You’re working long hours to meet a deadline. How can you avoid burnout?

1 Set realistic goals

One of the main causes of burnout is setting unrealistic or unclear goals that make you feel like you’re never good enough or done enough. To avoid this, you need to set SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. SMART goals help you focus on what you can control, track your progress, and celebrate your achievements. They also help you prioritize your tasks, delegate what you can, and say no to what you can’t.

2 Take breaks

Another cause of burnout is working non-stop without giving yourself time to rest, recharge, and refresh. Taking breaks is essential for your mental and physical health, as well as your performance. Breaks can help you reduce stress, improve your mood, boost your energy, and enhance your creativity. You can take breaks in different ways, such as stretching, meditating, listening to music, reading, or chatting with a colleague. The key is to find what works for you and schedule it into your day.

3 Manage your time

A third cause of burnout is poor time management that leads to procrastination, distraction, or inefficiency. To avoid this, you need to manage your time wisely and effectively. You can use tools like calendars, planners, timers, or apps to help you organize your schedule, plan your tasks, set deadlines, and monitor your progress. You can also use techniques like batching, pomodoro, or Eisenhower matrix to help you focus, avoid multitasking, and tackle urgent and important tasks first.

4 Seek support

A fourth cause of burnout is feeling isolated, unsupported, or misunderstood. To avoid this, you need to seek support from your colleagues, managers, friends, or family. Support can help you cope with stress, share your challenges, get feedback, solve problems, and learn from others. You can seek support in different ways, such as joining a team chat, asking for help, attending a webinar, joining a mentorship program, or reaching out to a friend.

6 Review and reflect

A sixth cause of burnout is losing sight of your purpose, value, or impact. To avoid this, you need to review and reflect on your work and your achievements. Reviewing and reflecting can help you evaluate your results, learn from your mistakes, celebrate your successes, and appreciate your contributions. You can review and reflect in different ways, such as writing a journal, giving feedback, receiving recognition, or setting new goals.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?