Dealing With Winter Burnout
Introduction
Burnout can be a big problem, whether working in-office or remotely, especially in the cold, dark winter months. Here are a few steps you can take to mitigate burnout and reinvigorate your work life.
Identifying Burnout
Since the term ‘burnout’ remains rather nebulous at present, it’s important to be able to identify it before it becomes a real problem that starts impacting your work, or worse, your health. According to Harvard Business Review, burnout consists of three main symptoms: exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. Exhaustion often stems from an overfull or high-stress workload, and can manifest as constant fatigue, sluggishness, low motivation, and/ or feelings of hopelessness or indifference. Cynicism tends to come about in the face of high workplace conflict, unfairness, boredom, or lack of involvement in decision making. It looks like disenchantment, dissatisfaction, detachment, and disinterest. If work is enough to ruin your day, you may be well on your way to burnout. Inefficacy, or feelings of inadequacy, tends to occur when someone has reached the peak of burnout, but can also arise if someone lacks the resources, knowledge, or adequate time to perform well. Workers who have fallen into inefficacy feel inadequate and uncertain, and often begin to question their skills.
Managing Burnout
While burnout is a big problem in the modern workforce, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are ways to mitigate and reverse it. The first, and most important, step is self-care. If you are well and truly burnt out, chances are work is taking over your life just a bit too much. (Granted, this looks different for everyone– everyone has different thresholds for how much of themself they can devote to work!) Prioritizing a good sleep schedule, consistent and healthy eating, and exercise (even just a little walk every day) can do wonders for burnout. For some, a change in scenery is needed, or a little time to simply unwind and do the things you enjoy. If you are having some issues with scheduling these things into your schedule, perhaps it is time to reconsider just how much time you are spending on work. If you are struggling with staying motivated, especially if you work from home, try to set a consistent work schedule for yourself and stick to it. Remember, a healthy lifestyle includes a balanced work life, which sometimes means setting boundaries with your employers. Some people also benefit from scheduling out their days in time blocks.
Recovering From Burnout
If work is the cause of your stress, it might be time to look at things in a new light. Why are you stressed out? What can you do to mitigate it, and what things are beyond your control? If the root cause of your stress is something you can work to fix or mitigate, fantastic! If not, perhaps it’s time to have a chat with your employers. As we have mentioned before in a post on dealing with burnout for attorneys, helping to foster a positive work environment and working to build your own skillset can help, as well.
Conclusion
The holidays can be a stressful time of year, and winter is particularly rough for many. The grey skies and cold weather can lead to heightened stress and lessened motivation, and burnout can happen easily. Whether it’s simply a stressful time of year at your job, an economic crisis, a managerial issue, or an uptick in business, your health and well-being should always be your number one priority! After all, no one can give their work their best when they’re struggling every day with burnout.
Sources:
Valcour, Monique. “4 Steps to Beating Burnout.” Harvard Business Review, 1 Nov. 2016, https://hbr.org/2016/11/beating-burnout.
