Holistic ways to help you avoid physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress caused by job burnout
Job burnout is real and can impact your professional and personal life severely. According to research, “New study finds that 89% of employees have experienced burnout post Covid19. After more than two years of higher workloads due to layoffs, hiring freezes, and many resignations, employees feel the strain. 70% said they would leave their jobs because of it”.
Job burnout is a specific kind of stress that causes employees to experience symptoms such as:
Constant fatigue and exhaustion
Demotivation
Low tolerance for stress
Anxiety
Depression
Loss of creativity
Sleep loss
Weight gain
Hypertension
This can also lead to negative behaviors of:
Constant irritability
Anger outbursts
Pessimist thinking
Excessive use of alcohol and drugs
All or any of these signs can impact your life negatively, resulting in severe risks to your health and career. Whether you are already experiencing these signs or looking to prevent them, we are sharing some holistic ways to help you avoid and manage a physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress.
Stick to Your Schedule
We all have those days when we must work a few extra hours. But the problem occurs when it becomes a lifestyle. Night after night, you start to miss out on family and social commitments, workout routines, and other elements of your life that are as vital as your professional life.
Set clear boundaries for yourself to maintain a healthy work-life balance. And do not get sucked into a workaholic lifestyle. Remember that small but consistent actions do make a significant impact in the long run. It’s as valid for negative behavior patterns as for positive ones.
Revisit Your Targets
If you are feeling overwhelmed, discuss your concerns with your supervisor. See what expectations can be adjusted, changed, or managed with lower stress.
Be rational yet open about your struggles. If sick days are available, take a few days off, which will only be a temporary relief if you won’t make any actual adjustments to your lifestyle. To manage an overloaded work schedule, you must work towards adjusting your responsibilities.
Find ways in which you can work together that are beneficial to the organization and you.
Seek Support
Many organizations offer employee assistance programs such as wellness coaching, occupational therapy, or health insurance that includes therapy options. Be open to availing these benefits and seek support in different ways. Furthermore, colleagues can be a sound support system in the workplace; speaking to them will also help you understand how they manage their workload.
Discuss your concerns with family members and friends. While they can’t support you directly with your work, they can provide you with help at home until you get back on your feet.
Maintain a Healthy Recreational Life
Make a point to have a life outside work. Engage in activities that bring you joy, help you to move your body, and stimulate your mind. People often leave their hobbies and interests outside work when highly focused on their profession, which blows the work-life balance out of proportion.
It is essential to engage in extracurricular activities for growth and development. It also provides you with an opportunity to connect with others socially. Having a well-rounded routine can help reduce stress and increase a higher level of satisfaction overall.
Nurture Your Physical & Mental Health
Lack of physical and mental healthcare practices plays a massive role in burnout. Make your mental and physical health a priority. Always make time for workouts, healthy eating, and mindfulness activities.
Practice low-impact workouts such as outdoor walks, yoga, tai chi, and swimming to distress often, both mentally and physically. Include breathing exercises in your daily regimen, such as body scan and box breathing techniques, create a sleep hygiene routine for an uninterrupted quality sleep, and take time to nourish your mind and body.
Remember that if you are physically and mentally strong, dealing with everyday stress is much easier than already burning low.
Pace Your Lifestyle
We all want to excel at what we do and achieve our goals. However, sometimes, we are running empty in pursuit of success. Maintain a healthy pace when it comes to goals and accomplishments. Strive to get into the flow of life rather than forcing yourself to do more than you can manage. There’s always a fine line between obsession and positive focus. Work with positive direction and determination but watch out for becoming overly obsessed with the results.
There is always room for improvement, and you must continuously improve yourself. It just doesn’t have to come at the expense of your wellbeing.
If you are already experiencing burnout, break your goals into bite-sized pieces so that they’re more manageable and less stressful. You always want to stick to your timelines, but there is always room for adjustments. Instead of working in a stretch for long hours, distribute the workload into several short bits.
When speaking to a mental health professional, they always tell you that prevention is better than cure. Even though this may seem a lot at this point, recovering from the damage of a job burnout can be far superior. Incrementally, including these habits and making small positive changes in your lifestyle can help you maintain a thriving wellbeing and enhance your productivity.
Remember that small but consistent actions do make a significant impact in the long run.
If you are a HerMeNow participant or alumni, book your free coaching session now through the HerMeNow website https://www.hermenow.com/wellness.
 | Anam Anjum Wellness Consultant +971 52 629 9656 anam@hermenow.com almawellbeing.com |