Navigating burnout – How to get better and avoid it happening again

The extreme pressures of stress in any profession can lead to burnout. This is a condition characterised by exhaustion, distancing yourself from work and a feeling of incompetence of inefficacy. Unfortunately, heavy workloads and the pressures of deadlines are part of the life of a manager. However, when the stresses that this can create become overwhelming it can create a serious issue. This issue not only affects the performance of an individual but also that of the team and even the organisation. 

How to recover

With many of the biggest contributing factors to burnout being situational it may be necessary to consider a change of job, team or even a less managerial position to help improve the situation. However, if you like working for the organisation then this may only be something to consider as a last resort. There are things that you can do to help yourself without making a change of this nature. 

Prioritise self-care – both physical and emotional energy need to be replenished on a regular basis. This means getting a good nights sleep, eating healthy foods, getting some gentle exercise and making social connections. It’s often a catch-22 situation. If you have a heavy workload, try and find time for some of these things, as doing so will make you more productive overall. 

Setting aside some time each day for a little self care can be incredibly beneficial. Plus, it doesn’t need to be a huge amount of time. Walk to work if you can, take a stroll around the block during your lunch hour – getting away from your desk is important. These are all very small things you can add to your routine. 

Remember, if you work with a team then you may often all be sharing the same heavy workload. Therefore, it is important for everyone to prioritising their self-care. 

Stop burnout happening again 

If you want to prevent burnout from occurring again then you need to not only have ways in which you can reduce burnout such as prioritising self-care but also no the signs to look out for to stop it before it even happens. Shifting your perspective is essential as a tool for helping to keep burnout at bay. This means that you should be looking at how you work. You should make sure that you reduce the stresses around your workload. If the work is piling up and you simply can’t complete everything, and particularly if you are given more, you need to be able to say something. It is vital to know that you will be listened to. Admitting this is not a failure and allows managers to see that there is often too much work and not enough people to do it. 

Knowing that you are not alone can also really help to keep the feelings that start you on the path to burnout at bay. Take your breaks and lunch hours, socialise with others in the workplace and make connections on both a personal and professional level. 

You could also consider professional assistance from a mentor or coach who will help you identify learning opportunities that can help you to overcome some of these barriers.