Burnout.
It’s a term which inspires thoughts of stress, anxiety and overwhelming amounts of work. And somehow, despite the negative connotations of these feelings, burnout has become glamorised. Perhaps it’s as a result of a high-pressure society where having back-to-back meetings and stuffed calendars mean that you are successful. Or maybe it’s because having a lot to do is celebrated as ambition.
Whatever it is, burnout is not positive or helpful. At all. Instead, it slows motivation, hindering productivity. Innovation and inspiration take a back seat to stress and work become hard and not smart.
It’s also unsurprisingly common in most working professionals.
And while it’s frequently seen, burnout doesn’t need to be inevitable. Taking the right steps can help in reducing the pressure build-up, keeping burnout at bay.
Set Clear Boundaries
Make a list of what needs doing this year and stick to it! Don’t add anything that can wait until 2020. The more you pressure yourself to do before the year ends, the more likely it will overwhelm you. Focus on what’s pressing, and get to the rest when you can.
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Work on Your Passion
Find inspiration in your daily runnings. If you are fortunate enough to find passion in your 9-to-5, thrive on that inspiration and focus on that feeling. If you are finding it difficult to motivate enough energy before the festive holiday kicks off, look to find excitement in other aspects of your life and work towards achieving your passion-project goals!
Find Inspiration in the Little Things
Similar to passion, inspiration can be hard to come by at the end of the year. Waking up knowing that there are only several more weeks left in the year can make it difficult to push through the day without faking enthusiasm. Freshen up the fired-up feeling by reflecting on one good thing which happened to you at the end of each day.
It might seem like a trivial task, but focusing on good things helps keep you on the lookout for more good things! The ripple effect can be something of true inspiration, which might be just what you need to kick stress and burnout to the curb and move forward with new zeal.
Think about Others
What you might need to beat the burnout is simply a readjustment of your thinking. It might take giving of your time – and your thoughts – to others to break the cycle of internal pressure. Offer your time to someone in need, think about what present you might buy for a loved one or consider how you can give back to your community. Every little external thought helps bring a new perspective to your life, which helps distract you from the little plaguing worries threatening burnout.
