Dealing with burnout in the workplace

Burnout in the workplace is becoming a more common topic these days. People are stressed, overworked, under-appreciated, and more and more they feel like they just can't cope. There are plenty of reasons for this. The struggling economy is forcing businesses everywhere to tighten their belts and squeeze more out of every workday. Email, cellphones, and social networks are important tools for life and work, but the hyper-connectivity of our modern world has also blurred the lines between work and personal time. When you're responding to work texts and emails all night, it's hard to feel like you ever actually left work.

If you find yourself dreading every workday, are exhausted all the time, or find yourself unable to care about your work or home-life because you feel nothing you do will be appreciated or make a difference, you may be suffering burnout. While in the grips of burnout it may be tempting to throw in towel, quit in a huff, or just come in and do a lousy job everyday until nature takes it's course, you need to think calmly and address the situation head on. I'm not a Pollyanna who is going to sit here and tell you that the entire problem of work satisfaction can be solved with a positive outlook and a chipper smile – somethings will always be out of your control. It is important though to take the elements of your life that are in your control and do what you can to improve your situation as best as you can.

This isn't just for employees either. If you're an employer, it's important to identify and do everything possible to avoid burnout among your workforce as possible. Burned out workers are unproductive ones - you can only push someone so far before they start to produce diminishing returns. Be receptive to your employees concerns and do what you can to accommodate them.

Make time for downtime

Schedule time everyday for downtime. Time when you step away from work and stress and concentrate on yourself. It may be helpful to turn off electronic devices for this so you don't accidentally find yourself reading over work emails when you're supposed to be relaxing.

Take somewhere between half an hour to an hour a day to just be yourself. Get a coffee, take a quick nap, try meditation. Don't be quick to write it off either, meditation doesn't have to be some mystic ritual, it can just be a little moment of peace for yourself. In his book 10% Happier, newsman Dan Harris explains how getting past his initial skepticism and cynicism towards meditation was an essential part of overcoming his panic disorder and leading a happier life.

Exercise can also be an important factor in combating burnout. Cutting time out of your day to go run on a treadmill or lift weights may seem counter-productive if you are already feeling exhausted, but heart-pumping, endorphin releasing workouts have been proven to actually increase overall happiness. Healthy body, healthy mind.

Track your progress

When work is piling up around you and you feel like you're treading water just to keep from drowning, it is easy to lose sight of just how much you've accomplished at the end of the day. By tracking your work and taking the time to write up a brief list of everything you've completed or worked on at the end of the day, you can plainly see just how awesome you really are!

Keep these records and track your workload over time. You may be surprised to see how much you've done when you look back over your work after a few months.

Break projects down into small pieces

Hand-in-hand with tracking your progress, break large tasks down to individual components. By breaking tasks down, it is easier to see the trees from the forest and tackle them one at a time, which will give you a greater sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. It can be exhausting and defeatist to go to work day after day only to chip away at one large, monumental task where it feels like you are making no progress. By chopping a project into discreet chunks, you can enjoy the sweet satisfaction of crossing something off your to-do list more often and take more pride in what you've done for the day.

Learn to say "no”

This is a concept antithetical to many of us who have spent their whole lives working hard and trying to rise through the ranks of their career. From extra-curricular activities in school to late-hours at the office, the path to success often seems to be measured by a person's willingness to go above and beyond the expectations.

There comes a point though were taking on extra work just isn't realistic anymore. If you already have a full plate and find yourself skipping breaks/lunches, regularly staying late, or doing work from home to cover for work that couldn't be done in the office, it is unrealistic to take on more. We all want to look like go-getters and wear our ambition on our sleeves, but saying "yes” to something that you may not be able to see through isn't going to make you a hero, it's setting yourself up for stress and disappointment.

There is a chance your employer may not be receptive to any kind of hesitation to take on more work. In these cases it may be helpful to go over your daily schedule and what tasks are already waiting to be done. Your boss has a lot on his or her plate as well and may not be completely aware of everything you're doing if you don't take the time to show them. Understanding is a two-way street.

Open up the lines of communication

Talk to your boss about what you are working on. You don't have to lead with a list of complaints or tell him/her that you're feeling as burnt out as a cheap cigarette (which coincidentally you started smoking again), but you need to both be on the same page if things are going to work out. If you feel like you're being pulled in too many directions every day, talk to your boss about focusing your efforts on the most important work that needs to be done, or reassigning some of the more mundane but time consuming jobs around to spread things out more efficiently.

If you're unclear about a task or a goal, or feel like you keep missing expectations despite doing everything "right,” you need your boss to clarify things. You can't be expected to score if you don't know where the goal posts are. Talk about what is expected of you in your role, what the goals of the business are, and what the boss can do to make you as effective as possible in pursuing them.

Reexamine your interests, skills, and passions

If nothing else is working and it feels like it's time to move on from your job, take it has an opportunity to step back and refocus. Try to really concentrate on who you are, what you like to do, and what you are good at. The sad fact is that most of us will never be able to make work "fun” or find complete and total happiness in our job, but that doesn't mean it has to be some unbearable slog either. There is no sense in coming in every day trying to hammer a square peg through a round hole. Find something that is less emotionally demanding on yourself or a better match for your skills.

Burnout isn't something you can banish with a snap of your fingers, but it isn't an inevitable force either. With proper communication, a realistic set of goals, and a proper balance between work and home life, the damage of work place burnout can be limited and even reversed. If you're feeling trapped at your job, don't give into hopelessness, instead, look for ways to make it better.

'Commentary'