While it’s never a bad thing to enjoy your job, or aspire to be good at it, there can come a time when work gets too much for you, and this can result in burnout. The rise in remote working has increased the risk of this. The lines between work and home are blurred, and it can be tricky to know when to switch off.
Overwork and burnout can have serious repercussions for your overall long-term health and wellbeing. It can result in you feeling stressed, anxious, and, in some cases, with permanent psychological damage. In the worst cases, workers find themselves forced to leave their jobs, and they are never able to return.
Preventing burnout and overwork is therefore crucial, and we have a few tips to help you stay balanced.
Keep Regular Hours
Although it can be difficult, it is important to make sure you keep regular hours, and stick to these rigidly. Log on and off at specific times, and resist the urge to work on evenings and into the weekend.
If possible, place your laptop in a different room when you are not working, and resist the urge to log in and start working.
Use Assertive Communication
Use assertive communication with colleagues, supervisors, and bosses to help set clear boundaries and build respect.
Assertive communication allows you to convey your needs without being rude, aggressive, or even passive-aggressive, and means that you are more likely to be listened to and taken seriously.
Make Work Part of Your Life, Not All of It
You need to ensure that work is a part of your life, rather than the bulk of it. Take a moment to consider what your ideal work-life balance looks like, and then take steps to ensure that this is a reality.
Plan your career and job in the wider context of your life, rather than as the sole focus of it. This will help you find balance.
Stop Being Busy
In modern culture, there is something of an obsession with always being busy and available. That keeps us constantly on the move. Over time, this can cause you to feel as though nothing is ever enough, and this can lead to burnout.
Learn to accept that sometimes, good enough is good enough, and embrace the feeling of doing nothing every now and then.
Learn To Delegate
This can also be tough, but learning to delegate is an important part of avoiding burnout. Before you leap in to automatically take responsibility for a task, ask yourself if you are really the best person to do this, or whether it can be delegated.
Remember: asking for health is a strength, and not a weakness.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to maintain a healthy work-life balance is crucial for staying healthy, and maintaining solid emotional and mental health. With just a few check-ins, you can keep things on an even keel and stay focused, fit, and happy.
