Break Out of Burnout Culture

Set Better Boundaries
Make down time as much of a priority as your most important meeting. Block out time for lunch and daily breaks on your computer’s calendar to ensure colleagues know you’re not available. When the workday or week is through, leave your work phone and laptop at the office if possible. If you must carry these devices home, turn them off (or mute them) and log out of accounts like email, Skype and Slack to prevent the temptation to continue working. Or download one of the many apps that let you block phone use for specific periods of time.

Allow for Focus on the Job
How many devices do you have running at once? Limiting the number of devices, apps or media streams you’re engaging with can decrease tech overload. Likewise, focusing on one task is a balm for burnout. Set aside blocks of time do work without distraction. For those accustomed to habitually multitasking by checking email or social media, focusing may initially feel awkward. But with practice, you may discover a renewed sense of accomplishment and satisfaction by tackling one thing at a time.

Work Smart
Digital technology can be a workaholic’s enabler—or the best defense against burnout. Business owners who provide a tech-enhanced smart office may also experience less job turnover. A survey of 7,000 employees across 15 countries showed that those who work in fully enabled digital workplaces are 51% more likely to have strong job satisfaction and 43% more likely to feel positive about their work-life balance than those who have less access to workplace tech. These employees are also 60% more likely to say they’re motivated at work and 91% more likely to praise their company’s vision.

Try Flex Time
Although working from home is not an option (or a preference) for everyone, it makes sense that flexible work hours and conditions curtail burnout. (Consider how much calmer you’d be if you didn’t have to fight traffic during your commute!) Working remotely or having flexibility in your work hours relieves the workaday monotony and gives you some control of your work environment. In fact, you’re 43% less likely to experience high levels of burnout when you have a choice in deciding what tasks to do, when to do them and how much time to spend on them.

Mind Your Mind
Burnout isn’t all in your mind. But the way you think about yourself and your work may be contributing to feelings of anxiety about your career. Mindfulness practices can help. These tactics help mitigate fear and sooth burnout mentality: observing your thoughts, not reacting to perceived conflict, remaining present in the moment, allowing situations to unfold rather than forcing solutions and being open and honest about your strengths and weaknesses. Need a personal guru to get you on track? Try downloading one of the many mindfulness apps.

Vacate
Remember those days you’re given each year when you get paid not to work? Use them! Fifty-two percent of employees didn’t take all the vacation days provided them in 2017. Why? Many feared falling behind on their work and/or being left out of the loop. Past generations took full advantage of their paid time off, but since 2000, the average number of used vacation days has dropped from 20 (in 2000) to 16 (in 2015). Could there be a burnout correlation? Yes. Take those vacation days—and don’t forget to turn on your “out of office” message and unplug.