Is your to-do list too long? Does it feel overwhelming just thinking about it?
If you’re feeling burned out, you’re not alone. Burnout affects people in all walks of life. According to a study by management consulting firm Deloitte, more than 75% of employees have experienced burnout in their current role.
Burnout is a serious problem, but it doesn’t have to be a way of life. This is a warning sign to find new strategies to cope with work and family responsibilities.
Burnout can have lasting consequences
If you’re feeling burned out, take it seriously. The most common signs of burnout include:
- Mental exhaustion
- Lack of motivation for daily tasks
- Decreased productivity at work or at home
- irritability and resentment
- Unable to concentrate
- Headache and muscle pain
- Insomnia
- Changes in appetite
Untreated burnout increases the risk of gastrointestinal issues and heart disease. It can also cause changes in your brain. Over time, burnout increases the size of the amygdala, which can lead to mood swings and emotional dysregulation. Your prefrontal cortex may become thinner, negatively impacting your memory and problem-solving abilities.
It’s crucial to learn ways to combat and manage burnout. Research shows that the biggest mistake is overcoming burnout. Instead, you should step back and reassess.
These strategies can help you develop healthier habits to reverse and manage the effects of burnout:
- Investigate the root cause
- Evaluate your to-do list
- Add healthy moments to your day
- Take initiative
Investigate the root cause
If you’re experiencing burnout, it can be helpful to write down your top causes of stress. Consider external and internal factors.
External factors may include:
- Having a heavy workload at home or work
- Unclear responsibilities
- Lack of autonomy
- No personal relaxation time
- Poor social relations
Internal factors may include:
- Unrealistic expectations
- being a people pleaser
- Continually trying to prove yourself
- Putting the needs of others before your own needs
- No sense of purpose or reward
- Exit from challenging situations
Understanding your stressors can help you find solutions. For example, workload or autonomy issues may require a meeting with your manager to determine responsibilities and flexibility. Internal factors may lead you to seek counseling, behavioral health apps, or other mental health resources.
Evaluate your to-do list
Evaluating your to-do list can be helpful both at work and at home.
First, look for items that can be thrown away entirely. Even if you’ve been doing something for a long time, you may no longer need to do it.
Next, think about what you can delegate to others. When delegating responsibilities, be clear about what needs to be accomplished, the deadlines, and what follow-up requests you will make.
Finally, look at the remaining tasks: the ones that need to be done and that only you can do. Prioritize and schedule your time to complete the most important tasks first. Pay attention to tasks that take too much time or are not worth it, as they can be a major cause of burnout. There may be ways to simplify or otherwise redesign them.
Consider sharing your to-do list with colleagues and family. This shows what you’re doing and encourages others to complete the task themselves rather than leaving it to you. At the end of the week, schedule a 30-minute self-meeting to review your to-do list. Write down your main stressors for completed and remaining tasks. Try to recognize patterns.
Are certain people or activities that appear frequently on your bucket list, and are they contributing to feelings of burnout? If so, create and maintain boundaries. If the additional responsibilities won’t benefit your career or sense of purpose, you can say no. You may also need to spend less time with certain friends or coworkers, or completely disconnect from work after get off work and on weekends.
Add healthy moments to your day
Incorporating healthy habits into your daily life is crucial to preventing and managing burnout.
At the beginning of each workday, set your intention to control mental load. If you dive right into a project or worry about a looming deadline, you may feel rushed throughout the day. Instead, take two minutes to think about the meaning of your work. Think about the people you help, including clients, colleagues and the wider community.
Take breaks every 60 to 90 minutes. If possible, take a walk outside or chat with a co-worker. Nature, sunshine and fresh air have therapeutic effects on physical and mental health. If you’re staying indoors, you can reduce stress with breathing exercises or lower your heart rate with full-body stretches.
Allow a 10-minute buffer between scheduled meetings. Use this time to regain your sanity. Imagine the hands of a clock slowing down. Or visualize a peaceful scene, perhaps sitting by a calm lake on a warm day.
Plan evening activities to increase your chances of leaving the office on time and stopping work. For example, cook a leisurely dinner, take time to pursue a hobby, take a class, or meet up with friends.
Take initiative
Coping with burnout is an ongoing process. If you fall back into the same habits, you’ll keep slipping into burnout.
To maintain a healthier balance, set sustainable goals. Start by setting small, achievable goals. Instead of setting a goal of clearing your entire inbox, spend 15 minutes responding to your most important emails. Or, if you are writing a report, break it down into research objectives, outline, main points, body, introduction, and conclusion. Smaller goals can help you avoid the “all or nothing” mentality that can lead to burnout.
Incorporate self-care into your daily life. Self-care doesn’t always mean taking a break. This might include completing a challenging task to prove to yourself that you can handle difficult things. Other self-care options include:
- Light exercise, massage, or stretching
- Meditating & mental health exercises
- Rituals like savoring a cup of coffee in the morning
- Intellectual stimulation, such as reading or listening to podcasts
- Forming or maintaining social and community connections
Check in with yourself at the beginning and end of each work week. The sooner you recognize burnout, the sooner you can take action and the easier it is to implement healthier solutions.
