The pandemic – and the technologies that make us accessible anytime, anywhere – has made work a perpetual activity. Add to that the pressure to create and deliver the goods faster and faster, and it becomes difficult to step back.
No wonder, then, that many of us feel exhausted. Professional burnout – which often hits the hardest women than men – is everywhere. Especially among humans affected during the pandemicwe find the teachers and healthcare workers.
We know that burnout exists and that many of us live by it. So how do you get rid of it?
Burnout is a serious problem that deserves our full attention. Through my research on people working in different organizations and their ways of working, I can better understand how to deal with common and widespread problems such as burnout.
1. Set boundaries
people need Limits and are entitled to it. No one is forced to devote themselves to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, let alone submit to the social pressures that drive us there.
It is essential to rest to stay healthy, just as it is important to maintain good hygiene sleepby good eating habitsa good physical condition and a good one quality of life.
On the other hand, if we ignore our boundaries, it can affect us too our environment. For example, burnout among nurses results in substandard patient care and a lower involvement at work. Our loved ones can also suffer from it. Take the stress of work home with you we become angrier, less present for our loved ones and more withdrawn.
2. Adhere to contractual obligations
Check your employment contract or collective agreement. Try to estimate as accurately as possible what is expected of you and stick to it. Notice to enthusiasts of their work: he will not love you.
If you are entitled to a vacation, take it. The same principle applies to sick leave: if you are entitled to it, do not hesitate to use it to rest if you are not feeling well.
3. Prioritize yourself
You need to know your personality traits, be aware of how you spend your days and what you really want.
Ask yourself why you work and what you want to get out of it. What do you agree to give up to get there, and what do you refuse to sacrifice for the sake of work? What do you not want to regret later?
Take some time to think about these questions and assess whether your life aligns with your priorities. Do your days reflect your preferences? If not, for what reasons and in what ways?
Think about what you can change, try to fill in your days differently and see the results. If one thing seems to work better, incorporate it into your daily ritual; if not, try something else.
(Abbie Bernet/Unsplash)
4. Talk about burnout at work
There is a limit to what someone can do on a personal level to deal with burnout viz far from an isolated problem.
As employees, we need to question, rethink and reshape organizations that create workloads. Not only is it important to have these conversations with yourself, loved ones and family, but also to talk about it at work.
Organizations must want to tackle burnout. Going the other way would be counterproductive as exhaustion leads to higher turnover and loss of income, in addition to lower productivity. However, organizations are difficult to reform.
Often they cannot or do not want to see what is a pitfall. They tend to want to solve a problem of a collective or systemic nature by offer individual solutions. However, it is not by offering yoga classes and wellness programs that we reduce the workload.
If you have the energy and drive to tackle the workload in your organization, start small. First, talk to colleagues you trust to learn about and share your respective experiences. This can help raise awareness in your workplace about burnout as a collective problem.
5. Recognize that the problem is not just someone else’s
An important role is played by managers because they are the ones who have the power to change things, and the resources to do so. If their employees are exhausted at work, it is because they find the situation acceptable.
Responsible leaders should inquire about the status of their employees regarding burnout risks. They need to understand how their company contributes to burnout. This may involve figuring out how whose work is organized or whose information technology influences workor the support that may or may not be offered to their employees.
Boxes set the tone and provide a model of what is acceptable, such as being overworked or taking time for yourself. At the end of the day, if overload is part of the culture of the company, we must recognize that the problem lies with the organization itself.
Burnout is a serious problem that requires our full attention.
