How to Avoid Burnout When You Work Hard Every Single Day

No matter how much you love your job, you’re human; exhaustion happens to everyone. There may come a point when you feel like you’ve answered one email too many, or just can’t bear the thought of another Zoom call.

How do you avoid burnout when you work every day? Put simply, you need to practice self-care. Here are my 6 strategies to beat burnout and perform at your best every time.

1. Create and Adhere to a Strict Schedule

The first strategy on my list may seem the most obvious. However, it’s possible that you’re looking at your schedule the wrong way.

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It’s easy to pencil in dentist appointments, calls with vendors, or kids’ soccer games. But when was the last time you scheduled a break for yourself? Commit to scheduling at least a half-hour for yourself each day, then stick to that schedule.

Your personal time can be spent doing whatever you want. Go for a walk, take a nap, or call your dad. Just remember that your work world will continue to spin if you step away for just a few minutes.

2.?Improve Your Sleep Hygiene

How many nights have you fallen asleep with your phone next to your pillow? Worse yet, how many times have you dozed off at the keyboard, or even woken up in your office, late at night?

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While some of those examples may be extreme, we’re all guilty of not making sleep a priority. Let’s face it — it can be difficult to simply turn off your thoughts when it’s time to rest. You can improve your sleep hygiene, however, by removing distractions and adhering to a routine.

Here are a few pointers to help you get better sleep:

• Keep “blue lights” (laptops, phones, televisions) out of your sleeping space
• Avoid alcohol before bed
• Avoid caffeine before bed
• If you read in bed, choose a new space
• Crack a window or use a fan to circulate air
• Try aromatherapy — a lavender candle works wonders
• If possible, exercise in the morning or afternoon instead of the evening (take a look at this?guide with Joe Yoon ?for some tips)

3. Change Your Work Environment

For many of you, it’s not possible to completely change the location in which you work. Teachers, doctors, and restaurant employees, for example, will obviously need to report to a physical location each day.

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For those of you with a bit more flexibility, why not treat yourself to a change of scenery? Whether you are day trading from a coffee shop or creating graphics at the local park, a change in your environment can do wonders to boost your morale and help you avoid burnout.

Take advantage of the resources available to you. Cloud drives and video conferencing mean that you can literally work from just about anywhere. Take a vacation or just take a day for yourself, but make sure you get out of the office for a change.

4.?Pursue a Passion

You don’t have to be an?entrepreneur with the next great product ?to pursue your passion. A hobby that can take your mind off work for a few hours in the evening is a great way to avoid burnout when you work every day.

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Is there something you’ve been meaning to try, such as disc golf or rock climbing? Maybe you used to refinish furniture, but just haven’t had the time in recent years. Beginning — or resuming — a hobby that you can immerse yourself in will relax you and give you something to look forward to at the end of the workday.

5.?Just Say No

Whether you’re supervising a hundred employees or are a solopreneur, it’s easy to get in the habit of saying yes. You offer to help your colleague meet a tight deadline. You let your supervisor know that you’d love to join the company softball team, even though you really value your Saturdays. You agree to complete your client’s project with a 48-hour turnaround.

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It’s time to learn to say no. Instead of agreeing to every request and interruption as if you’re on autopilot, carefully consider what you?actually?have the time and mental bandwidth for.

It’s okay to check your calendar or consult your “to-do” list before committing to something you may not have time for. This may feel difficult to you when you first begin to decline new responsibilities, but it will get easier. And it’s one of the most effective ways to avoid burnout when you work every day.

6.?Ask For Help

Can you remember the last time you asked for help from a manager, employee, or even a family member? Driven individuals, especially those new to management and business, can be quite keen to impress others with a “can-do” attitude. That may not be in your best interest.

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If you’re running behind on a deadline, it’s okay to delegate to others who can competently assist and have the time to do so. If you’re working late hours that are interfering with your personal or family time, it’s okay to request help from others during office hours.

In the same way that learning to say no to others can be difficult at first, you may also find that asking for help is not an easy step to take. You may feel embarrassed or that others are judging you. That’s simply not true. Everyone needs help from time to time and asking for assistance may mean the difference between a job well done and exhaustion.

Make Yourself a Priority

If you take nothing else from this guide, remember that you are a priority. No one can avoid burnout if they refuse to take time for themselves and put their health first. And, should you find the stress becoming too much to handle, please seek help from a professional who can help you navigate and handle the strain.