24 Effective Ways to Prevent Burnout
Photo by Nubelson Fernandes on Unsplash
The number of people affected by burnout has been increasing steadily and alarmingly since the beginning of the 21st century. And the number of cases may increase even faster in the near future. Burnout is usually recognized too late by many of those affected.
According to the Verve, a renowned clinic for mental health counseling in DC, burnout is not just a phase; it’s a condition that can lead to severe mental and physical exhaustion. Hardly anyone practices efficient prevention or practices self-reflection to be able to counteract it at an early stage. In fact, there are effective methods to avoid burnout in the long term.
Experts are already talking about it. So, why is this, and what can you do about it?
Burnout Symptoms: Heed Warning Signs
Burnout manifests itself in a very individual way. The World Health Organization (WHO) summarizes the signs in three main categories:
A feeling of exhaustion: Both physical and mental exhaustion symptoms are typical in burnout. This can manifest itself in permanent tiredness but also in the diffuse feeling of inner emptiness.
Increasing distance from their job: Those affected often no longer see any meaning in their work, their previously great commitment dwindles, and they become indifferent towards customers and colleagues.
Reduced performance: Those affected are no longer able to complete their tasks within the allotted time; they accumulate overtime without increasing their output. On the contrary, you make mistakes that can no longer be covered up. Even simple tasks, including house chores) are perceived as an enormous burden.
Burnout doesn’t happen all at once. It rather builds up over a long period and in several phases. First of all, those affected are extremely committed and often throw themselves into work without considering their personal limits. Ideally, good burnout prevention starts at this early stage.
Burnout Prevention in the Workplace
Every burnout is caused by a stressful work situation. That’s why it makes sense to start right there if you want to prevent burnout. The following measures can help:
Develop strategies for proper time management
Aim for more autonomy and flexibility at work
Learning to “say no” to others but also to yourself
Reduce unrealistic expectations of yourself and others
Strive for and achieve a better work-life balance
Set a career goal to find motivation in the monotony of everyday business life
Attend further training courses to find new inspiration for your work
Look for tasks/work activities that satisfy your own needs
Find support in the team.
Burnout Prevention in Daily Routine
In addition to the measures that can be taken concerning the workplace, many other steps that are independent of the job can help prevent burnout. Among other things, it is important to get to know yourself better and work on yourself. The following preventative measures are particularly helpful:
Recognize and accept your own physical and psychological limits.
Learn to perceive your own needs
Gain self-awareness regarding current feelings of stress and general satisfaction (e.g., keep a “stress diary”)
Disempower the “inner drivers” (perfectionism, sense of entitlement, unfulfillable expectations of yourself, etc.)
Promote self-acceptance and self-confidence independent of work
Define clear life goals for yourself and pursue them (be sure to ignore external expectations; it’s about your personal goals)
Consciously prepare and adapt to new phases of life
Burnout Prevention - Self-Care is Crucial
Along with this, it is also crucial to adopt a better and healthier lifestyle. To achieve this and thus reduce stress, the following measures are appropriate:
Plan enough time for leisure and doing nothing and not just pursue challenging and strenuous hobbies
Get enough sleep and establish a regular sleep rhythm
Incorporate enough exercise and sport into your everyday life
Establish healthy eating and drinking habits
Make use of purposeless and pleasant social contacts, and make time for friends and family.
Certain stress reduction techniques can help avert or prevent burnout. The following stress management methods are particularly promising and recommended:
Relaxation techniques (e.g., yoga, autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, massages, Pilates, etc.)
Order therapy (therapeutic measures that help to recognize unhealthy and risky behaviors and lead to a balanced and healthy lifestyle).
Stress Reduction and Stress Management are the Focus
Prevention is mainly about reducing stress and learning to deal with it. A distinction must be made between two types of preventative measures: On the one hand, there are prevention methods that address the stressful situation directly at the root of the problem - at the workplace. On the other hand, stress can also be effectively combated indirectly through measures in other areas of life.
In general, however, it makes sense to use as many of these preventative measures as possible at the same time because the more you prevent, the lower the risk of burnout.