What seems to be trending this week…burn out. Although it’s not special to this week or this year in fact. But as we are smack dab in the middle of Q2, it’s rearing its less than desired head. 

So let’s talk about it.  

Burnout is defined as a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Burnout in the course of employment can make one feel emotionally drained, irritable, frequently ill, detached/unmotivated and unable to function in the context of work and other aspects of life.

Some facts around burnout from online research shows: 

* 89% of workers have experienced burnout within the past year.

* 77% of employees have experienced feelings of burnout at their current job.

* 21% of workers say their company does not offer any program to help alleviate burnout.

I think it’s pretty safe to say, we all have moments of burnout in our work – even if we love our jobs. It’s not always about not liking what we do, it’s about balancing the pieces. How about we listen to our bodies and take care of our mental and physical health. And yes, there are instances where maybe there is too much on your plate and that takes some challenging conversations with your workplace.

Identifying burnout is one thing…taking steps to reverse it is another. 

The goal is to not have you stay in feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; mental distancing from your job; feelings of negativity or cynicism towards professional duties; and a decrease in your work efficacy.
So, how do we do this?

Let’s develop some daily strategies to prevent burnout:

  1. Get some rest.
  2. Socialize with co-workers so you don’t feel you are just coming into work and hiding away in your office.  Those ‘water cooler moments’ at work are more important than you might think.
  3. Exercise. Doing some cardio, walking or even weight training or other exercise activities can help to lighten your mood.
  4. Try to find something in your work that helps you gain more of a purpose and value.
  5. Work-life balance is also important as just being overwhelmed with workload day in and day out can really become ominous and can lead to burnout and depression.
  6. Eating healthy is also an important way to stay healthy, mentally and physically and can prevent burnout.
  7. Say no to others so you can say yes to yourself.
  8. Journaling.
  9. Speak to your HR representative or seek professional support.
Check out the rest of our blog section for some other great mental health tools too! Or connect with me tamara@keyinstincts.com, together we can create a Health and Wellness Plan in your workplace to help with burnout and so much more. That’s what Key Instincts is for! We are more than just human resources!
burnout burn out help human resources mental health