Business Burnout: Wellness Strategies For People At The Beginning Of Their Career
Today’s corporate landscape is dynamic and competitive, and with many of us fighting the proverbial FOMO (fear of missing out), it can feel a little like there’s an unspoken expectation to eternally be performing, to always be on the move and to always be available. However, each professional course is a marathon, not a sprint.
As budding professionals, we often find ourselves rushing headlong towards success, turbo-boosted by ambition and determination while neglecting the essential concept of self-management and care.
Burnout, the unwelcome side-effect of a bustling career, is a stumbling block that can inhibit both personal growth and professional achievement.
However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Today, we’ll put together an anti-burnout pocketbook and unveil why these well-being strategies are not only effective but also indispensable for the sustainability and longevity of your career. Let’s take a look.
Recognizing the Signs of Burnout
The very first step in combating career exhaustion is having the ability to see it on the horizon.
This is not only important to your own circumstances, but can also be particularly useful as prevention against the same happening to your friends, family, and co-workers.
Whether you are undertaking an MBA by SCU online, working an internship or already established in a role, burnout can affect anyone and can lead to unhealthy (and sometimes life-threatening) physical and mental consequences.
Signs to look out for can include cynicism, detachment, fatigue, insomnia, changes in appetite, external showings of stress, alcohol/substance dependence, vulnerability to illness (or being “under the weather”), and of course, sadness, anger or irritability.
If you or someone you know begins to show these signs and symptoms, it’s time to take action.
Setting Boundaries
If you are someone who works long hours in an office, such as in MBA jobs like human resources management, you might feel like your work-life balance is off-kilter.
While the debut of remote working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic was a step toward a more flexible work-life balance, the digital age of today also means that work is only a click away, which can create an unhealthy overlap at the professional and personal life junctions.
Taking on a workload too large for your capacity is just one way that burnout can quickly creep in, so it’s important to set clear boundaries as to your limits, communicate openly about other commitments, and make sure you are sticking to the set hours in your schedule.
By the same token, delegating tasks to others, where appropriate, can also be effective.
Establishing these sorts of boundaries will reap benefits like greater productivity, a respectful and friendly work atmosphere, and a realistic blueprint that others might follow to set forward their own boundaries.
Mindfulness Techniques and Stress Management
When we’re burned out, we’re often numb or operating on autopilot. Often, if you’ve taken time off work and you still feel drained and unmotivated to return, it’s time to make some changes.
While “mindfulness” as a concept tends to come with connotations of new-age woo, many mindfulness practices can be effectively applied to a range of areas in your life, including your work and career.
There aren’t really any rules to living life mindfully, but the focus is on checking in with yourself, which is something quickly and easily done throughout your working day.
You might also like to incorporate mindfulness and stress reduction techniques on your lunch break, or on the commute to and from the workplace.
For instance, engaging in a few deep abdominal breaths and slowing things down for a moment at your desk can help break up the day’s tasks while lowering your heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones.
This is key in encouraging the parasympathetic nervous system to wake up and take over for a while.
Self-care in Your Personal Life
When we are overloaded and busy, self-care is relegated to the bottom of the to-do list. To guard against burnout, it’s paramount to keep yourself healthy, happy, and supported and there are simple, cost-effective ways to pepper self-care into your personal life.
Spending time outdoors is just one of the many ways we can bring self-care into our lives without breaking the bank.
Did you know, that spending just twenty to thirty minutes soaking up the sun is proven to reduce stress? Elevate your vitamin D levels while unplugging from social media and going on a beach walk, or take yourself for a picnic with a riveting book in hand.
Alternatively, delegating funds to relaxation activities such as going for a deep tissue massage, attending yoga classes, or taking yourself to the cinema is also an effective way of showing yourself love outside of your professional life.
In today’s modern working climate, where we are driven to perpetual performance, it’s vital to remember that looking after yourself translates to greater career satisfaction and general health and wellness.
Burnout, the silent menace lurking in the shadows of ambition, can be a quiet threat to our personal growth and professional accomplishments.
Recognizing that burnout can impact anyone and taking action when the signs appear is the first step to safeguarding your well-being.
Setting boundaries and practicing mindfulness can help maintain a healthy work-life balance while integrating self-care into your personal life ensures you remain energized and motivated.
By embracing these methods, you can navigate your path with resilience and grace, ensuring a fulfilling and sustainable career journey.
