold, 10 out x3)
3) Positive social interaction (with anyone around me – confirm safety and unsuckiness)
4) Laugh (really laughing)
5) Affection (6 second kiss, hug until relaxed, pet a cat)
6) Spirituality, meaning in life, religious community, faith
7) Cry
8) Create and experience art (music, books, paint -> Use their emotions to help feel yours.)
9) Progressive muscle relaxation (10 sec tense with extra for tense muscles, relax) with visualization of pounding on my stressors. This body work will release emotion.
10) This is a physical process, not an intellectual one.
Rx: 30 minutes every day. Exercise, meditation, creative time, etc. Undo daily stress every day. Complete the cycle. Step away from fixing the cause of the stress – you have to fix that, but you have to let the cycle close to help your body.
I did this last summer. I crashed during my vacation and went back to work full time despite the fact that I should have been on sick leave, a decision made due to financial reasons. This is what worked for me:
1. I adopted the mindset that if I can’t get the deliveries done within regular working hours, it’s not my problem. This was the most important aspect, and I really had to fully, 100% buy into a guilt free mindset. Otherwise the emotional burnout would have continued.
2. My breaks were non-negotiable. One hour lunch break spent outside regardless of weather, and I made sure I was able to have 15 minutes to go outside in the morning and afternoon between meetings.
3. I started declining all meetings that wasn’t mandatory. This was tough in the beginning, but surprisingly everyone seems to appreciate the slow shift to only having meetings when they were only absolutely necessary.
4. I stopped saying yes to things without a cooldown period of at least an hour or two. We have a lot of “emergencies” caused by bad management at my workplace which means people reach out for help a lot. I started responding with “I’ll check my workload and get back to you in a little while”. Surprisingly, a lot of things resolved through other means while I was in decision cooldown = it wasn’t reasonable to make it my problem from the beginning.
5. I started to take care of my free time like it was my second job. As in hobbies are to be engaged in even when I feel down, I make sure to socialize, I make sure to take care of my body. No more doomscrolling on the sofa.
Also, I guess I’ve come to the conclusion that even though they can fire me for not buying into a high demand work culture, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. The effects from burnout however could be the “end of the world” for me personally if I suffer long term or even permanent effects from it.
It takes a while to start feeling the effects but meditation has done wonders for me. I’m also in a high-stress job and have found dealing with the daily stressors much easier since making meditation part of my everyday routine.
As someone who’s company recently had to change their mental leave policy to those that’s been working for years to only be allowed to take an unpaid leave. I think it’s incredibly unfair. However I’ve thought about this over and if I had to choose I would take increments of a “leave” over the span of whatever time you feel. So take a week (whatever range you want) and just relax. Then go back into work more refreshed and don’t take on big tasks and set boundaries. Rinse and repeat