Do you feel unmotivated to take action of any kind?
Do you no longer find joy in hobbies or spending time with loved ones?
These could be symptoms of burnout, indicating you may be overworking and feeling mentally and physically drained.
According to research by Deloitte: 77% of professionals experience burnout in their current jobs.
As alarming as this statistic is, the real issue lies in the fact that many of us don't even recognize the signs until it's far too late.
Throughout my career, I can recall several instances where in hindsight I experienced burnout.
While from the outside I was succeeding in my career, on the inside I was struggling with my mindset, feelings and relationships.
I was fortunate to have a strong support network (both professional and personal) that supported me through these struggles.
This personal experience made me realize the importance of normalizing speaking about this topic and educating myself and others on prevention and management strategies.
To get some practical insights and tips on this topic, I reached out to my friend Dora Vanourek.
Dora is a Burnout Coach for Tech Professionals, a LinkedIn Top Voice on Resiliency, and a Senior Consulting Services leader at IBM.
Here are 5 invaluable tips she shared on preventing and managing burnout:
1. Recognize Early Signs of Burnout: Burnout does not happen overnight - instead, it slowly creeps in. Watch out for early signs such as exhaustion, emotional overwhelm, disrupted sleep, changes in eating habits, disconnect from social life, reduced motivation and self-care, physical ailments, and reduced performance.
2. Understand and Address Root Causes: Long hours might seem to cause burnout, but they're often just a symptom of deeper issues. Common root causes include feeling undervalued, working in a toxic team environment, lack of autonomy in how you work, perceived unfairness, and a mismatch between job requirements and your values. Addressing these core issues is essential.
3. Engage in Activities: Find an activity that energizes you and helps you disconnect from your work. Aim for at least 15 minutes on most days. Anything you enjoy will be beneficial: walk, exercise, creative hobbies, dancing to favorite songs, gardening, meditation, etc.
4. Incorporate Meaningful Tasks in Your Work: All jobs have less enjoyable tasks. Research shows that you are less likely to burn out if at least 20% of your work is meaningful. An example is mentoring or coaching someone, developing new ideas or developing a training course for others. Everyone finds meaning in different tasks - reflect and find yours.
5. Ask for help: You are never alone. Reach out to a friend or professional. Your company might have employee assistance programs, or point you to available help in your country.
Looking for additional insights on the topic? Follow Dora here on LinkedIn. She posts daily on the topics of burnout, careers, mindset, coaching, and leadership.
