This Is How To Avoid Burnout In 2020

Published on January 22, 2020

In the digital age it’s hard not to get swept up in the urge to constantly be plugged into your work. Email, smartphones, and apps like Slack have made it easier than ever to never miss a notification, but the problem is that it’s created way too many ways for people to be plugged into their work outside of their normal office hours.

Technology has allowed for workers to streamline their jobs more effortlessly than ever, but it’s also forced workers to feel the need to keep up in ways that they’ve never had to before. While some places, like Finland, have advocated for shorter work days and longer weekends in the wake of technology, other places expect workers to be able to work just as much, if not more, despite being able to get more done in a single day than ever before.

Identifying Burnout

In the tech industry alone, more employees than ever are finding that their mental health is suffering due to symptoms of burnout associated with overworking. At companies like Credit Karma, around 70% of the employees at the company have reported feelings of burnout in recent years.

While burnout itself is characterized by symptoms of exhaustion, detachment, and anxiety related to overworking, there are quite a few ways that it manifests in your everyday life. If left untouched, it can lead to more critical mental health problems. In the medical industry, as well as the tech industry, burnout has been linked to an increase of suicidal ideation and action in recent years.

How To Avoid Burnout

Aside from, you know, logging out of work at the end of the day and focusing on other aspects of your life that help you feel more balanced, there are a lot of ways to make sure that you don’t fall victim to burnout in 2020.

Many cases of burnout are linked to feelings of unfulfillment or monotony in your work. Try to find purpose in the work that you do, or realize the ways in which your specific job contributes to a larger picture. If you don’t feel that anything your current job does helps to create a sense of fulfillment, it might be time to think about what your greater goals are and how you can work toward them.

Experts suggest that getting regular exercise can help you avoid feelings of burnout. Regular exercise can increase the release of endorphins to help you feel happier in other aspects of your life, including your work. Plus the mental break from your everyday work routine can help you feel more refreshed.

There is some truth to the age-old saying about all work and no play, so try scheduling regular social activities with friends and loved ones to break from the everyday routine of your work and home life. Socializing is healthy, and can help contribute to feelings of fulfillment in other aspects of your life when work is a bit dull.

In short, one of the most important aspects of avoiding workplace burnout is in time management. This is especially true for people that are self employed or work from home who may have a hard time keeping their work and home lives separate. Be strict about your office hours and, if you can, check out of work once you’ve finished for the day and focus on something else.

Julia Sachs is a former Managing Editor at Grit Daily. She covers technology, social media and disinformation. She is based in Utah and before the pandemic she liked to travel.

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