Do you have high expectations of yourself? Are you a perfectionist? Do you often have self-doubt? Do you have trouble saying no? If you can answer these questions with yes and you are under a lot of stress at work, then you may be at risk of burnout!
Take Burnout Seriously
Burnout is a serious illness. For those affected, it is often difficult to recognize that they are in danger of burnout. The article "How Do I Recognize the Alarm Signals of Burnout?" will help you to assess your situation correctly. You may also get a hint from a colleague that you could be at risk.
You can get help with burnout from your family doctor. You can also contact specialized agencies that offer burnout counseling (see related links below).
Keep Your Life in Balance
The best antidote to burnout is a balanced life. The balance between your stresses and your resources in the areas of work, family and leisure should be in equilibrium. It is even better if the scales are tipped in favor of your resources than if they are only balanced.
Find out what Your Balance Is Like
You can analyze your personal balance with a simple and proven method: Compare your stresses with your resources. At work, for example, stress can be time pressure, little room to maneuver, or too many demands on yourself. As resources you might have colleagues who support you or a better time management.
Focus on the most important pressures and resources – no more than four. This will give you a clear picture. This will make it easier for you to find the right measures for your healthy work-life balance.
Below we have compiled 10 more useful tips to help you prevent burnout.
Proven Burnout Prevention Tips
- Plan your working day and set priorities: let active phases alternate with less active ones. Concentrate on what is important and leave superfluous activities.
- Define clear goals: For your workday, for your career, for your life.
- Relax: Meditation and relaxation techniques such as autogenic training, mindfulness or yoga help you to reduce stress.
- Do sports: this reduces stress. Choose a sport that you enjoy.
- Get enough sleep: most people need 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
- Eat a balanced and healthy diet: this has a positive effect on your psyche. Avoid alcohol, nicotine and too much caffeine during the working day.
- Take regular breaks: they give you new strength.
- Stay in contact with other people: This gives you energy and warmth. You are also allowed to ask for help from your colleagues or delegate something.
- Say no: make it clear where your limits lie. You don't always have to be available.
- Say goodbye to perfectionism: it is neither possible nor necessary to do everything 100%.
Get support from the webapp "Etwas tun?!"
You can get many more valuable tips on how to prevent burnout in our webapp "Etwas tun?!", available in the languages German and French. It helps you stay mentally healthy at work – simply and playfully.
"Etwas tun?" is free (link below).
