Here's how you can sustain your passion for conflict resolution and avoid burnout.

In my experience burnout occurs over time and can be prevented if we are aware of our idiosyncratic warning signs. For instance, when I notice myself procrastinating I realize I’m approaching burnout. Once I’m aware of the warning signs I can mitigate their effects by practicing self-care. Another warning sign for me is if I start to have trouble sleeping. At this point it is imperative for me to take time for myself because burnout is becoming imminent. For me sleep is a vital component of my self-care and prevents me from burning out. Being proactive is key.

Navigating conflicts with professionalism and constructiveness involves active listening, empathy, and clear communication. Acknowledge differing viewpoints, seek common ground, and focus on solutions. Maintain a respectful tone, address issues directly, and avoid blame. Collaborate to find win-win outcomes, fostering a positive work environment. These practices not only resolve conflicts but also strengthen team cohesion and productivity.

Boundaries are especially important when working with people. They can help you from “over” helping which can be problematic. On one hand over-helping can take the person’s sense of agency or ability to act. On the other hand over-helping can lead to the helper becoming burned out. Boundaries protect both people involved.

I believe that resilience comes about from the prospect that things can get better. In other words without hope there is no resilience. Once people lose hope they lose their resilience and find it much harder to bounce back. When there is hope people believe they can comeback from whatever happened to them and that is what I believe builds resilience.

To preserve your zest for conflict resolution and avoid burnout, prioritize self-care by engaging in enjoyable activities and living a healthy lifestyle. Set boundaries to make sure you have enough time to rest and relax. To stay motivated, reflect on the beneficial impact of your work and celebrate your triumphs. Take on a variety of conflict resolution tasks to diversify your engagement. Consider work-life balance and company culture, which can both lead to burnout. Create a friendly environment and seek assistance from coworkers or mentors. Remember, everyone's journey is unique, so figure out what works best for you in terms of preventing burnout and being passionate about conflict resolution.

Many work places are now preaching self-care but do not cultivate a work culture or environment that supports such preaching. I hear from many people that their jobs are not flexible with time off or vacation time. Especially in America there seems to be this workaholic mentality that we must work ourselves until the wheels fall off. Most companies don’t have their employees best interests in mind, so it is the sole responsibility of each person to practice self-care. No company can do self-care for you. We have to draw the line ourselves, we must value our wellbeing more than a check because no check is worth as much as our wellbeing. What is the point of money if you lose your wellbeing in the process. We all have a choice to make.