8 Ways to Prevent Burnout at Work

by Martin Gray Content Writer

One of the biggest problems that professionals have faced in recent years is the so-called “Burnout Syndrome,” which is defined by emotional exhaustion (often from long hours of work without time for attentiveness to personal needs), depersonalization (as acknowledging one’s humanness, or connecting to the humanness of others becomes emotionally risky) and a lack of a sense of personal accomplishment (related to striving for perfection which is an unattainable goal). This syndrome is often manifested in a loss of productivity, as well as mental, physical and emotional distress.

Burnout is more frequent in women, people without a partner, or with little family support. It often appears during the initial years of working or when entering a new company. Symptoms can relate to numerous factors and are often connected to the high level of stress due to work overload, low motivation from bosses, absence of rewards for effort, lack of impartiality towards employees (injustices), lack of opportunities for growth, or little training in the delegated work.

Burnout syndrome can manifest in physical symptoms, presenting itself in the form of chronic fatigue, headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, asthma, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, cardiovascular disorders – hypertension or coronary heart disease –, behavioral disorders – food disorders, drug use, drugs or alcohol, smoking, anger –, and emotional disturbances –depression, anxiety, irritability, low self-esteem, lack of motivation, poor concentration, frustration or emotional distancing.

“Employees continually subjected to high levels of stress can lose their ability to cope with constant work stress. Therefore, their productivity suffers, and the quality of their also work also markedly diminishes.

“Although burnout is not a medical diagnosis, it is considered a type of work-related stress and it can affect physical and mental health. It can be the result of various factors such as: unclear work expectations, harassment from colleagues, lack of support in some activities, imbalance between work and private life, among others,” writes surgical leader, Ross Michael Ungerleider.

Dr. Ungerleider has authored various published works centered on the subject of work-life balance, managing work stress, and preventing burnout at work. His book: Discovering Your Mindful Heart: An Explorer’s Guide describes how to develop one’s internal resources for helping manage the demands of life. It is being published by Balboa Press and will be available at book sellers by mid September 2020.

With that being said, following are the key recommendations on preventing burnout at work:

Take care of your health: People who are susceptible to burnout put their personal health “last.” Yet, research is clear that when you are not healthy (mentally, emotionally or physically), you are less capable of helping others. Observe and know your body, do different activities that benefit your health, such as exercising, and eating healthy. Make sure you put a priority on getting sleep. Sleep is essential for wellness.
Establish work and personal priorities: It is important to examine your priorities and then to make decisions that are consistent with them. Take a break and see if your workload is overtaking you to levels that make you forget about your personal life and try to make choices that allow you to honor your priorities in both.
Connect to Gratitude: There is emerging research suggesting that those who are able to live with gratitude are more likely to exhibit overall emotional, psychological and physicial wellness. One way to do this is to spend a few minutes every day (often at night as you prepare to drift off to sleep, or in the morning before you get out of bed) thinking of three things that happened to you in the past day for which you are grateful: one thing that is personal, one that is linked to your relationship with another, and one that is connected to your work.
Do activities that you are passionate about: Playing a sport, going out for a drink or coffee with friends, reading a book, walking around the city or countryside, going out for the weekend to another town, or riding a bicycle, are some of the activities that we can engage in to help reduce our stress and reconnect ourselves to our life. There is research suggesting that “play time” is an important component for mental health. All mammals play, so consider how you might plan to incorporate play into your life.
Renew objectives: Life presents us with unexpected events and as we grow and evolve, our objectives might change. It is helpful to spend some time, on occasion, to reexamine objectives and priorities. What is most important to you and how can you ensure that your life is permitted to follow your path? By taking time to stay attuned to these important objectives, you can help prevent yourself from feeling stuck; which can lead to burnout.
Communication: Learn how to express yourself in ways that are healthy and inviting to others. As you engage in conversations at work or at home, you will find yourself exploring to understand the perspectives and opinions of others, rather than judging and criticizing them. All behavior is motivated, and when you can understand another’s motivations, their behavior will make perfect sense. Use communication to explore your world, to allow you to better understand it and to help guide your decisions. Those who learn how to use communication “non-violently”, who learn how to express information objectively, rather than as a couched evaluation; and who learn how to articulate their needs find that the world around them often becomes more understandable and enjoyable.
Set established hours: Manage your time correctly, with arrival and departure times from work, food breaks, exercise, or recreational activities that allow you to forget the workday. There will be extraordinary occasions when work prevents you, but prevent work from sucking you out of your personal life.
Learn to say "NO": Each activity that we accept adds another to the list of commitments to carry out if you cannot carry out this task, it is better to start saying "no." If your workday allows you to do more activities, accept them without putting your job's main tasks in the background.

The search for success can frustrate us by not arriving at the desired moments, causing us the Burnout Syndrome and affecting our performance and health, distancing us from the personal and professional goals that we have set for ourselves in life.

Focus on your goals, lean on your loved ones, and maintain a healthy standard of living with different activities.