Burnout is a recent word in the mental health dictionary. More and more people are talking about this disorder, which is characterized by mental and physical exhaustion from work and other areas of life.
In January 2022, the WHO (World Health Organization) began to recognize burnout as a disease. Which only shows the visibility that the topic has been gaining. And no less.
In Portugal, 25% of the population had symptoms of burnout in a study carried out in 2020, by the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, the Institute of Environmental Health of the University of Lisbon and the Portuguese Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health.
Most people have already heard about this topic and are aware of the meaning of the word “burnout”, but disregard the effects of overwork and the “hustle” culture (which translates into encouraging productivity, glorifying results and success and high pressure at work) on mental and physical health.
In this article, we provide some tips to prevent burnout, before it becomes a more serious problem.
7 tips to avoid burnout
Preventing burnout at work is about finding the right balance between professional life and personal life, but not only. Here the secret is also in quality of life and health care.
Discover some precautions you can take:
1. Recognize symptoms before it's too late
Sometimes, the body is the first to alert you when something is not right. After a day of work, have you ever felt muscle pain, emotional fatigue and a headache?
This is normal when you have a demanding work routine, but the frequency of these symptoms can eventually lead to burnout syndrome. You should pay attention to these symptoms:
- Insomnia
- Lack of memory
- Persistent fatigue
- Irritability
- Sudden mood changes
- Difficulty concentrating
- Anxiety
- Depression
2. Establish limits and priorities
One of the biggest causes of stress and anxiety at work is the accumulation of tasks and responsibilities. Therefore, set limits with your team what your functions are and the expected daily number of daily tasks. Additionally, list your commitments and differentiate between what is urgent and important.
3. Learn to say “no”
Don't accept every task assigned to you just like that. Learn to say “no” when you need extra time to focus on other activities or when you feel like you are already overwhelmed. Know that this will not make you a less committed or responsible professional.
4. Take breaks during the workday
It has been widely proven that working without rest does not improve productivity. On the contrary, Taking breaks during the day to relax and distract yourself will increase levels of creativity and profitability. One tip is to do breathing exercises, meditation or simply take a walk around the office. This will help reduce tension and recharge your energy.
5. Invest in a healthier lifestyle
It becomes a bit repetitive to say that eat healthily, exercise and get enough rest They are the solution to all evils. The fact is that paying more attention to your well-being and health will help you prioritize yourself and gain a zest for life.
6. Don't take work home
Rest periods exist to recharge batteries and are essential to combat exhaustion and burnout. Whenever possible, avoid reading emails and messages from work outside of working hours, including during your lunch break, and don't give up your vacation.
Use your free time to relax and engage in pleasurable activities. Your well-being is more important than any delivery deadline.
7. Seek support. Don't isolate yourself!
Talk to someone, be it friends, family, co-workers or even with a therapist, it will help you look at problems from different perspectives and find a solution more easily. Using support is also essential to avoid discouragement and giving up when your quality of life is being seriously impacted by the environment you experience at work.
Build your network of professional contacts with the Employment Exchange
Nowadays, the job market is constantly evolving, with new knowledge, technologies and techniques being discovered and implemented every day. Do you notice a certain difficulty in keeping up with the fast pace of these discoveries? By trying to keep up with everything, you can suffer from burnout at work more easily.
By participating in networking events, workshops and training, ensures that you don't fall behind and find the ideal opportunity to form new contacts. These connections can be very valuable in the future for sharing relevant information across the medium.
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