Tips to prevent burnout: avoid professional wear!

In a world where the word productivity has become fundamental to guarantee employment, the exhaustion has become increasingly common in companies.

Unfortunately, there are many employees who are discouraged, sick or even on sick leave due to burnout, which has led the WHO (World Health Organization) to recognize Burnout Syndrome.

But what is this syndrome, after all? Is it possible to prevent it? What should you do when you suspect you are suffering from burnout?

All of these questions will be answered throughout today's content, so to stay healthy and productive, keep reading!

What is burnout?

It is not uncommon for professionals to experience exhaustion and may not even be aware of it, leading them to believe that they had health problems “out of the blue.”

Therefore, before talking about tips to prevent it, it is important to explain what Burnout is and what the signs of this problem are.

Burnout is the name given to Professional Exhaustion Syndrome, which constitutes damage to the physical and mental health of the worker due to work overload.

This may be due to a few factors, such as:

• Conflictual professional environment;
• Exaggerated demands;
• Lack of respect towards employees, resulting in emotional harm;
• Absurd goals;
• Fostering fierce competitiveness within the team;
• Absent or ineffective leadership;
• Inter alia.

In general, Burnout manifests itself as a depressive state of discontent and a feeling of worthlessness, that is, the worker begins to doubt his or her own abilities.

Because it starts gently, many people don't even notice signs of burnout, and over time they may even develop panic and aversion to their work, which prevents them from fulfilling their obligations and affects their life in general.

Is it possible to prevent burnout?

The best way to prevent Burnout Syndrome is by creating a respectful professional environment that focuses on valuing the efforts of each employee.

But we know that this is not the case most of the time, especially when we are talking about companies that prioritize numbers and dollar signs.

In this case, prevention must come exclusively from the worker, who must be able to identify the risk factors for Burnout and avoid them.

Below are some tips that help with this identification and, consequently, prevent Burnout.

5 tips to prevent burnout

The real change to prevent (or even eradicate) Burnout should come from companies, since overwork and the environment are the factors that cause the syndrome.

But we know that unfortunately the number of managers concerned about the well-being of the team is low.

Therefore, change must come from the workers themselves, identifying signs and imposing limits in the professional environment. 

Here are 5 tips to prevent burnout:

1. Don't give up your personal life for work 

Many people give up spending weekends with their children, or even enjoying their honeymoon with their wife, just thinking about ensuring their availability at work.

The big problem with this is that over time you start to lose contact with important people and moments in your personal life, so your existence becomes limited to work.

Therefore, one of the tips to prevent Burnout is precisely not to put work before your life, since there are things that cannot be replaced by it, such as leisure, friends, family, hobbies and many others.

2. Avoid being the company's “lifesaver”

Don't make the mistake of thinking that because you're the employee who says yes to everything, your name will be a priority for the boss at the right times.

Putting all the work in the works and fixing other people's bad work hardly generates appreciation, as you start to be seen as someone who is available and undemanding.

Focus on your own tasks and contribute to the team within certain limits, as this will help you avoid overload and ensure your mental health.

Most people who suffer from burnout are easily replaced when they need to leave due to exhaustion. Avoid overloading yourself because you believe you are irreplaceable, this will only bring you problems.

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3. Focus on self-knowledge and respect your limits 

Some people are driven to burnout by their own personality, especially when they are proactive and willing to help everyone without expecting anything in return.

Although these are positive qualities, in the professional environment they can attract lazy people, who are looking for someone to take care of all the work.

Therefore, invest in self-knowledge, understand your positive and negative points, as this will allow you to set limits and respect them.

You don't need to do something just to please other people, especially when you've already done all your work with excellence and the other person asks you to cover their part of the project. 

4. Beware of competitiveness to prevent burnout

Promoting competitiveness in the professional environment is one of the main causes of burnout, since vanity is natural in all human beings.

We all want to be the best at what we do and we like to receive positive highlights. However, there are companies that use this point to manipulate employees into achieving results beyond the healthy limit.

There is no problem with a colleague being better than you at something, you certainly have characteristics and skills that he does not have.

Teamwork should not be a wrestling ring, where each person fights to prove their skills. Work together and know how to recognize your value and that of your teammates to avoid unbridled competitiveness.

5. Do not accept disrespect and devaluations 

If you frequently receive promises from leaders that are never fulfilled, or even have to deal with rudeness and unstable team morale, start seeing these signs as warnings.

In a professional environment, courtesy and respect should be paramount. No one has the right to make disrespectful demands or deceive you to get what they want. 

These types of situations can lead to feeling humiliated and undervalued, which leads to Burnout Syndrome. Stay alert and avoid problems.

I suspect I have burnout: what should I do?

If you suspect you have Burnout, the first thing you should do is give attention and priority to what you are feeling.

Don't evaluate your feelings and much less try to convince yourself that it's nothing more than nonsense or drama.

Visit a qualified professional to evaluate your case, and seek to make changes in your professional life to avoid further damage to your mental health.

Remember that burnout must be treated with care and respect, to avoid further damage to your life. Therefore, be the first to appreciate your efforts and feelings.

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