To be productive at work and over a career, long-term wise, employees in EVERY field need to prevent or recover from job burnout. Job burnout leads to less efficiency and productivity, making it difficult for employees to stand out to the organization or company they work for and get raises or promotions. Further, job burnout can have significant negative impacts on a person’s health, leading to insomnia, heart disease, stress, and a host of diseases that will lead to severe medical distress or even death. Here are ways to avoid job burnout from happening to you.
Speak with your primary care physician. If you are stressed by work, dealing with intense workloads, backstabbing colleagues, or a micro-managing supervisor, speak with your doctor. Let the doctor know. Such meetings are confidential, and a doctor can aid you in determining whether you might benefit from counseling and/or medication or a diet change. It is perfectly ok to ask for help, and medical and mental health professionals often receive specialized training for addressing job stress in patients. Some employees find a chat with their primary care physician or a mental health professional sufficient to help create a plan to better manage job stress moving forward and avoid job burnout. Changing a person’s diet and adding exercise also can be beneficial in helping to deal with job stress. The critical step here is to speak with your doctor and follow their advice. If your doctor seems reluctant to assist you, ask for a referral to someone who can help manage job stress.
Work with a career coach. Certified career coaches can be incredible resources that can help employees assess their careers, current job situations, and what future paths might be best for them to reduce job-related stress and burnout. These career coaches will also help develop a plan for moving forward. That plan may include looking for a new job or finding ways to better manage the stress you are experiencing at work, which often includes dealing with troublesome workmates and employers and creating an action plan with which to use your time in the office better, so stress and eventual burnout are lessened or avoided outright. Many career coaches have additional stress and anger management training, which can be an incredible support. Ask any career coach about their certification and other training they received to determine if the career coach is likely able to help you.
Organize your day. Many employees are stressed and burned out because they fail to organize their day. To remedy this, make every effort to organize your work week as much as possible. True, there will always be surprises that no plan will account for. However, those who are more organized tend to encounter less stressful situations. When a stressful event occurs, they are likely better able to adjust to meet and overcome any stress. Things to include in your planning include establishing a set work schedule, particularly for those self-employed or working remotely, setting aside time for lunch and breaks each day, and finally, adding any scheduled meetings to your calendar. This is a great way to help you get organized and shield yourself from job stress and burnout.
Talk to your supervisor. In some cases, you are stressed out by a problematic colleague or an abusive manager, and nothing changes even after speaking with them. This is the time to talk with supervisors or directors. Have them help you manage the stress. Good employers want employees to be stress-free. The employers, in turn, usually have the authority to step in and take action to reduce or eliminate the stressors you face. Whether they speak to the troublesome co-worker and stop them from abusive behaviors or they reassign you to another department or group, many employers should find a way to help you.
Take your vacation. Many employees worry that taking vacation time will make them seem lazy. Don’t fall into this trap! Vacation is there for a reason; it is meant to help employees get re-energized so they can be more productive. Take that time off and find ways to relax so that you will be better able to handle future stress and hopefully avoid job burnout.
Find a new job. In some instances, nothing helps in dealing with a stress-filled work environment. In such instances, your long-term health is most important; consider looking for a new job. While this may be something you do not want to do, as a job search can be stressful, it is an action that is sometimes necessary. If you feel this is what you need to do, consider seeking assistance from a trusted friend, colleague, or career coach to move forward, so you do not have to do this alone.
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