Burnout is a serious issue that affects all aspects of our lives. Today we want to dig deeper and figure out a strategy to stop it and prevent it from happening.
What is a burnout? What are the red flags to look out for?
Occupational burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic work-related stress with such symptoms as "energy depletion or exhaustion; reduced professional efficacy; negative or cynical feelings related to one's job".
People who suffer the most from burnout and its symptoms are often the people who communicate a lot or are burdened with lots of responsibilities, like support specialists and managers.
If you are feeling like you can't say no and trying to power through all tasks by yourself while sacrificing your personal life, friends and hobbies, it's bad news. This strategy could help your career advancement, but only while you have the resources to maintain it. Life isn't a movie where you have a nice music montage while doing heaps of work because you can only do this for so long.
The strangest thing is that this kind of mindset puts you into a box full of disappointment and lowered self-esteem that could lead you right into depression. It's impossible to be productive every day.
People burnout fast because they lose the meaning of their activities. Humans need a reason to make an effort every day. Meaningfulness of everyday actions and life as a whole create motivation and fruitful labor.
How can I guide myself away from the path that leads me to burning out?
First step: Key realization.
Being busy all the time ≠ Being successful.
Everyday we see success stories, successful people, observe lives on social media and start feeling like we have to work more to increase our personal value. That's not how it works! Working hard all the time isn't glamorous and won't actually prevent the fear of missing out. Ground yourself in reality to lift yourself up.
Second step: Reduce stress in your life.
Overcoming obstacles feels rewarding, but you can't do this all the time.
Human body can get used to feeling stressed out. As a result, we can neither relax nor rest, because when we are not stressed, it seems that something is wrong with us. Remind yourself to rest and don't be harsh on yourself. Doing nothing is totally ok and it doesn't make you a less productive person. It works like the exact opposite.
Third step: Don't let people exploit you.
Saying "No" and moving deadlines doesn't make you a bad employee.
People can cynically bait you into thinking that you have to prove that you can do your tasks by overdoing them or doing them within unrealistic timeframes. Remove the "can do it all" attitude. Transform it into a healthier thing, like "I can do my tasks in time that is suitable for me".
Fourth step: Break neurotic emotional loop.
Anxiety → Fear of Failure → Combatting the fear with superhuman effort.
This is what prevents you from adequately assessing your skills. A healthy work ethic begins with small steps and skill management.
Skiloope can help IT skill assessments at your company and automate growth processes for your team
We offer an easy way to set up expertise with templates. You can use pre-built templates or start from scratch and share templates with the Skiloope community! Clear roadmaps and tangible goals help make skill set management transparent and tangible. Aim for less burnout and more motivation with us.
