Post on 10-Nov-2021
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transcript
How To Deal
With Work
Burnout
Overview
Your brain and body can only handle feeling overworked and overwhelmed for so long.
If you consistently experience high levels of stress without taking steps to manage or reduce it,
exhaustion eventually takes over — leaving you emotionally and physically burned out.
You may begin to feel less motivated since it seems like nothing you do matters.
Since burnout happens gradually, you might not notice symptoms immediately. But once it takes hold, it
can affect your ability to function across all aspects of life.
Take a Vacation
Talk to your manager as soon as possible and take a
break. Not a five-minute break, and not a couple of
days at home. You need a complete and total cut-off
from work. Basically, you need a vacation.
Explain why you need time off without whining or
getting emotional. Be rational when you lay out all
the reasons you deserve a break, and why you will
be an even better employee when you return.
Find a Release
Burnout can build, leading to a pressure cooker of
stress. If you don’t open that release valve from time
to time, you are going to explode. Perhaps not
literally, but you’ll crack emotionally, have outbursts,
or maybe do something that could hurt your career.
Take a Break From Alcohol and Caffeine
A lot of people deal with the stresses and strains of
a hectic work life by turning to the bottle or dosing
up on coffee, energy drinks, cigarettes, or even food.
While these can sometimes be soothing in
moderation, you can quickly become dependent
upon them, especially if you’re using them to cope
with significant or growing stress at work.
Dependency leads to addiction, which isn't good.
Ask for Different Responsibilities
Burnout in advertising agencies can not only happen
from overwork, but also from working on the same
few clients for months at a time. As the old saying
goes, "a change is as good as a rest," so talk to your
manager about taking on different responsibilities.
Will your boss assign you a different account? Can
you work with clients who require you to leave the
office more for meetings, photoshoots, and events?
Perhaps you can swap accounts with someone else
who is feeling worn out.
Have a Heart-to-Heart With Someone
Close
Another way to relieve a little pressure is to
share your problems, thoughts, and concerns with
someone who genuinely cares about your well-
being. It could be a spouse, your best friend, a
neighbor, or a trusted co-worker, although be
careful about sharing too much with someone at
work who is known to spread gossip or might
use the information against you.
Find Ways to Make Work More Fun or
Interesting
In advertising and design, exciting projects can
alleviate some of the problems that come with an
exhaustive schedule. Yes, you’re busy, but you’re
having so much fun it’s not an issue. When you’re
burning the candle at both ends on projects that
do nothing to inspire you, that’s when burnout can
really take hold. When this happens, find ways to
make the jobs you’re working on more fun.
Work Away From Your Desk
A change of scenery can do you a world of
good, even if you’re still working 12-hour shifts
seven days a week. Most ad agencies will let you
work remotely from time to time, especially if
you’re looking for inspiration. Find a local coffee
shop, museum, or park.
Take Advantage of the FMLA Laws
Known as the Family and Medical Leave Act, FMLA
is a federal law that guarantees certain employees
up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year without
the threat of job loss. It’s often used for a major life
event, such as the birth of a child or significant
illness. But severe burnout and mental stress can
qualify as a reason to use FMLA protection.
Identify immediate changes you can make
You might recognize a few ways to lighten your
load right away.
Those with a lot of ambition to succeed in their
careers are tempted to do it all
But this can backfire when you end up with no
energy for anything.
Instead, try accepting that doing it all isn’t
realistic, and ask your supervisor to reassign one
project or add someone else to your team.
Get Plenty of Sleep, Exercise, and Eat Well
It goes without saying that when we get stressed,
we look for ways to soothe and comfort. For many
of us, that involves eating comfort foods, drinking
alcohol, and collapsing on the sofa to binge-watch
TV. However, those activities rarely cure burnout
and, in fact, can make you feel worse. Don’t reach
for the chips and the remote. Instead, create a plan
to exercise more and eat healthier foods. Get a
good eight hours of sleep every night. A few weeks,
or months, of this and you will feel ready to take
on the world.
Talk to people you trust
If you feel unsure of how to begin sorting through
the causes of burnout and looking for ways to
ease your stress, that’s normal.
Burnout can become so overwhelming that
determining how to address it still seems
exhausting. It’s also hard to identify potential
solutions when you feel completely spent.
Quit Your Job
As a last resort, if the stress is too much, you may
have to quit. For some people, it’s a choice
between quitting and finding a more reasonable
way to earn a living, or persevering to the point of
a breakdown. In that case, it’s really no choice at
all. You cannot afford to become so mentally and
physically ill that you end up incapacitated. So, find
a way to quit.
Examine your options
You may not see an easy road to recovery, but a
little exploration may unearth some kind of path.
Maybe your boss keeps piling work on, despite
your requests for help from co-workers or time
to finish current projects first.
It might be time to start searching for a new job
that respects your capabilities.
If you feel burned out because of relationship
difficulties, a counselor can offer support as you
take a closer look at your relationship and
whether it’s serving your best interests.
Take back control
To start, try these tips:
• Prioritize. Some things just have to get done, but others can wait until you have more time and
energy. Decide which tasks are less important and set them aside.
• Delegate. You can’t do everything yourself, so if more tasks than you can handle need immediate
attention, pass them off to someone you trust.
• Leave work at work. Part of burnout recovery is learning to prioritize work-life balance. After
leaving work, focus on relaxing and recharging for the next day.
• Be firm about your needs. Talk to others involved and let them know what’s happening. Explain
that you need some support in order to take care of your health and manage your workload
productively.
Set boundaries
Setting limits on the time you give to others can help
you manage stress while recovering from burnout.
Before you agree to help someone or accept an
invitation, she recommends the following:
• Push the pause button.
• Take a moment to walk through everything that
will be required of you if you agree.
• Ask yourself if you really have the time and
energy.
• Consider whether doing it offers value to you.
Practice self-compassion
Reaching a point of burnout can bring up feelings of
failure and a loss of purpose or life direction. You
might feel as if you can’t do anything properly or
you’ll never achieve your goals.
When you reach a point of burnout, you’ve
probably pushed yourself past the point of what
most people would realistically consider themselves
capable of for some time.
Pay attention to your needs
Taking charge of your physical and emotional health is key to burnout recovery.
In an ideal world, reaching the point of burnout would mean you immediately take time off, clear your
schedule, and dedicate your days to rest and relaxation.
Try these tips:
• Make enough time for restful sleep.
• Spend time with loved ones, but don’t overdo it — alone time is important, too.
• Try to get some physical activity in each day.
• Eat nutritious meals and stay hydrated.
• Try meditation, yoga, or other mindfulness practices for improved relaxation.
Remember what makes you happy
Severe burnout can drain you and make it hard to
remember what you used to enjoy.
You may have lost your passion for a career you
once loved and feel angry and resentful when you
get to work each day.
Perhaps you no longer care about your favorite
hobbies, or you’ve stopped responding to texts
from friends because you lack the energy for
conversation.
You might even feel perpetually irritated and snap at
your partner or family without meaning to.
Talk to a therapist
Confronting burnout isn’t easy, especially when it’s
already taken a toll on your personal relationships
and quality of life.
A therapist can offer professional guidance by
helping you identify causes, explore possible coping
methods, and navigate any life challenges
contributing to burnout.
Possible causes of job burnout
• Lack of control. An inability to influence
decisions that affect your job — such as your
schedule, assignments or workload — could lead
to job burnout. So could a lack of the resources
you need to do your work.
• Unclear job expectations. If you're unclear
about the degree of authority you have or what
your supervisor or others expect from you,
you're not likely to feel comfortable at work.
• Dysfunctional workplace dynamics.
Perhaps you work with an office bully, or you
feel undermined by colleagues or your boss
micromanages your work. This can
contribute to job stress.
• Extremes of activity. When a job is
monotonous or chaotic, you need
constant energy to remain focused —
which can lead to fatigue and job burnout.
• Lack of social support. If you feel isolated
at work and in your personal life, you might
feel more stressed.
• Work-life imbalance. If your work takes up
so much of your time and effort that you don't
have the energy to spend time with your family
and friends, you might burn out quickly.
Conclusion
We can’t maintain good work if our work is all we do. When you begin to notice signs of burnout,
remember that when we feel better, we can do better—and then balance accordingly.
Part of the reason behind the WHO’s limited definition is the fact that some of these symptoms also fit
the diagnoses of anxiety and depression. If you continue to experience any of these symptoms despite
lifestyle changes and tips mentioned here, please seek the support and guidance of a qualified medical
professional.
Sources
https://www.lifehack.org/893091/signs-of-work-burnout
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/burnout-recovery
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-deal-with-work-burnout-4142144
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642