10 TIPS TO PREVENT BURNOUT
Here are some tips and pearls from the live talks I have been giving on burnout. I hope there is a practical action item here for you! These are also steps in the Recharge to Prevent or Overcome Burnout series. I have expanded on the first 3 tips in the paragraphs below and will send details on the others in future newsletters.
1. Recognize the symptoms
2. Get rest
3. Manage your energy
4. Connect with friends outside of work
5. Have a hobby you enjoy at least once a week
6. Get active, move your body (e.g. walking, yoga, sports)
7. Schedule fun activities regularly in your calendar
8. Renew your mind and body with nurturing activities
9. Invest in your personal growth
10. Consider new perspectives, opportunities, and attitudes
Many individuals do not recognize burnout until it is too late. Fortunately, you can learn to notice the signs and predisposing factors early to avoid a pattern of repeatedly "knocking on the door of burnout". Early signs of burnout can include the need to prove yourself, avoiding self-care (eating, sleeping, rest, recreation, socializing), and focusing solely on work at the expense of other areas and relationships in your life. Over time you may experience exhaustion, depressed mood, cynicism, anger, addictions, and other unhealthy avoidance patterns along with poor self-care that can lead to total collapse.
It is important to recognize the signs as early as possible and get support. Immediately getting rest and a break from work stressors can help with acute issues. Burnout responds to a change in workload, work type, work environment, work adjustments, or a complete break from work.
Managing your energy means being realistic about workload and recognizing that non-work-related stresses also count. Whether it's a kitchen renovation, a marital dispute, caring for an ill family member, adjusting to a life transition, parenting challenges, your air conditioner breaking, or dealing with financial difficulty it is all experienced by your nervous system as stress and additional work. We often ignore this gradual, insidious "piling on" of stressors and we don't make adequate (or any) adjustments to our workload or other schedules. If you are feeling burned out, or there are new additional stressors in your life, these need to be accounted for in your self-care and recovery plans otherwise your nervous system and health will start to break down.
Remember to take an afternoon or day off, book a week of vacation, consider a sabbatical, think about work sharing or locum support - find ways to restore balance and energy so that you can recharge appropriately and safely (even your cell phone doesn't work without charging!). We need to remember that overworking and not recharging can impair our ability to sustain not only our work and career, but our health, our relationships, and our life. Think about how you can take a break daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, etc., then, schedule it (right now)!
Consider delegating or hiring help for household chores, maintenance work, and other jobs that can be done by someone else. Hiring a summer student (or a friend's teenager) can be a win-win solution to getting odd jobs and projects completed. Local services and resources may be available to help you with organizing, cleaning, cooking, gardening, lawn care, and other jobs. Of course, improvements in the workplace are also important, and hiring help with data entry and other workflow roadblocks has been shown to be effective.
It is crucial to be aware that some of your personality traits and other personal factors may put you at risk of burnout. For example perfectionism, workaholism (or what I sometimes call "work use disorder"), a strong sense of social justice, extreme conscientiousness, high intelligence or giftedness (sometimes associated with high levels of creativity), and even high resilience and the ability to take on many roles and responsibilities can contribute to burnout. Some of these factors do have elements of strength and can be used in a positive way, but if misused or misunderstood they can lead to unhealthy outcomes. Most physicians, parents, and individuals I have worked with who have experienced burnout have difficulty setting personal limits, saying 'no' (kindly), and having healthy boundaries.
It is also important to recognize that many (if not most) of the causes of burnout relate to system issues. I work at addressing these as well, however, while these system issues take time to change, I like to empower individuals to take some immediate actions to get off the path to burnout and into a more enjoyable and sustainable life.
If you are interested in individual coaching to help you succeed you can schedule a free call or get more information by emailing me at marcia@drkostenuik.com. You might also consider the RECHARGE to Prevent or Overcome Burnout online interactive series. If you are recognizing signs of burnout the good news is that there are solutions that can get you back on track and enjoying your life.
