How to Stop Burnout Before it Starts

Preventing burnout involves acknowledging that burnout isn’t something that just happens to those with “bad attitudes” as some might say. The first stage of burnout is actually the opposite of that. It’s called the honeymoon stage. This is where we get new roles or responsibilities and are super eager and excited for our work. We take on whatever we are given and often ask for more. What’s more, we are actually happy to do it. It doesn’t look or feel like the first stage of burnout which is why so many people have the misconception that if they go from this energetic excited person to someone more stressed or burned out that it means they must be doing something wrong now. In reality, they simply have a lot on their plate (which probably continues to increase) while the extra energy from the honeymoon phase has probably decreased. It makes perfect sense to feel stressed in that condition.

So to get to the question at hand, how do we stop the stress and burnout? It is actually best to address it before we start to notice it, which can be easier said than done as we don’t see there being a problem yet. Instead, it’s best to treat our work as a marathon rather than a sprint and set good personal boundaries. Take the time to identify what you personally need in your life now and potentially in the future. Also look at what you do or don’t want in your life now or in the future. With this knowledge you can check with your goals and boundaries before accepting new responsibilities. Even if you see it’s manageable now, would it align with how you want your future? For example, we may technically be able to do that big project since we can stand working the weekends for just one month, but what if that level of responsibility follows us? This tends to happen as we do more and others and ourselves start to raise what the minimum expectation is. If we are able to have a solid idea of what sustainable boundaries are and keep our work within those boundaries then we are far less likely to experience increased stress and burnout in the future.

Enforcing these boundaries before we feel the strain, or even after, is easier said than done. We not only have to learn how to politely yet decisively say no to others, but we also have to say no to ourselves. We likely do want to help the team more or take on that new role or project. That’s why it’s important to recognize the long term effects. We won’t be happy that we did take on that extra work if it creates a habit of doing too much. On the other end, even though we said no for now, our willingness to continue to engage and seek more will continue and we will continue to enjoy what we do if we can keep it within acceptable limits. If you find that you are already outside of your acceptable limits or would like help in learning your personal boundaries and how to hold them you can schedule a free consultation at http://www.burnoutpreventiontherapy.com today.