Effective Burnout Prevention Strategies
Did you know that 23% of employees feel burned out more often than not? Plus, an additional 44% feel burned out sometimes. This means that at least two-thirds of a workforce experience work fatigue.
Burnout is very real and can leave you feeling both empty and exhausted. It can take a heavy toll on your mental health, so you need to be on the lookout for symptoms. Otherwise, it can take a while to recover from.
So are you currently at risk of burnout? What can you do to decrease that risk? Read on to find out!
You’re Working All the Time
One of the major risks of burnout is if you work too much. You might feel like you have the energy and drive to work non-stop, but the truth is, you’ll run out of gas at some point.
If you don’t give yourself some time to relax and recharge, you’ll quickly be on your way to burnout. If you feel like the work culture is “work, work, work” and no play, don’t feel pressured to follow suit.
In fact, you might want to bring this up with HR to see if you can get things changed. If not, then you might want to consider a new job where the work culture isn’t so grueling. For those who can’t afford to find another job, consider taking some time off at least.
You Get No Recognition for Your Hard Work
When you work tirelessly to better the company and don’t get any recognition or acknowledgment for it, this can be tough. It can feel like you’re working for nothing.
Some workplaces have toxic workplace culture where hard work gets no recognition and favorites are played. In this case, it might also be a good idea to find another job. Otherwise, you’d be risking harm to your mental health.
You Feel Like You Have No Control Over Your Work Life
Whether it’s almost impossible work demands or excessive hours, you might be feeling like you have no control over your work life. It feels like you have to be at every beck and call of your boss and/or coworkers.
As a result, you might find it harder to focus and concentrate. Plus, you might be losing interest and motivation for work.
You Feel Alone at Work
On average, we spend about 8.5 hours at work as full-time employees, as well as 5.5 hours on weekends and holidays. Because of this, it’s only natural that your workplace feels like a second home.
In a positive work environment, your coworkers can also feel like a second family. But in toxic work environments, you can end up feeling isolated and even bullied.
Without a sense of community and support, it’s much quicker to fall into burnout. If it’s possible, try to strike up a friendship with a coworker or two to fight the loneliness at work.
Fight Burnout
After reading this post, you should have a better idea of whether or not you’re at risk of burnout. Even if you currently have little to no risk, you should always be on the lookout. That way, you can recognize early signs and make changes before it takes a major toll on you.
Burnout is a very real risk for startup employees. There is so much to do, not many resources to go around, and you need everything NOW NOW NOW!
Brendan Barbato of Lime gives 12 actionable tips on how to identify if you’re burning out, steps to take in order to avoid it, and why your mindset needs to change if you’re going to be “productive” long-term (and why there’s actually no shame in being ‘unproductive’). Our favourite: take weekends off.
Want to read additional posts about startup work culture and more? Then check out this article now!
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