Five ways to combat Burnout

You might have heard of people getting burnt out. Although it’s more of a new phenomenon, society has been feeling the effects of it for generations. Now aptly named, burnout describes a form of exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged emotional, physical, and mental stress. This is most commonly attributed to overwork. Luckily, at PsyMood we are well versed in creating a healthy balance in life, home and work as taught by our talented mental health professionals. Read on to know how you can combat burn out with five different methods.

Separate work from home

One big factor in burnout is feeling overwhelmed by work. This can often occur when you work over your allotted weekly hours by taking work home with you and subsequently blur the lines between work and home time. Whether you work in an office 9-5 or at home for yourself, setting and sticking to your work schedule prevents burnout and also can encourage you to be more productive in the hours you do set aside for work. 

Don’t take on more than you can handle

As passionate people we can often say yes to new exciting projects at work, planning a party for a family member or dog sitting for a friend in an attempt to be helpful and feel a sense of purpose. However, it is impossible to do everything and will most likely just contribute to burnout. Therefore make sure when you’re taking on responsibilities, whether it’s planning your day or for the week or month, make sure you don’t take on more than you can handle.

Take time out for yourself

You can’t give your best at work or helping others if you don’t take time to recuperate yourself. Self care, whether it is time socializing with people who bring you joy or taking some time out for yourself to rest or do what you enjoy, is essential to prevent burnout. Check out our voice blog on self care to find out more about how you can practice methods of self care.

Set realistic goals

One contributing factor of burnout can be working hard to achieve potentially unrealistic goals you or others have set for you. As well as not taking on more than you can handle and setting boundaries at work, it is important to acknowledge what goals are realistic considering your current lifestyle. This might be not setting a goal that means you’ll have to work overtime or ensuring not to take on additional work loads that could take away valuable time for yourself. Whatever it is, strive for balance in all aspects of your life in order to achieve your best mental well-being.

Talk to someone

Sometimes the best thing to do to combat burnout is simply to talk. Talking to a mental health professional can help you to determine the best cause of action for your distress and help you make effective long term changes with your lifestyle to help with your mental health. At PsyMood, we have over 350 specialists from around the world here to assist you. Contact one of our specialists for a FREE 15-minute intake session today and speak to someone from your cultural background that speaks your native language. Join today to start your mental health journey!