Dealing With The Reality When Burnout Hits

Burnout is more than just feeling a little tired from being overworked. It is, effectively, when everything hits the breaking point, to the point that severe and chronic stress is affecting your ability to function or enjoy life properly. Burnout is a risk that many of us face without realising it, but when you realise that you’re burning out, what can you do to get back in control?

Addressing Your Current Work Habits

Burnout doesn’t just happen because you, personally, are not able to handle your existing work-life balance. It happens because there is too much external pressure. Rather than looking at it like you are the problem, look to the external causes, first and foremost. If you’re having trouble coping with remote working, then look to ways to better accommodate your working needs from home like having your own space and a different work schedule. Delegate some of your less urgent responsibilities if possible. Decrease your reliance on overtime. Change how your work affects you and you can change how you are affected by your work.

Taking A Break To Recover

If scaling back isn’t enough, then you might simply need a clean break, as well as some time and care to get yourself back in a better form. Wellness centres like thebanyans.com.au can offer intensive professional support to address not just the symptoms of chronic stress, but also the root causes of burnout, helping you to recover mentally and emotionally without the pressures of the outside world factoring in. This way, when you get back to work, it can be with a much healthier mindset.

Consider Making A Big Change

If changing your relationship with work and taking the time that you need to get yourself in a better place doesn’t reduce your chances of burning out, then it might be time to recognise that your career isn’t working for you. A mid-life career change is possible, as peoplesense.com.au shows, and you can still make use of experience and skills gained from your current career, so it may make more sense to cut your losses and look for a major change when necessary.

Make Room For Healthy Habits

Your mental health isn’t only influenced by your work, but by your greater lifestyle in general. There are a lot of healthy habits you can start incorporating to ensure that your mind is in a better place. Sleep and stress are greatly related, so establishing a firm bedtime schedule that gets you in bed by a certain time, without distractions from any screens, can be a great help. Exercise is another great stress-relieving tool, so try to incorporate more physical activity into your day where and when it is possible.

The tips above can hopefully help you get some control and give yourself space and time you need to address your work stress. What’s most important, however, is that you don’t simply ignore burnout. The risk can be a lot greater than many give it credit for.