There are four aspects to our lives — physical, mental, emotional, and social, and career burnout affects all of these. A career burnout is a special type of work-related stress where one’s work and work environment leads them to feel exhausted, irritated, and often, worthless. If you dread Mondays and thinking about work makes you uncomfortable, exhausted, or even scared, then you are possibly having a job burnout. Highly ambitious and competitive people are more prone to such burnouts, and if you are such a person, it’s time to take a step back from doing it all alone and take help from your team. It is like burning the candle on both ends and melting fast!
Are you wondering how to deal with work burnout besides taking help from your colleagues? Here are a few things you can do to help yourself:
- Take a vacation -
Vacations can be great to get back your mental peace. Take a long vacation (we’re not talking about your usual weekend getaways), and go somewhere peaceful. Stay off the grid and do not respond to any work-related message or call. If your boss is toxic and doesn’t understand your need and stress, then you can take an unpaid leave by taking advantage of the FMLA laws. Just get a written proof that you need rest from work from a certified medical practitioner, and you will have job security when you are ready to come back after 12 weeks!
2. Talk to your manager -
More often than not, a team manager understands the concerns of their team. Tell them if your job is getting monotonous or frustrating or if you need a change. Alternatively, you can ask them to allow you to work remotely for some time to blow off the steam or swap clients (or even job responsibilities) with a colleague.
3. Reach out to people -
Talking to people who care about you always helps in such situations. Let them know what you are going through and they will help you find ways to release your stress outside work. You know what, talking to them or crying your heart out will work as good as taking a vacation! (But do take that vacation. You need it.)
4. Take care of your health -
When you’re stressed about work, you might want to depend on caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol to help you get through the stress. AVOID THIS IMPULSE. Instead, try to sleep well, reduce your screen-timing, find a good book to read, stay hydrated, and have a healthy meal. These will help reduce the physical side-effects of your burnout.
5. Try making it fun -
We know such things are easier said than done, but try to make work fun and interesting. An article by the balance careers suggests, “One creative approach used by copywriters and art directors is to challenge each other to get specific words or phrases into the ads, like trying to get “hot air balloon” or “goat rodeo” into dry copy about insurance. Make it a game regardless of the outcome.”
6. Find ways to release your stress -
Find a hobby that makes you release your stress in a healthy way. You can sign up for that Zumba class you have always wanted to take, take swimming lessons with someone you love, start landscaping your garden, or just grab your headphones and go out for a nice jog!
Despite these measures, if you still think that it’s not working out, then you need to leave. Yes, you need financial security if you are planning to leave, but if it’s urgent, quit without a second thought! Your mental health should be your prime concern, and if you are good at what you do, it won’t be long before you find yourself a better job!
If you are planning to leave your job and switch your career altogether, here are a few things you might want to consider before the big switch.
For more such blogs, check out our Career and Education section on Fuzia.
Image Credits — Google
Originally published at https://www.fuzia.com.