How to Deal with Burnout

Are you struggling with burnout, stressed from your job and feeling the impact of it in your personal life? Stress can lead to many personal issues. Unfortunately, it is part of many professional jobs. Health care professionals and the hospitality industry can be high demanding jobs, leading to long hours and less personal time, which can lead to burnout. Recognising the signs of exhaustion, in the early stages, is vital to overall health and wellbeing, and performance at work.

It is vital to harness resilience when dealing with exhaustion and asking the right questions will help you to get on the road to recovery a little faster. Sometimes it’s not easily identified until fully into the depths of its throws. Frequently asked questions that are a good starting point to identify burnout include:

What is burnout?

Burnout is your body’s way of telling you that it is overstretched. It can leave people feeling mentally, physically and emotionally drained, unable to do menial tasks, lacking creativity, feeling detached unmotivated, and hollow. The situation worsens when we don’t take care of ourselves in the early stages, or ignore the symptoms. Dealing with exhaustion in the early stages lessens the risk of serious physical or mental dis-ease.

Start with self-care; evaluate daily tasks and take time for restoration. Invaluable advice and insights to help deal with burnout include:

How do I deal with burnout?

  • Reach out to family, friends and colleagues, or seek professional support
  • Simple as it sounds, listen to your body
  • Create time for rest and relaxation – time to wind down and, increase personal time to find balance and restoration
  • Increase physical activities, starting with small movements and gradually increasing every day until it becomes a habit
  • Hydration is key to boost energy levels and reduce recovery time
  • A health check-up will rule out anything more sinister, and may provide details on any vitamin or mineral deficiencies
  • Reduce technology time, significantly in the early days of self-care
  • Get enough sleep, this is paramount for a speedier recovery
  • Spend time enjoying hobbies, to lift the soul and bring joy back into your life
  • Alone-time might not always be easy, especially when life has been overly busy. Take time to stand still, meditate and journal emotions that surface during this time
  • Sometimes we may get lost in the process – find yourself again
  • Finish work on time. Too many late work evenings eventually catch up and eat into precious restoration time
  • List accomplishments and let go of past slip-ups
  • Identify if the job is rewarding, and take steps to create job satisfaction, even if this means having an honest chat with your employer
  • Meet personal needs, especially during the weekend

How do I move beyond burnout?

Burnout can take some time to recover from, depending on the stage. It really helps to plan for the future, to avoid coming across this situation again. Plan your time well, starting with healthy meals, exercise, time for hobbies and personal activates, and most importantly annual leave. Ask for help, let go of unnecessary work. Delegate or say ‘no’ when needed. Begin to take control of your life again!

Time and stress management are two important elements that can really help to prevent future symptoms of burnout, and can lead to a much healthier life. Remember; “You can do anything, but not everything” – David Allen.

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