5 Ways to Avoid Burnout

5 Ways to Avoid Burnout

Here in America, we pride ourselves on our work ethic. We arrive to work early, we stay late, we take work home with us, and we even work on the weekend. And while all that hard work may be great – heck, we may even love our work – if we are not careful, we run the risk of burnout.

Burnout is a very real phenomenon that affects thousands of people, and it is not surprising which careers are most prone to result in burnout. Physicians, nurses, attorneys, and teachers are all among the top five professions for burnout. What do these occupations have in common?

The answer should not surprise you. All of these jobs – regardless of office hours or actual time “on the clock” – require workers to commit to more than 40 hours per week and consist of high-stakes decision making. Physicians and nurses, obviously, make life and death decisions every time they meet with a patient. Attorneys make decisions that could cost their clients thousands, if not millions of dollars; not to mention the likelihood of prison.

Despite the opinion of some, teachers deserve to be on the list with physicians and attorneys. If you know a teacher, then you know what I mean. Most teachers arrive at school by 7 am, unless they are high school teachers, who arrive by 6 or 6:30. They manage our children for nearly 8 hours a day, when we have a hard enough time managing them from the time we get home from work at 5:30 until they go to bed at 9. While students leave hurriedly school when the final bell rings, teachers either stay on campus for another hour or two wrapping up the day and preparing for the next or they bring all that work home with them. And the weekend? Those are just two more work days for the teacher. What’s more, and this is the kicker, the teacher’s job is to get her class of 25 students to do work that they do not already know how to do and that they – more often than we would like to admit – have no interest in learning. We try to do this with our kid’s homework, imagine doing the same thing with 25 kids, all at the same time, and for 8 hours a day.

So how can we prevent – or at least minimize – burnout? Whether you are a physician, attorney, teacher, or construction worker, there are a few things you can add to your life that will help reduce burnout.

Take a Break

No matter how much you love it, take a break every once in a while. I am not necessarily talking about a vacation, though it would be great to have a few days off and take a trip or do something that you find completely enjoyable. Rather, I am talking about breaks in the evening when you do not think about work. Breaks on the weekend where you go to the movies. Breaks during the day where you take five minutes and go for a walk. It does not have to cost and it does not have to be anything extravagant. It simply needs to be a change in routine that results in some “non-engaged” time. Taking a break will allow you to hit the reset button and can help you finish up the day or week.

Find a Hobby

As adults, we tend to shy away from many things associated with adolescence and childhood. Many adults resist taking some time to play video games, complete puzzles, or tinker in the woodshed. However, if you remember back to childhood – just for a moment – you might recall that one of the things that got us through all the work we had to do was the anticipation of those hobbies. We knew that after we completed all of our work, we would get to do what we really enjoyed. Hobbies distract us, give us pleasure, and most importantly, are not based upon high stakes obligations. We are not doing it because our boss told us to. We are doing it because we want to. And even better, there are no serious consequences if we do not finish today or if we do a bad job. Instead, we just get to come back and try it again. Hobbies are great, so make sure you have one (or two).

Enjoy Some Quiet Time

More and more experts are promoting the importance of finding time to quiet our minds. Whether you use meditation, prayer, or just a quiet, dark room, unplugging yourself from social media and the barrage of information that constantly confronts us is another great way to hit our mental reset button. Remember the Calgon commercials from the 70s and 80s? “Calgon, take me away…” What that commercial was really promoting was the idea of taking time for yourself. No obligations, no screaming children, no electronics; just you and your thoughts. Sounds scary, I know, but it is well worth it.

Sleep

Another interesting thing many Americans pride themselves on is sleep deprivation. How many times have you sacrificed sleep for work? You stayed up late or got up early to get that project done in time for your boss. We seem to brag about getting just a few hours worth of sleep, as though that is a badge of honor. Sleep is critical for memory consolidation. While we do not know the full purpose of sleep, we do know that it is a time when our experiences are organized and properly stored in our long term memory. So while you may be able to finish the project, you will not likely learn much from the experience. Sound familiar? How many times did you sacrifice sleep to study for a test, but forgot everything you studied as soon as you finished the test? Your brain did not consolidate the information to allow you to remember it. Sleep is important, so do not sacrifice it for a little more work.

Exercise

Finally, exercise is way to incorporate several of these strategies. Going for a walk is a great opportunity to have some quiet time, all to yourself. You can leave your phone at home (or at least put it on silent) so that you are unplugged and can walk in silence. If you prefer, you can listen to music – which is very different than keeping up with social media. In addition, exercise has the known benefits of helping you feel better physically and improving your ability to sleep and relax. Exercise releases chemicals in your body that help with learning and productivity as well. Those who exercise tend to be more efficient in their work efforts. So do a little exercise, if not every day, at least three times a week. Your body and your mind will thank you.