How to Avoid Burnout at Work in 5 Steps

These days, stress on the job seems inevitable. Here's how to keep loving your job when the sparkle goes out and your work takes more than a mega dose of commitment.

By Sylvia Lafair
Well-Being
2 min read

How do you handle frustration when the numbers don’t match the expectations? Suddenly you look at the calendar and wonder how come the year is winding down so fast? You need more than two months to pull a rabbit out of a hat and get those numbers up.

This is when it is easy to become vulnerable to stress. The pressure to get even half way up the mountain of success seems impossible. And why is it that this is the time the quote kings, (you know, the super optimistic types who) want to make you feel better by saying “no pain, no gain” or something like that, as they pat you on the back. As they leave, you’re not sure if you want to punch or run.

 

The word burnout often starts to swirl just about now.

It usually starts in mid-October and by Thanksgiving most of us want to simply stay under the covers, only to come out with a happy face for Thanksgiving and not show up again till Christmas.

Success can seem as elusive as a falling star; bright and exciting for a moment and then, in a flash, gone into the darkness.

We have all been there so many times. Feeling disappointed, disgusted, demoralized and doubtful.

It is so understandable how easy it is to slip into this behavior pattern. The world says hard work and lots of financial success are bedfellows. Yet, not always. So what can sustain a high level of belief and energy to keep going when the going gets rough?

Here is the way OUT of emotionally disconnecting from your work:

  1. It’s not what you have in the bank, it’s what you have in your head: Keep the long distance run in your mind. It is a marathon, not a spurt. Just keep building on what you do and keep caring.
  2. The number of hours are NOT what makes work, work. In Sweden there are now 6 hour work days. Fewer hours means more creativity and better competition. The 9-5 day is an old, industrial revolution mindset. And 9-9 is insane. Get some rest!
  3. Start to observe what thoughts you are putting in your head . You would not wear the same underwear weeks and months in a row. Start to monitor your thoughts and write them down from a “can do” positive perspective.
  4. Understand where your mindset started. Mostly you can hear your parents’ voices in your head telling you to “get a job” and stop dreaming or whatever others may have said that put the stop in your head.
  5. Transform what is in your way by finding a coach, reading books and talking with others who are in the “want to” league and not in the victim “have to” camp. Feel alone? Read the book “Hero of a Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell, and gain courage from those who had to face difficulties and overcome them for eons.

Don’t be a victim of burnout. Take charge and keep the flame of passion burning for your work. Remember these 5 simple steps and stress will decrease while your productivity soars.

 

Originally published at Inc

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Sylvia Lafair
Searching for answers seems embedded in my DNA. As a curious kid, I was fascinated watching how often people would make the same mistakes and complain about the same upsets time after time. I observed it in family, neighbors, at school and even in books and films. As I grew older I saw how specific experiences become behavior patterns that people lived by yet barely noticed. It was “same stuff, different day,” just like in “Groundhog Day.” My fascination with the power of personal and cultural patterns deepened after my father died from a sudden heart attack when I was 14. The cause? Constant conflict at work. My determination to understand what happened and why led me to an amazing discovery: unresolved family patterns follow us to work. That’s what was behind the stress my father carried throughout his career. Work stress became the enemy. My search for more answers became my passion, to find ways to transform outdated, ingrained patterns that destroy health and the joy of success. Now, I do what I do to prepare, liberate and empower leaders and teams – and to ensure no one need lose a loved one over unresolved conflict and stress at work. —Sylvia Lafair PhD — founder of Creative Energy Options (CEOInc.) and the world’s leading authority in Pattern Aware Leadership Development, Top Global Leadership Guru and award winning author of Don’t Bring It To Work. Learn more about Sylvia Lafair PhD at http://ceoptions.com
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