Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands and expectations. An essential part of self care is to prevent burnout.
Burnout is recognized by doctors as a mental illness and could also affect your physical health. It could affect your immune system and make you more vulnerable to diseases and infections.
We all feel stressed and overwhelmed sometimes. Therefore it is important to manage your time, be as effective as possible and also make time to rest in order to prevent burnout.
Let’s go over the symptoms of burnout first.
The symptoms of burnout
1. Exhaustion
A clear symptom of burnout is feeling tired all the time. This can be mentally, emotionally, physically.
2. Lack of motivation
You’re basically dragging yourself out of bed echt morning. Even the thought of going to work is too overwhelming. Things that used to be exciting just aren’t as exciting anymore.
3. Negative emotions
You have more negative emotions than positive ones. You easily get frustrated and you’re very pessimistic.
4. Cognitive problems
You can’t focus or pay attention and you have trouble memorizing stuff.
When we’re stressed, our attention narrows to focus on the negative element that we perceive as a threat. In the short term, this helps us deal with the problem at hand.
This “fight or flight” tunnel vision can negatively affect your ability to solve problems or make decisions.
5. Not taking care of yourself
You’re not eating healthy, you don’t drink enough and you’ve stopped going to the gym. Not prioritizing self-care because you’re “too busy” is probably the main reason most people get burnout.
6. Health problems
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, digestive issues, depression and anxiety, anger issues.
“84 percent of millennials say they have experienced burnout at their current job”
Tips to prevent burnout
1. Take time to unplug and relax
Schedule free time on your calendar, just like you would schedule a meeting, and stick to it. It’s crucial to take the time you need for yourself, even if it’s just 30 minutes a day. You’ll get back to work feeling recharged and inspired, and chances are, you’ll accomplish a lot more than you would if you worked straight through the day.
2. Get enough sleep
The average adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Naps are not just for children. Instead of having a second cup of coffee, take a 20 minute power nap. It’s the best way to refresh the brain.
3. Plan healthy meals
Eating healthy is crucial to have enough energy for work and play. Planning your meals can help you save time. Creating a grocery list prevents you from aimlessly walking around the store. Making your meals in advance (meal-prepping) will save you a lot of time
4. Meditate
Meditation has tons of scientifically proven benefits.
- Reduces stress
- Controls anxiety
- Promotes emotional health
- Enhances self-awareness
- Lengthens attention span
- Improves memory
- May help fight addiction
- Improves sleep
- Reduces pain
- Decreases blood pressure
Blogpost: 10 Amazing Health Benefits Of Meditation + Tips On How To Get Started
Read for more information about meditation and how to get started!
5. Plan SMART and work effectively
SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timebound.
Working effectively means focussing down on one specific task until you finish it. Multitasking is actually not as effective as we think it is.
Burnout is depressing and hard to get through. You’ll feel like you’ve let yourself down, but remember: you can make it!
