Burnout-proof: Your guide to avoiding workplace burnout

At some point, we’ve all felt drained by our work. Even if we love what we do and are pursuing our passions, we can still fall prey to the devastation of workplace burnout. So, what is workplace burnout and how can we avoid it?   

What is burnout?

Burnout isn’t just an office buzzword. It’s a very real problem affecting a large portion of the workforce. In fact, over 75% of employees experience burnout sometimes. Burnout isn’t limited to high-pressure industries, either. Burnout rears its ugly head when workplace stress isn’t managed properly–regardless of industry or position. 

Moreover, burnout isn’t simply feeling tired after a day’s work. It’s physical, mental, and emotional fatigue brought on by the chronic stress of being on the job. Burnout can manifest in mental symptoms like a lack of focus, lack of enthusiasm for your work, or low energy in the office. But prolonged burnout can even lead to physical symptoms like headaches, stomach troubles, and worsened sleep habits.

5 Tips for avoiding workplace burnout

1. Set clear boundaries

Maintaining a balance between our work and our personal lives is essential to actively avoiding burnout. There’s no better way to strike this balance than by setting clear boundaries. Without boundaries, we’re much more likely to blur the lines between work and our personal lives–or have others blur them for us. Even quick, menial tasks like replying to an email outside of working hours can throw you off balance and drastically increase your chances of experiencing burnout. Try defining work and personal hours very clearly, setting hours in which you’re willing to perform work or be contacted by peers. You have a right to ‘unplug’ from work outside of your office hours. So, be sure to set clear, concise boundaries–and stick to them.

2. Prioritize recovery, not just rest

Rest is essential for each one of us, especially when it comes to our workplace performance. However, recovery is just as essential. So, what’s the difference? While rest is a passive activity, recovery is an active one. It gives our bodies and brains a chance to pour our energy into something other than work–an activity, pursuit, or hobby that offers a sense of fulfillment, peace, or joy. Recovery activities might include walking, exercising, engaging in social events, or even journaling. Recovery is so crucial to avoiding burnout that studies show employees who engage in active leisure activities–walking, journaling, and other physical hobbies–have significantly lower levels of burnout. If you truly want to reset after hours and stave off burnout, make sure to prioritize your rest and recovery. 

3. Master the micro-break

Never underestimate the power of a quick pause. Micro-breaks–short, intentional breaks taken throughout the work day–help to reduce fatigue, boost your mood, and improve focus. What’s more, micro-breaks can actually improve your work performance. Start by taking a few minutes every hour to pause and shake off the work day. Take a quick walk around the office, go grab a beverage, or simply stretch it out.

Read: Energy awareness in the workplace

4. Learn to value quality, not quantity

We’re often tempted to assign a higher value to completing a large volume of tasks or spending extra hours ‘clocked in.’ The more we tick off our to-do lists and the more time we spend at work, the more we feel we’ve accomplished. This mentality, however, is often responsible for the burnout we experience. Rather than emphasizing the quantity of work we perform, focus on the quality of your work.

Prioritize putting forth high quality work that makes an impact rather than focusing on how much work you accomplish. Likewise, the quality of the time we invest in work should be greater than the quantity. Research from Stanford shows that productivity sharply drops once people work more than 50 hours per week. Clocking long hours at work doesn’t necessarily lead to higher-quality work. Instead, focus on doing your best work in shorter bursts of time. Your work is what makes an impact, not the hours you spend at a desk. 

5. Keep an eye on your mental health

Prioritizing mental health isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a hallmark of self respect and preservation. Keep an eye on your mental health by checking in with yourself periodically during the work day and taking quick mental breaks. Remember, your brain is a muscle. Just like you would stretch your legs after sitting for a length of time, it’s important to stretch your brain. In fact, studies show quick 5-minute mental health breaks have been proven to enhance performance and avoid burnout. Take a moment to give your brain a break and check in on your mental state. How are you feeling today? Are there any tasks or projects causing you stress?

If workplace stress and burnout are severely affecting your mental health, consider taking a mental health day. If your workplace doesn’t currently allow for mental health days, consider working remotely for the day or even taking a personal day. It’s both okay and healthy to take necessary breaks when workplace stress is weighing you down. 

Read: Workplace anxiety: How to improve mental health in the workplace

Burnout is a very real, very destructive force in our workplaces. If you want to avoid burnout and boost your productivity, try sticking to these five principles. There’s no need to run on empty to prove your value. Protecting your mental and emotional health is part of being a strong and successful person–both in and out of the workplace. By building habits that support recovery, balance, and boundaries, you’ll both feel better and work better.

If you’re looking to explore more tips aimed at guiding you through your growth journey, dive into our free and downloadable worksheets and resources. A bit short on time? Check out our numerous videos, instead, for quick insights and guided help. 

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