The last 18 months or so have brought a whole new level of intensity to the word burnout.  Burnout as defined by Merriam-Webster is the “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration”.  An ongoing global pandemic certainly qualifies as a prolonged stress or frustration, and many American workers now find themselves in a state of true burnout or dangerously approaching burnout.  Most, if not all, industries have been hit with a barrage of difficulties to address, both on the professional and personal fronts.  To name just a few of these ongoing stressors:

• A global pandemic- COVID-19!
• Conversion to a virtual work environment for many professionals
• Adoption of countless practices and procedures related to PPE & safety
• Changing COVID-19 policies at the governmental and workforce level
• Frontline workers must face the virus and the public head on on a daily basis
• Continual stress, fear, uncertainty, and anxiety stemming from all of these factors
• Labor shortage
• Nationwide civil unrest
• New presidential administration
• Changes to school & daycare due to COVID precautions and having to adapt to having kids home
• Varying degrees of sickness and sometimes even death of loved ones

As the workforce continues to trudge forward, it is crucial that we treat ourselves and our colleagues, co-workers, friends, and family with grace, patience, and kindness.  This can sometimes be a difficult task on the best of days, but even more so when you are in the center of the storm that is COVID-19, and especially when you are attempting to handle it all from within a burnt out fog.  Signs that you may be experiencing burnout include:

• Coping with food, drugs, or alcohol
• Frequent feelings of exhaustion, tiredness, and of being drained
• Not enjoying the things you used to enjoy
• Feeling isolated or alone
• Motivation escapes you and you lack interest
• You may withdraw from those you love or desire isolation
• A sense of dread overcomes you when you head into work
• Negative outlook on life and the world around you
• You may struggle with getting good rest, and/or sleep more or less than usual
• Experiencing frequent headaches or lowered immune system

If any of these sound like you (or members of your team), here are some useful tips to keep in mind to minimize burnout!

Put Yourself First

Physical health is vital to being mentally and emotionally well, and self-care is the first place to look if you are suffering from burnout. Self-care includes many different areas but at its most basic form, self-care is taking care of yourself.  Make time to intentionally engage in self-care by scheduling it on your calendar like you would any other priority engagement.  Whether it is making time to be grateful, spending time being physically active and enjoying the outdoors, getting a massage, or making it a point to buy and cook healthy meals, self-care can go a long ways towards increasing physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.  Take a look at your personal self-care routine and make note of where you can improve, then setup a schedule and set professional boundaries to ensure that the time you have set aside for self-care remains sacred.

Minimize known stressors & triggers

In an ideal world, burnt-out professionals could simply relocate to a private island and spend their days sipping Mai Tais and staring at a sunny sky! In the real world, this is not an economic possibility for most, and in fact, many of us love and enjoy our jobs and desperately want to get back to a happy balance that provides for professional growth and satisfaction but without the burnout!  The key is to identify those workplace stressors and triggers and to find strategies to eliminate or at least minimize them in the interests of being a happier and more productive worker.  Take some time to examine the times you have felt most burnt out over the last month, and reflect on the circumstances surrounding those days or weeks.  Was there a certain project, colleague, or other common denominator?  Once you have a list of the things that create your most intense stress, you can take steps to minimize those situations.  Sit down with a boss or co-worker and have an honest discussion to discuss how you can cut down those things that most trigger your feelings of stress and exhaustion.

Intentionally Manage your Stress

If you find you can’t eliminate all the stress from your life, the next best thing is to find ways to make it manageable. Identify strategies to cope with the stressful situations you encounter such as meditation, physical exercise, breathing techniques, positive personal mantras, and most importantly by choosing your mindset.  By managing your emotions and reactions, you can choose how to perceive the world around you which can help you have a different viewpoint of the things that bring you stress.

Reach out to those you love

Burnout stems from an excess of stress, which can often lead to an overall lack of feeling emotionally well. To combat this depleted level of wellbeing, it is important to build up your supply of positive emotional experiences.  One resource that can be easy to tap into is your own personal network of people.  It is in our DNA to require social relationships, so making sure to prioritize time for socialization, laughter, camaraderie, and even venting can be incredibly impactful.  Whether it is scheduling a happy hour with your coworkers or planning a family outing or dinner with friends, spending time with those that make you feel comfortable, safe, and loved can do wonders for your emotional wellbeing.

As a business owner we have these stressors on a daily basis and feel like they impossible to escape but Apex can help! Our KAIROS services is built on big-picture thinking and will help the business unchain from the business day-to-day and start thinking BIG.