5 tips to help prevent burnout

We have all heard of the word burnout and some may have experienced it in your job or day to day life. This phenomenon has been growing steadily but most notably since the 1970s and the results from many different studies associate burnout out with the likes of depression, anxiety and physical exhaustion to name just a few.

Burnout can happen to anyone at any time, in any job. During this article we will present several actionable tips you can implement to help minimise the risk of burnout, but from personal experience it is a lot easier said than done. We recommend that if you are struggling for a prolonged period of time, seek professional help. You are too important to not be looked after.

Genuinely love what you do

Everyone you meet will always tell you to only do what you love to do, but the issue here is that many of us choose to ignore this sound advice. We find a job and often work day after day for something we do not believe in or necessarily care about. This takes a toll on our mental and physical wellbeing, however we put up with it because we are stuck in a rut.

Discovering what you genuinely love to do, what you are truly passionate about takes time and usually, once we leave school, we dive straight into the first job and bounce from company to company until we land at where we think we should be.

Finding your genuine love requires a detailed career roadmap and true thought. If you haven’t created one before read our article ‘How to create a Career Roadmap’ to get started.

Learn to say No

Richard Branson famously said, ‘If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!’ – whilst I agree that you should push yourself out of the comfort zone and grow as a person, I also am a firm believer that we have a limited capacity when it comes to handling a certain number of tasks at one time.

This will vary from person to person and you might be comfortable taking on more work, however recognise your own limit and learn to say ‘no’, giving you time to refocus on what you have right now, and when the time is right, add more into your work load.

Rid the self-pressure

Pressure comes from many different sources including parents, spouse and employer but the most damaging can be from yourself.

The pressure to be a people pleaser, putting the needs of everyone before your own. Or the pressure to push for promotions to move up that career ladder, or perhaps the pressure to keep learning over fear of falling behind… any of these sounds familiar?

There is nothing wrong with wanting to do this, but the trick is moderation. People have the ability to look after themselves when you let them, promotions can be skipped to allow for more ‘you’ time and you can learn a new tool another day. 

Learn when you need help

If you find yourself spiralling down the path of burnout, reach out to those around you. You might be a proud person but like the proverb says, a problem shared is a problem halved. The simple act of speaking up and asking for help could be just what you need to see things a bit clearer or to have some of the weight taken off your shoulders. Remember, sometimes your managers and colleagues cannot spot your warning signs when it comes to burnout, help them help you, learn when you need help.

Take a step back

You don’t always need to be moving forward at full speed with a million tasks both inside and outside of work. Sometimes it is okay to take a step back, do nothing and evaluate where you are and what you should be working towards. Try not to take everything too seriously and just enjoy where you are right now as much as you can.

As one of values says ‘We are one team’, so we hope that by sharing the tips that have helped us prevent burnout, in some way we can help you.