In a recent study done by Gallup, 7,500 workers were surveyed. 22% said that they always feel burnt out at work, and 44% said that they sometimes feel burnt out.
“Burnout is described as a state of physical and emotional exhaustion that involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.” -Mayo Clinic
Burnout is often an under recognized worry to many people in the workforce. The truth is that it is felt by many and can really impact your ability to function in and out of work. Even if you do not think you are experiencing burnout, these tips can help you greatly improve your emotional and physical well being.
Here are our top 5 tips for reducing burnout at work.
1. Get Outside and Exercise.
The first tip to reduce burnout at work is to set time every day to get outside. Spending time outside will allow you to de-stress as well as providing a break from day to day monotony. De-stressing when outside mainly comes from the fact that you will be getting more Vitamin D than usual.
“Spending 15–20 minutes outdoors a few times a week can help you soak up enough Vitamin D to improve bone strength, stabilize your mood, and protect against cancer.” -CreditDonkey
On top of getting outside, exercise is also shown to help decrease stress, increase energy levels, and increase the production of endorphins.
It may be hard to exercise, but even just walking outside for 10 minutes a day can greatly reduce workplace burnout!
2. Take Breaks and Don’t Overwork Yourself.
In the modern workplace, not eating lunch and being busy is often praised as hardworking and a sign of dedication. The truth is, avoiding taking care of yourself may be practical in the moment, but it will catch up with you eventually.
Always leave time for self-care. Even at work.
Burnout can be identified by the buildup of these small things into one larger issue. Set a time each day to take a break and build it into your schedule. Here are a few ideas to make your breaks great!
Fun Work Break Ideas
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Visit a local cafe for lunch.
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Go have a quick walk on a local nature trail.
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Do some stretches outside the office.
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Meditate with your favorite tunes.
On top of these tips, make sure to not overwork yourself. Make time for yourself.
Your mental health is important!
3. Practice Meditation and Mindfulness.
One of the keys to improving mental health is the technique of mindfulness. Mindfulness is a technique that is used to focus completely on the present moment and can help manage emotions and stress. Slowing down and being aware of your surroundings is a great way to practice this technique.
Mindfulness has been scientifically proven to not only decrease stress, but also to improve productivity in the workplace.
“Aetna recently made mindfulness classes mandatory. They found that employees reported a 28% reduction in stress and an increase in productivity levels.
Employees reported an average gain of 62 minutes of productivity, which Aetna calculated as an ROI of over 3,000 dollars per employee.”
Meditation can be used with mindfulness to create great habits for improving mental and emotional well being. Setting times for meditation breaks each day can allow you to better emotionally comprehend what is happening at work.
Read more about how you can put these items into practice in our previous blog on Mental Health topics.
4. Make Manageable Lists and Schedules.
One symptom of burnout at work is a feeling of being overwhelmed. This is often caused by the ongoing stress of many different assignments and responsibilities. It can often seem that this is an unavoidable symptom, but making lists and schedules can often help to alleviate this stress.
The key to good schedules and lists is to make them manageable. Make your daily tasks achievable and they can be a great stress reducer!
Use your schedule as a tool to keep yourself on track, not as something to stress you out even more.
List making is another way to combat day-to-day stress at work. Make lists and goals and be sure to check them off when you are done with them.
5. It’s Okay to be Human.
Sometimes, it can be easy to ignore burnout at work. The truth is that recognizing burnout and practicing self care to minimize it is essential. Minimizing burnout will not only make you happier and less stressed, but it will increase your productivity at work as well.
“Over a quarter of employees are at risk of burning out in the next 12 months.” – Wrike
This survey showed that over 25% of the American Workforce could lose their jobs from burnout within the next 12 months. Burnout is real! Make sure to spend time and take care of yourself. You are worth it!
Are you feeling burnout at work? What tips do you use to fight stress? Let us know on our Instagram!
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