Tips for Avoiding Professional Burnout

To call overwork a big problem in the United States would be an understatement. As a result of existing in a culture that celebrates overwork, many members of the workforce have trouble setting boundaries with their employers – and said employers often won’t hesitate to take full advantage of this.

Unsurprisingly, this type of atmosphere is highly conducive to professional burnout.

Work can only dominate every aspect of one’s life for so long before burnout occurs. So, if you’ve had problems maintaining a healthy work/life balance, but the following pointers are to good use.

Work Remotely

One of the many takeaways from the COVID-19 pandemic is that formal workplaces are highly overrated. With technology where it is today, most desk jobs can be done with ease and efficiency from the safety and comfort of home. As such, there’s little point in getting up at an uncomfortably early hour, braving a miserable commute, and reporting to an office five days a week. Even though many companies disparaged remote work before the pandemic, the ongoing threat of COVID-19 has caused employers to reexamine this stance.

Unsurprisingly, many members of the workforce are much happier and less stressed when working from home. In fact, a fair number of people like remote work so much that they’d sooner seek other employment than return to the office – and frankly, it isn’t hard to see why.

When trapped in a formal workplace, people have to navigate messy office politics, try to look busy when there’s simply no work to be done, and deal with the stress of managers breathing down their necks. On the flipside, remote work enables you to proceed at your own pace – while still adhering to deadlines – and go about your job duties in a comfortable, low-stress environment. So, if remote work is an option to which your employer is amenable, don’t hesitate to reach out to the relevant parties.

Stick to Set Work Hours

These days, many members of the workforce never truly clock out. Sure, they may leave the office every night, but a good chunk of their personal time is likely to be spent putting in unpaid overtime at home. Even if you love what you do, working a job from which you can never take a break is liable to send your stress levels into overdrive. With this in mind, make an effort to stick to set work hours.

If you operate from home, make a point of starting your workday at a certain time and ending it at a certain time each day. Similarly, if you work in a formal office environment, work should begin when you arrive at your workplace and end when you leave at night. Unless you’re being provided with additional compensation, your employer has no business drawing out the workday indefinitely.

Engage in Relaxing Pastimes

In order to truly distinguish your home life from your work life, make sure to carve out plenty of time for personal pursuits and passions. For example, creative pastimes like writing, drawing, and music-making can help keep your mind active and leave you feeling fulfilled. Even hobbies that are purely just for fun, like video gaming and television watching, can clear your mind and help you recharge your batteries.

For anyone dealing with out-of-control stress levels, pastimes that are conducive to relaxation are likely to prove beneficial. For example, engaging in meditation and deep breathing exercises can keep you centered and help put things in perspective. Additionally, if you live in a state with legalized recreational marijuana, you may want to consider incorporating cannabis into your relaxation toolbox.

Washington state residents with questions about certain strains or products should get in touch with a good Spokane dispensary. Balancing one’s career with their personal life can truly be an uphill battle. This is made all the more difficult by our culture, which regards working oneself to the bone as a virtue.

While dedication to one’s job is certainly admirable, what you do for a living shouldn’t overtake your entire existence. After all, if you’re working to maintain a good quality of life, isn’t it only natural that you’d want to enjoy the fruits of your labor? In the interest of avoiding professional burnout and drawing a clear line in the sand between your home life and your professional life, employ the measures discussed above.