How to: Deal with burnout and work stress
Burnout. Work stress. Exhaustion.
Whatever you call it, when work gets too much it can be really difficult to move forward. We asked you lot your top tips. And they’re pretty good.
Our jobs mean a lot to us. They’re what allow us to pay bills and keep a roof over our heads. And often they’re part of who we are, how we socialise, and how we view our position in the world. We’re hard wired to care about them. A lot.
So, when something’s not right at work, it can have a huge impact on your wellbeing. It can keep us up at night. It can make us irritable. It can change what we care about, and make us want to stay in bed forever.
Burnout is a form of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion linked to our jobs or work that we do. As well as paid employment, you may feel burnout around parenting, caring, school, or voluntary responsibilities.
Burnout can happen when you’re under constant pressure or stress, but it can also happen if you’re not set up for success in your role, or are unable to meet the potential you have.
In short, it sucks. So here are our top tips for tackling burnout and feeling better - and as always, you’ll find some proper good practical tips from people who’ve been there before.
Don’t face it alone. If you keep it all in, work stresses are more likely to swirl around in your head and grow. And that’s no good for anyone.
Talking about what you’re facing at work can help put things in perspective, and help you to make your next move. Often, just saying stuff out loud can help reduce some of the strain you’re feeling.
Who you talk to depends on your situation. If you have a supportive manager or colleagues you can trust, it can help to speak to them about what you’re going through at work. You might be able to reduce your workload, delegate tasks, or simply just make someone else aware of the pressure you’re feeling.
When you’re off the clock, talking to a mate, partner or family member can be a massive relief. And let’s be honest, a good old vent can take a little bit of weight off.
Here’s some of your tips:
Write it down Writing stuff down helps your brain to process what you’ve got on your plate. So it’s a great idea if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities and tasks you’re facing.
While your smartphone can function with 15 apps open at the same time, our brains are designed to tackle one, two or maybe even three things max.
So, if you’ve got lots on, write a list. That way you can fully grasp all of the things you need to achieve and turn off high alert mode. Once you’ve done that, you can prioritise, de-prioritise, ask for help, and figure out what to do next. And hopefully your brain will feel a little less full.
No paper? Try the Offload Your Thoughts tool on our website.
Here’s some of your tips:
If you’re burnt out, you may need to take some time to check in with yourself. Why are you feeling how you’re feeling? Have you got too much on? Is money stressing you out? Do you feel under pressure or unable to cope with your workload? Maybe you don’t feel like you’re living up to your potential, or to expectations that are placed on you?
Whatever it is, being able to pinpoint what’s getting you down is the first step in finding solutions to feel better. It might not be an overnight fix, but you can start to build a plan and get back to feeling yourself.
Here’s some of your tips:
Let’s be honest, sometimes you can’t control the stuff that’s stressing you out. Workplace politics, promotions, pay, workloads and capacity… no. this isn’t a list of boring words, it’s just some of the stuff that can get your goat during the 9-5, 5-9 or any of the times you put in a shift.
You can only control what you can control. Spending effort and energy on stuff that you can’t change is a sure fire way to make yourself feel crappy.
So if something’s stressing you out, ask yourself ‘what can I do to change this situation?’, if the answer is nothing, or you’ve already done all you can, then trying to go with the flow and move past the situation is probably your best bet.
And if it’s really impacting you, it might be time to think about long term ways to change the situation - whether that’s a new job, a new focus, or talking to someone at work about your concerns.
Here’s some of your tips:
Checking an email under the table while your mates chat about the footy. Scheduling a parent-teacher meeting and missing the plot of your current Netflix binge. Popping into work to check the team is doing ok on your day off. They might seem like small things, but when the line between work and home begins to blur, it can be hard to get real recovery time.
We all need time to recharge, and if we’re checking our emails, or even just worrying about work around the clock, our bodies and brains aren’t able to get the rest they need. Setting boundaries is essential for staying healthy.
Boundaries will be different for everyone, but they might look like setting a deadline for when you check emails or removing work group chats from your phone. It might be giving yourself a limit to how many times you check in on work when you’re on holiday, or how many children’s parties you can attend in a month.
You might find scheduling a set time to relax with no distractions is helpful. Or putting your phone on do not disturb after 10pm. Find what works for you.
Here’s some of your tips:
Being overwhelmed or burnt out means you’ve been burning the candle at both ends for too long. While we’re able to meet tough deadlines or intense workloads for a short time, long term exposure to high stress conditions is a recipe for exhaustion.
If that’s you, taking a break is really important. That might be taking time off for a holiday, or if you’re struggling to get on with daily life, you might need to speak to a GP about what you’re feeling. They might recommend time off from work for a short period so that you can rest and recover.
Of course, the best option is to make sure you take regular breaks from work and your responsibilities before you reach burn out. If you recognise things are getting too much, try to organise breaks and time to switch off.
Here’s some of your tips:
We’ve covered taking breaks. But what to do with those breaks? Whatever you want. As long as you can fully switch off from work when you do it.
It might be running or dancing or swimming, it might be a craft like painting, colouring, or even D.I.Y.
Loads of you recommended getting outside in nature - whether that’s with a good old old hike or sitting in the local park and taking a breather. Connecting with mates, gaming, heading down the pub for a catch up, or taking the kids to the zoo were all up there. The long and short of it? Find something you enjoy and make time to do it. It sounds counterintuitive but taking breaks can actually improve work performance and focus.
Here’s some of your tips:
Our jobs and the work we do can become really linked to our sense of who we are. After all, most of us spend the majority of our time doing them. But mixing up who we are and what we do for work too much can lead to issues - including, you guessed it… burnout.
If your job is part of your identity and way of viewing success, you’ll work harder, put in extra hours, and try to succeed as much as possible. Sounds fine, right? Well kinda.
It’s great to care about the work you do but your body and your mind need a chance to switch off and reset. If you are working around the clock you’re less likely to take those breaks and set those really important boundaries.
Blurring the lines between your value and your job can also make work harder in other ways. Setbacks are more likely to get you down, and feedback or disagreement can feel like it’s personal.
So how can you stop your job taking over like a personality eating monster? You don’t have to stop caring or working hard. But setting boundaries and sticking to them is a great step. Agree with yourself that you’ll do your best while you're at work, and leave things at the door when you leave.
Another exercise that can help is thinking about who you are outside of your job - what do you enjoy, what are you good at, how would your friends and family describe your personality?
And finally, don’t compare yourself to other people. Your career and your successes are unique to you - you’ll never know what help or situation another person is in.
Here’s some of your tips to get outside:
How to: Get through winter
Let’s face it, winter can be depressing. Some days no amount of roast potatoes can rid you of the seasonal sads and the temptation to crawl back into your duvet dungeon hits different. It’s not just you, this time of year can be a real slog. If winter’s bogging you down, here’s some stuff to help.
