Burnout is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion that is typically caused by excessive and prolonged stress. When you constantly feel overwhelmed and emotionally drained, you will then lose interest and motivation to continue doing your job. Burnout must be addressed immediately before it causes any more stress.
Ways To Prevent Burnout
- Prioritise Self-Care
Busy schedules can make us neglect to take care of ourselves. However, it is extremely important for us to make the time to eat a proper lunch, exercise and even spend quality time with people even when we feel tired. Doing this, can help you in reducing the negative effects of stress and also helps us refocus allowing us to perform better.
2. Maintain Work-Life Balance
Placing boundaries between work and personal life can prevent future burnout. You can set your boundaries by communicating honestly with your colleagues. You can also choose to turn off any work-related devices during the weekends so that you get to prioritise yourself.
3. Manage Goals and Expectations
Setting realistic goals and expectations prevents overwhelming stress. You can try to identify tasks depending on their urgency. If you feel overwhelmed, make sure you can communicate effectively with your colleagues and supervisors.
4. Learn Stress Management
Look up ways how to handle stress effectively such as creating schedules for the projects you need to complete to avoid overcommitting. You can also practise taking short breaks in between tasks so that you won’t get too overwhelmed. You can also engage in activities that calm you down like listening to music and spending time in nature.
5. Seek Support
Find friends or colleagues that you can communicate openly with regarding the problems you’re facing. You can also request a therapist to further help you manage your worries.