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Have you begun to work worse and do not have time for anything, although you still give your best? Are you constantly in a bad mood? Do you wake up tired? It seems that the accumulated stress has led you to emotional burnout. We tell you how to defeat him.
Not a single working person is immune from emotional burnout – a state of constant fatigue that occurs against the background of the seeming senselessness of one’s own work, which requires too much effort and time and does not bring moral, and sometimes material, satisfaction. Travis Bradbury, co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, offers seven ways to combat it.
But before we treat burnout, let’s look at the warning signs that it’s time to take action.
– Relationships with family and colleagues have deteriorated.
– Health problems appeared (back pain, neck pain, frequent colds, heart pain, migraine).
– Cognitive problems (memory worsens, you listen and do not hear, read and do not understand).
You always take work home.
You feel tired even after eight hours of sleep.
– You are looking for the bad in everything, although you used to be a positive person.
You don’t enjoy doing things you used to love.
– You have lost motivation – now you work only out of fear of dismissal or displeasure of the boss.
– You become less productive.
“You don’t take care of yourself.
If you find yourself experiencing any symptoms of burnout, do not panic. It’s just time to take care of yourself.
1. Unplug
Availability 24/7 makes it impossible to recharge and change focus. We communicate with loved ones and answer work calls, prepare dinner and think about tomorrow’s meeting. Even if you can’t turn off your phone all night and weekends, try to set aside specific times for answering email and voice mail.
2. Listen to your body
Many people think that headaches are only due to dehydration, the stomach hurts because of stale food, and the neck hurts because of a bad pillow. Often, however, pain is a signal of stress or anxiety. To maintain physical and mental health, it is important to learn to recognize your body language.
3. Plan not only work, but also rest
Planning makes life more stable and predictable. In addition, you will have an incentive to finish things and relax. Try adding reading to your daily schedule (for example, from 19:00 pm to 19:30 pm). Follow this routine for a few days and you will feel how much calmer your evenings have become.
4. Don’t take sleeping pills
Sedatives and alcohol have a short-term effect, disrupting the natural sleep process. The phases of sleep under the influence of drugs are disturbed, so people have strange dreams and wake up completely unrested. Such a dream only contributes to burnout, while healthy sleep, on the contrary, prevents stress.
5. Get more organized
It is generally accepted that stress occurs against the background of excessive workload. This is only partly true. Many people simply cannot organize their work properly and become more efficient. It often happens that two people work in the same office in the same positions, one of whom is constantly late and takes work home, and the other manages to do everything during working hours. A wise boss will encourage the first to work more efficiently, and a short-sighted boss will encourage the procrastinator.
6. Take Regular Breaks During Your Workday
A healthy adult can continuously work effectively for an hour and a half. Then he needs to rest for about fifteen minutes. If you don’t take a break when you’re tired, chances are you’re unproductive. Try to work and rest on a schedule and you will immediately see the best result.
7. Seek support from loved ones
Communication with loved ones is a cure for burnout. Sometimes you just need to switch off and spend time with family or friends in order to feel an influx of energy and a desire to work.
If none of the suggested methods work, it may be worth considering changing jobs.