How to Prevent Burnout

We live in a high-achieving culture that deeply values productivity, material success and end results. Thus, many of us live under constant stress and pressure to work more, produce more, earn more, and spend more. This type of a lifestyle undoubtedly leads to burnout, sooner or later. Stephen Covey, an American best-selling author, and businessmen, who use a metaphor of eggs and hen for productivity and capacity for productivity, explains our tendency to focus on eggs or results. According to him, neither solely focusing on productivity nor to a capacity for productivity will make us successful. The solution is to focus on both of them. We need results and material proofs that our work is worthy. But, we also should nourish our capacity for productivity to be able to produce results in the long run. That means taking care of our health and well-being. We cannot be productive in the long run if we deprive ourselves of sleep, rest, quality food, etc. We also need to nourish our soul and stay on track. Without the inner sense of purpose and direction, we would not be able to keep ourselves motivated. Lack of purpose, enthusiasm and motives will drain us emotionally, spiritually and physically. To prevent burnout, we need to reflect on our true needs and ask ourselves whether a job we do really make us happy. To find out more about how to prevent burnout, the article “7 Strategies to Prevent Burnout” gives us the following tips.

1. Increase your self-efficacy

2. Identify what you need from your work.

3. Have creative outlets.

4. Take care of yourself.

5. Get support where you can find it.

6. Get real and go there.

7. Increase your diet of positive emotions

By forcing ourselves to produce results, but neglecting how we feel will bring short-term results only. If we do not feel content with our job, have poor social contacts, and sense a huge mismatch between our interests and type of work we do every day, we will set ourselves up to burnout.