I remember the day that I hit my breaking point. I was working on a project that I had been dreading for weeks, and I just couldn't seem to make any progress. As the deadline loomed closer, I felt myself becoming more and more stressed. Finally, I reached a point where I just couldn't take it anymore. I was Headed for a nervous breakdown. I knew that I needed to make a change. I took some time off of work to focus on my mental health, and it was during this break that I realized what was causing my burnout. I was trying to do too much, and I wasn't taking enough time for myself. Once I made the decision to start saying "no" to some things, and to prioritize my own wellbeing, I started to feel better. It didn't happen overnight, but eventually I was able to overcome my burnout and get back to enjoying my job.
For many years, I didn't have a career. I lived in survival mode and didn't have the time or energy to think about what I wanted out of work. This put me on a fast track to burnout, especially when faced with several instances of job loss that put me behind financially and forced me to accept the first job I found just to pay the bills. Once I did find a decent job, I had more security and more time to think about how I wanted my career to look. That's when I quit and started my own business. It was the best step I've taken career-wise. I was able to build my own box that fit me vs. trying to fit into someone else's box that didn't feel right. Venturing out on my own allowed me to choose my own work hours, salary, duties, and other specifics that help me to own my career and avoid burnout - or at least address feelings of burnout before they take over.
One of the things I remember from my own burnout was losing sight of the bigger picture. I felt no motivation anymore, and almost everything in my life revolved around this apathy and a feeling of being lost. What finally made me snap, in a good way, was waking up one day to some good news. A friend called and said she got engaged, and I should already brainstorm was kind of dress I will wear to her wedding. At that moment, I realized there's so much more to life than just work, and that trading professional success for declining mental health was not worth it at all.
I had been a teacher for over 7 years and recently made the switch to go full-time into my own business. I had been working on a few online projects while also teaching (on the weekends, holidays, summers, etc.) and started to find that those projects gave me more energy, while teaching was draining my energy stores. Now that I do not spend the majority of my days with kids, I find that I am much more emotionally charged and excited to work on projects. I think that we often talk about "fixing" burnout with strategies that don't include making too drastic of a change, such as scheduling in time for relaxation or taking more personal days from the office, but these don't always get to the root of the problem. For me, I was absolutely burnt out with my profession and was ready to take on a new career that challenged me in a way that made me feel valued and in charge.
Burnout leads to disorientation and a loss of focus. To regain control, it is important to reset your priorities and redefine your goals. Rather than trying to accomplish everything at once, set priorities and focus on one task at a time. I like to sort my tasks by importance and urgency. This allows me to see what tasks are the most important and need to be done right away, and which ones can wait or be delegated. I relegate the less important tasks to my team or to a later date. In addition, I make sure to schedule time for myself every day, even if it’s just 15-30 minutes. This time can be used for anything that brings you joy or relaxation, such as reading, taking a walk, listening to music, or spending time with family and friends.
One of the things that helped me overcome burnout was taking a step back to reassess my goals. I realized that I had been chasing after an idea of success that wasn't realistic, which was a big part of why I felt so burnt out. Once I realigned my goals and started taking steps to achieve them, I began to feel more motivated and engaged in my work again. Additionally, seeking out support from my family and friends was crucial in helping me to overcome burnout. Knowing that I had people who cared about me and wanted to see me succeed was a significant source of motivation during tough times. If you're struggling with professional burnout, know that you're not alone, and there is hope for recovery. Identifying the root causes of your burnout and developing a plan to address them is an excellent place to start. With time and effort, you can overcome burnout and get back on track with your career.
My previous job stopped making me happy. Even worse, I felt more and more frustrated every day. There were no chances for me to move any further. I just couldn't grow in that career. At some point, I reached what could be reached. And nothing would change. Tomorrow, next year, in a decade's time. No surprises, no challenges. Working with my eyes closed wouldn't make a difference. Stability of that kind is something many people dream about, I know. Still, I'm not one of them. As I didn't enjoy my duties anymore, I felt burnout and not motivated enough to stay there. Update your resume and start looking for a new job. It may sound like zero-sum thinking, but considering the number of options in the labor market, I honestly believe that's the best tip I could give. I decided to quit and haven't regretted it ever since. I'm happy now. A fresh start gives an energy boost, motivation, and a broader perspective. Life is too short to waste it doing a job which take your mental peace away.
One thing that helped me to overcome burnout in my professional life is learning to take care of myself. This is a lesson I learned the hard way, but it's one that has made a huge difference to my ability to focus on the things that are important and get the job done. I used to think that if I just worked harder and longer, then everything would be fine. But I was wrong—and now that I know better, I'm determined not to make the same mistake again. The truth is that when you don't take time for yourself, you can't be your best self or do your best work. And if you're not doing your best work? Then it doesn't matter how much effort you put into it—you'll still end up feeling like you've failed. So what does this look like in practice? For me, it means making sure that I get enough sleep every night, taking regular breaks during the day (so that my brain doesn't overheat), and getting out of the office at least once or twice a week (so that I can stay connected with friends and family).
Professional burnout is almost always caused by lack of boundaries around what is and isn't acceptable. It's important to check in with yourself and be deeply honest about the life you want to have, the life you're currently living and what needs to change. For me, as a recovering people pleaser I needed to be honest about the fact that I wasn't bringing my best self when I was burning the candle at both ends. I needed to set healthy boundaries around my work/life balance. I work in a fast paced industry so not checking my email outside of work hours didn't feel feasible but I do not respond to anything outside of work hours that isn't urgent. I turn my internal team comms to do not disturb outside of 9-5. I don't check emails on vacation. I take more time off. My job also ebbs & flows, there are weeks I have 45+ hours of work so on the weeks things are slower, I take the time away from my computer to enjoy it. I stopped making myself feel guilty for not being chained to my computer.
CEO at Live Poll for Slides
Answered 3 years ago
A lack of organization led to severe burnout in my professional life. Burnout is often described as long-term stress or tiredness towards a career. Disorganized work always led to extreme work strain to me. Chaos is an excellent recipe for stress, and what better way to welcome chaos than being disorganized? Not incorporating breaks into my workday or piling on too many responsibilities at once had me on edge. Giving myself room to breathe and time for meals and restroom breaks did the trick in getting me out of burnout.
Be sure that you're getting enough sleep. It's no secret that anyone who is suffering from burnout has worked until late hours of the night or woke up at a ridiculous hour to complete a work project. This isn't realistic and leads to exhaustion and errors in your work. It's essential to recover and quit losing sleep over your job. For success, you need rest. Get some much-needed shut-eye-the work can wait for you during normal business hours.
Director of Aesthetics at Nourishing Biologicals
Answered 3 years ago
Find a hobby that you're passionate about and work it into your schedule. It can be easy to chain yourself to desk, but if you have a hobby that you look forward to doing at the end of the day, it's easier to sign off. Consider signing up for a workout class or join a book club. In doing so, it ensures you can dedicate time to things other than your work and heal from burnout.
Running more than five times a week was my way of dealing with stress. It was my form of self-care. When I ran, everything else in my life felt more manageable. The fresh air and endorphins were a welcome respite from the day-to-day grind. I often deal with difficult challenges and long hours as a software developer. Fixing bugs can be a frustrating process. Running helped me to clear my head and come up with creative solutions to problems.
Mute work notifications on your phone during after hours. It can be easy to check emails or respond to messages late at night, and we always think it will take five minutes, but it never does. The next thing you know, you're online until midnight. The best way to overcome the after hours chaos is to mute all notifications. Emails, Teams messages, comments, etc. This allows you to truly disconnect and step away from the home office. It can wait until the next morning.