Here are various ways to reduce stress and thus reduce the risk of burnout^1,10,14.

• Surround yourself well and discuss with loved ones the difficulties experienced at work in order to feel supported. the social support would be the best buffer against chronic stress.
• Listening to symptoms physical and psychological stress.
• Once the stress is detected, learn to discover its causes.
• Engage in discussions with colleagues and supervisor aboutOrganisation work. Try to find mutually beneficial changes.
• In collaboration with the employer, try to set more realistic and more rewarding.
• Make a list of priority tasks to accomplish, which helps to manage your time better. To help determine priorities, give each task a degree of importance and urgency.
• Learn to say DON’T sometimes.
• Know the time required for each of the tasks to be accomplished.
• Learn to to delegate.
• Take the time to reflect before diving into a job. Clearly specify the objective and evaluate the various means to achieve it.
• Take advantage of his lunch hour, as much as possible, to ” unhook ».
• Between each hour of work, take 5 minutes to alter your train of thought : listening to music, meditating, stretching, etc.
• Be careful not to become technology slave : the mobile phone and the Internet can make people accessible 24 hours a day. Offer hours of availability to your employer and try to limit yourself to them.
• Exchange tips and experiences with colleagues. In the case of self-employed workers, create a network of contacts with other people in the same situation.
• Examine his life habits. Some can contribute to stress, such as consuming a lot of stimulants (coffee, tea, sugar, alcohol, chocolate, soft drinks). Exercise, on the other hand, can go a long way in preventing or reducing stress, while also making sleep easier. Experts recommend 30 minutes of physical exercise, 5 times a week. Maintaining good physical health has a positive effect on psychological health.
• Reserve from time for yourself, your family, your hobbies, etc.

As mentioned earlier, preventing burnout is not only the responsibility of individuals, but also of individuals. Companies . Several researchers are working to better equip companies and managers. For example, in April 2009, a group of experts appointed by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec released an analysis grid to better target “at-risk” workplaces.².

To find out more about the measures to promote in organizations, consult our file Overcoming stress at work: finally solutions.

At the time of back-to-work, discuss with his employer in order to find a suitable situation. A gradual return may be required, as may follow-up by a doctor. In addition, discuss with your employer possible adjustments to the organization of work before going back to it.