How to Avoid Burnout in Your Career

No matter what career field you are in, it is nearly impossible to go through life without experiencing burnout at some point. Whether you’re overwhelmed with your current workload, are feeling less passionate about the path you took or are just feeling unsatisfied with your job, burnout is no joke. We spend much of our lives surrounded by coworkers and our work-life, so having a healthy relationship with your career is vital. Preventing fatigue in the workplace means spotting the symptoms of apathy in your own life and taking active steps to avoid it.

Know the Signs

Burnout is usually a feeling that slowly builds over time. We don’t always wake up passionate one day and feel apathetic the next. Instead, burnout tends to start as a slow flicker before it bursts into the flame that keeps us feeling stagnant. In order to avoid or recover from burnout, you have to know what signs to look out for. A few signs of burnout include fatigue, increased feelings of self-doubt, feeling defeated, disassociation and an overall negative outlook. If you are noticing these signs, it is time to take some steps to move past this block and begin feeling the passion you once did for your career.

Shift Your Perspective

While it is certainly easier said than done, shifting your perspective is crucial to getting over and preventing burnout. Whenever you find yourself in a bout of negative self-talk, be mindful and remind yourself of the positives. Adjusting your mindset and reminding yourself that these negative thoughts are most often your own internal dialogue and do not reflect reality can help keep you grounded. For example, when you are feeling as though your role is unimportant, you can remind yourself of all the ways you assisted others this week or write down praises you have received from other coworkers or superiors. Remembering the good helps put those bad days in perspective, which is essential to creating a more positive outlook.

Step Away

Stepping away may look different depending on the level of burnout and what works best for you, but it is helpful in clearing your mind and reducing overextension. It is important to always have a healthy work-life balance. If you are overextending yourself it is essential that you consider stepping away. This can mean a short break mid-day, not working past your hours or taking a vacation. Whatever you do, make sure you are setting aside time each day to focus on your own wants and desires outside of work.

There are endless ways to recover from and prevent burnout, so if any of these ideas were not the cure for yours, I encourage you to do some research and focus on getting back to feeling the passion you used to feel for your career. Taking care of your mental health and reducing burnout will not only make you feel happier, but it will also make you a better employee overall!