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Preventing Job Burnout

by Sanja Pesich on March 30, 2022

Preventing Job Burnout

by Sanja Pesich on March 30, 2022

Burnout cannot be classified as a medical condition, but we are all aware that job burnout can have severe impact on one’s health and wellbeing. According to Bakusic and colleagues (2017), “burnout is a prolonged response to chronic occupational stress and is defined as a combination of (emotional) exhaustion, cynicism, and lack of professional efficacy”.

What can cause burnout?

According to an article published by LinkedIn, there are multiple reasons that can cause job burnout and many of them are psychological. The reasons could be fear of losing a job or frustrations over daily tasks and disagreements with co-workers.

Burnout can manifest in profoundly concerning ways. Because of the work-induced fatigue, people can start isolating from work-related activities, they may start avoiding both work and coworkers. The emotional exhaustion can turn into physical exhaustion, leaving those impacted by burnout with little energy to perform their tasks.

So, what can employees do to prevent burnout?

1. Scheduling your day and adhering to the schedule

2. Letting go

3. Taking care of one’s health

“The way to avoid burnout is by making sure you schedule your days appropriately” – says Khan. He advises that by scheduling your week ahead of time, employees can reduce stress involving the uncertainty over what tasks are coming next. Khan is an avid advocate of planning one’s day so well that the work calendar includes both work-related tasks as well as time allocated for breaks, exercise, and proper nutrition.

Scheduling your calendar is the first step, but a bigger challenge is adhering to the schedule. Khan insists it is important to adhere to the allocated time at all costs. “It may happen that after an allocated hour for a task, you are not done with your task. It is important to put aside that work and move on with another task” – explains Khan. Unless you are able to exercise that kind of discipline, your day will be seriously disrupted. And according to Khan “you may still be able to finish your day effectively, but likely not as efficiently.”

It is imperative to structure one’s breaks equally well. The break-time should be used for self-care such as short and effective stretching exercises, a brief walk around the neighborhood or to consume nourishing snacks and plenty of water. With demanding jobs such as recruiting, not losing sight of our emotional and physical needs can play a big role in burnout prevention.

Another important aspect of protecting oneself from burnout in jobs that involve frequent human interaction is being able to let go. “A good recruiter has a very driven mindset, this is nothing but an easy job” – says Khan. And people can often be unpredictable. “The only way to go past is to tell yourself: I can’t control what I can’t control” – adds Khan.

Finally, Khan emphasizes the importance of good health, particularly amidst the COVID-19 pandemic when many of us are either working from home or doing a hybrid model - “if you are not managing your health properly, you are not able to work as effectively.” If you are putting long work hours, Khan recommends taking breaks between tasks even if they are for 5 -10 minutes.

Nourishing your body with healthy food is another emphasis. Khan admits that he was not as rigorous about following his own advice at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and that impacted his energy level and his mood. He took measures to address it and be more mindful about striking a better balance between his wellbeing and work assignments. Therefore, Khan strongly advises to prioritize health in order to stay focused and energized at work long term.

LinkedIn also advises protecting one’s downtime to avoid burnout. Lunch hour and breaks should not be used to catch up on work, but as time to rest and replenish energy. Other things that can prevent burnout is being aware of your language, increasing your workplace fun, and cultivating meaningful relationships outside of work. Negative thoughts can affect how we feel about work and life. That’s why it is important to replace negative thoughts with more positive attitudes. For example, instead of saying “I can’t handle this any longer” try saying “I’ll break this job into smaller, achievable chunks” and make sure you celebrate those milestones. At work as well as outside of work, do things that are meaningful and fulfilling. Decorating your desk with fresh flowers could improve your mood. Planning and looking forward to exciting trips can provide the drive for working hard.

What can employers do to prevent burnout?

The first step is to acknowledge that burnout can happen and examine the aspects of company culture that could contribute to burnout. The best way to lead is leading by example. If you want to have a high-performing culture, then your leadership team should demonstrate enthusiasm that can inspire employees to do their best work.

According to Forbes, it is important to make progression a priority. Without having a prospect of a promotion, employees can feel discouraged and “stuck” in a dead-end job. The progression path should provide clear steps to advance one’s career within the company.

Most importantly, set values that everyone can get behind and prioritize your people. Work with your staff collaboratively to identify shared values. Incorporating shared values and goals creates a sense of unity. A motivated workforce will likely not experience burnout. Companies should make it a priority to invest in their staff, create an environment in which employees have the freedom to grow. To accomplish that, promote from within, communicate with staff and recognize and reward success.

Reference

Bakusic, Jelena, Wilmar Schaufeli, Stephen Claes, and Lode Godderis. 2017. “Stress, Burnout and Depression: A systematic review on DNA Methylation Mechanisms.” Journal of Psychosomatic Research 92: 33 -34.

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