In The Know On Preventing Burnout

The workforce has faced challenge after challenge over the past few years, and now that it feels like the dust is finally settling, companies are calling their employees back to the office. As we start to make the switch back to working in-person, it’s important to pay attention to personal well-being. It’s normal to feel apprehensive about going back to the office after so much time spent remote, and for many, finding the work-life balance that we’ve grown accustomed to at home will be harder to attain while working in the office. So as this new working climate takes shape, it's important to ask yourself: are you In The Know On Preventing Burnout?

I'm Grace Hallen, and on today's edition of In The Know, I'll be talking about how to address burnout in the workplace. Burnout is very real and something many of us are feeling this third quarter whether your company is fully remote or making the switch to hybrid or in-person work models. Our workloads keep increasing and so do expectations, so how can we combat burnout on a personal level for ourselves and our teammates?

Working from home, many of us recognized the need for putting ourselves first and prioritizing our time. Taking care of ourselves is so important, but it can be easy to fall back into old ways of staying after hours or logging back on when you get home. Here are a few tips on keeping burnout in check:

• Communicate your boundaries. Everyone has boundaries, and making them clear to yourself and your coworkers is crucial to striking a balance for work hours and personal time. Setting boundaries looks different for everyone but might include turning your work notifications off after hours, taking your work email off of your personal devices and communicating work hours with coworkers. By laying out your expectations for your role, you'll get the respect you deserve and you can better prioritize your workload.
• Talk about how you're feeling. Contrary to what many LinkedIn influencers say, it's okay to discuss personal things in the workplace, especially if it's in one-on-one situations with your supervisor. If you're feeling burnt out, it's key to stay ahead of it and communicate it so you can prevent completely burning out and getting sick. Chances are, if you address your feelings early on, you can come up with solutions with your supervisor rather than struggling alone.
• Use your PTO. Everyone needs a break, as in a real break where you can completely unplug. Find a day or two to step back and do something you enjoy to refresh your brain. Spend time with friends or family, work on a hobby or just relax. Anything that will give you much needed time to recuperate from your busy day-to-day. Really push yourself to find that time off, because it's when you feel like it's impossible for you to take a day off that it's likely you need the break most.
• Ask for help. With companies taking part in layoffs and hiring freezes, we might find our teams understaffed during this time. If you're swamped with work and don't see a solution in sight, raise your hand. It's so much better for both you and the company if you're honest about what you can and can't handle. It's your company's responsibility to make sure you're supported and given the resources you need to accomplish your job, so they should be willing to work with you to re-prioritize what absolutely needs to get done and what can be put off until someone gets hired. We interviewed Chris Gould, Director of Business Development at Brandpoint, to get his take on burnout and asking for help, and he said:

"I think too often employees put pressure on themselves to continue grinding through the work at all costs because that’s the hustle culture were used to and they feel as though their self-worth is directly tied to their work. What employees and leaders need to remember is that if we push too hard for too long, we end up running on empty which can do serious damage to one’s mental and physical health and likely results in a decrease in overall productivity."

• Address others with empathy. Whether it seems like it or not, we all go through symptoms of burnout and the way you talk to others can directly impact how they're feeling. Just keep in mind that others are probably struggling, too, so be kind to the people around you, and be kind to yourself, too.
• Get some perspective. While careers are important and taking your job seriously is crucial to both your success and your company's, sometimes we need to take a step back and think about what it all means. Do you really need to be stressed about the little things or can you take a 15-minute walk and come back to what you're working on? Does your project really need to get done today or could you communicate your workload and push the deadline? Find ways to remind yourself that you are only one part of a company and you can only do what you can do. Have confidence that what needs to get done will get done, and the rest will come in time.
• Schedule "you time" throughout the day. By scheduling little breaks during the day to read a chapter of a book, get outside or talk to a friend, you can reset your mind and give yourself time to switch gears before your next task. This method has been proven to increase productivity and can be extremely helpful in approaching your work with a fresh outlook after an especially difficult project or meeting.
• Shift your mindset to focusing on the positives rather than the negatives. Focus on what you can control in your situation and try to find the positives. It's so easy to get negative and down on yourself, your job and your company, but something as simple as a positive outlook can really help turn around your day, see the good in your work and the value in yourself. Negativity is toxic in that it can spread from your work life to your personal life, too, so try to turn your thinking around by listening to a positive podcast or reading something uplifting.

While some of these things might feel cheesy, these are just little ways you can work on combatting burnout and ensure you're putting yourself first. We've been in a state of flux for years now, and it's taking a toll on everyone. Focus on what you can control in your life and make the most of your situation.

If you're interested in hearing more about this topic or want to discuss it further, check out the panel we're hosting tomorrow. We'll be talking about reducing burnout and building up cultures and will further address this issue of returning to the office and dealing with burnout. Follow this link to register, and read the rest of our interview blog with Chris Gould here!

Thanks so much for reading this edition of In The Know! Catch you next time. :)

-Grace Hallen