Work/Life Balance
Avoiding Burnout
By Julie A. Gordon, CPA
To avoid burnout you need to know exactly what it is. Burnout, as defined in Merriam-Webster’s College Dictionary, is “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.” Ever felt that way?
Symptoms of burnout can be:
Physical
· Feelings of intense fatigue
· Vulnerability to illness
· Weight loss or gain
· Sleeplessness and/or depression
· Frequent headaches
Emotional/Mental
· Feeling a lack of control over commitments
· An incorrect belief that you are accomplishing less
· A growing tendency to think negatively
· Loss of sense of purpose and energy
· An increasing detachment from relationships that causes conflict and stress
· Anger at others making demands on your time
If you have any of the symptoms above or notice this in co-workers and employees, you need to ask the question, “How did I, she/he, they get to this point?” You would get various answers to that question. But I would guess that most people would answer “I can’t say no” or “others are putting too many demands on my time.”
Avoiding burnout may not be easy, but it is worth the effort. It is your personal responsibility to be proactive about burnout; and working yourself into the ground to please your boss, your family or your friends is not smart.
Here are several ideas that can help you avoid burnout.
- Exercise regularly. Not only does it help your body, but it can help you stay mentally conditioned as well.
- Watch what you eat. A good diet is brainpower and helps control fatigue. Physical fatigue over time can wear down even the strongest mental attitude.
- Don’t spread yourself too thin at work. In times where cutbacks have less people doing more work, you need to make sure you don’t take on more than you can possibly get done. Say NO when you need to and make decisions based on your priorities. (This works at home too!)
- Keep a few daily victories. A few small accomplishments in a day can help you overcome a steady stream of setbacks. A key to that is to set one non-work goal each day and accomplish it. (Like walking at lunch or exercising before work.)
- Read good books. Your mind as well as your body needs nourishment. And good mental food is so important when so much of what we see or read in the news is negative. Inspirational and motivational books are available at bookstores, libraries or on the web.
- Protect your personal space. Take a break from the office. Nothing stresses people more than trading family time for work. So learn to turn off the cell phone and the laptop and enjoy your family. Take a vacation. You’ll feel better.
Managers and supervisors need to recognize the symptoms of burnout by observing their direct reports. If they see that someone is having difficulty they should counsel with the individual. Talk about ways to relieve the stresses that may be contributing to those feelings. Employees are empowered to do something about their situation if they know that they have the support of others. Here’s a short list of some things you can do:
v Encourage employees to stay healthy and as a reward, give them a day off for scheduling their annual physical.
v Have fun events to get away from the office. Go out to lunch, see a movie or go bowling as a group.
v Make sure that special projects are evenly distributed among the work group.
v Bring in food during busy seasons.
v Recognize individuals by making it their special day – people can bring gifts or stop by the work area to offer encouragement and praise.
Stay on top of things, avoid burnout at every level. And if necessary, get help. Life coaches are available for individuals and businesses. You can find them by searching the Internet on keyword life coach. These professionals can assist with assessments and goal setting to get you on track.
Julie A. Gordon is the manager of the awards project accounting for Maritz, Inc. in Fenton. She is a member of the MSCPA Work-Life Balance Committee. She can be reached at Julie.Gordon@maritz.com.
