Are You Experiencing Office Burn Out?

There is no denying that the last two years we have all universally experienced unconventional events that no one could have predicted. The amount of stress that we all underwent throughout the pandemic, has created long lasting effects in the workspace.

Office burnout.

Employees are more than three times as likely to experience burn out now compared to pre pandemic times. We are all exhausted with the consistent “breaking news” that inherently affects our mental health (in and outside of the workspace).

What can be done about office burn out? The first step is understanding and becoming aware of the signs of office burn out:

Exhaustion

This is the most obvious, but taxing symptom out of them all. Emotional and mental fatigue plays a crucial part in the effects of office burnout. This can stem from the intense pressure of having too much to do, or just simply feeling overwhelmed by factors in and outside of the office.

Cynicism

Also referred to as depersonalization. This is when you find yourself distancing yourself from your work and feeling less passionate about your projects that you would otherwise be excited about. This can be a product of feeling over worked and attaching negative feelings to your workspace (including your work projects/assignments, and work culture).

Inefficacy

This final symptom may be one of the hardest to overcome, but it is the feeling of incompetence and lack of achievement. We all want to feel accomplished with the work we do, without having to worry if your work is “good enough”. These feelings of inefficacy make office burn out hard to overcome. There is nothing worse than feeling like your best at the time is not enough.

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If you read those symptoms and said, “wow that’s me”, don’t stress! There are various ways to prevent office burn out by maintaining a healthy work-life balance

Employees and business owners alike need to keep this balance in check. It can be extremely easy to fall into the habit of overworking yourself. With so much going on in everyone’s day to day, most of us fall into the decision of taking work home or cramming as much work into your life as possible.

Although productivity is key, that cannot be achieved when you burned yourself out.

Here are some tips you may want to take into consideration to prevent office burn out:

1.?????Take the time for self-care

Self-care isn’t always in the form of a well-deserved spa day. It can come in various forms that are applicable to you. Essentially, even just taking an hour out of your day to read a section of your favorite book, watch an episode of your current Netflix binge, or catching an extra hour of sleep. It’s easy to get lost in your day-to-day and forget to do the little things that make us happy.

2.?????Change your perspective

This may seem easier said than done, but sometimes we get into our own head at times. We are all human after all. But it’s essential to remind ourselves to take a step back and truly analyze our situation at hand. Office burn out can be reduced by just having a conversation with whoever it may concern (someone that can truly hear you out and understand where you are coming from in the workplace). What changes can be brought up or said that would bring you peace? Just a couple of questions to consider when you are taking that step back to analyze your situation!

3.?????Avoid stressors

Whether it’s turning off email and work notifications or focusing on work specifically during office hours, taking the time to keep your work and life separate can be crucial. For business owners, this may seem like an impossible task. Although, business never sleeps, even just taking a day or two out of the month the truly unwind away from your typical workday – can make all the difference in your energy levels for work.

Preventing office burn out or even treating it, isn’t impossible. Just remember to assess your situation with kindness, and you’ll soon find yourself with that zest for work again!