Health
Ridiculously Simple Ways To Fight Back Against Burnout
Burnout is becoming a big problem in our society, particularly among men. Everyone feels tired and drained, and unable to do the things that they really want to do in life. After work, it’s just TV until bed and then repeating the whole thing all over again the next day.
Fighting burnout, though, is ridiculously simple. It just requires adopting a few self-care habits and living the right lifestyle. Nobody should feel knackered or cynical all the time. That’s simply not the way that human beings are supposed to live.
Let’s take a look at some burnout-busting ideas. Check them out below:
Disconnect
Human beings aren’t supposed to continually engage with their work or the people around them. Occasionally, they need a break.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t afford ourselves that luxury. Even at 7 am on a Sunday morning, we’re checking emails and responding to angry clients.
The trick here is to get disciplined with disconnecting when you’re away from work. Switching off your gadgets and ignoring your emails makes a tremendous difference in how your body adjusts over the week. During the day, you’re pushing hard, trying to get things done. Then, in the evening, you’re taking a break and allowing your nervous system to recover.
Getting this balance right is critical. However, many workers simply don’t get it right. They push themselves to the limit, trying to cram more into each day, and always be available. Eventually, burnout sets in and the strategy reveals itself to be counterproductive.
Listen To Your Body
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Most men don’t listen carefully to their bodies. Instead, they expect them to perform and get irate if they don’t. But that attitude isn’t sustainable. Eventually, you have to listen to what your body says, or it’ll force you to.
When you’re working hard, it’s not uncommon to blame an upset stomach on something you ate, or a headache on drinking too little. However, these illnesses are often caused by excessive, chronic stress. If you feel tense every day, it’ll eventually show up in your nervous system, producing symptoms.
Take some time to listen to your body. If you notice your health deteriorating, don’t just chalk it up to getting old, particularly if you are under forty. Instead, step back from the stress and strain of life for a while and see if that makes a difference. Nine times out of ten, symptoms will go away.
Make Relaxation Something That Your Pursue
Relaxation isn’t merely the absence of work. It’s actually an activity you can pursue in its own right. Every evening and weekend, make sure that you put aside “downtime” that’s just for you. Eliminate the pressure and find something that soothes you and makes you feel good. Just taking 30 minutes to yourself can change your mood and leave you feeling refreshed. Plus, it gives you something to look forward to at the end of a busy day or week.
Don’t Take Sleeping Pills Unless Your Doctor Prescribes Them For Medical Reasons
Sleeping pills sound like a great way to deal with burnout. After all, the more you sleep, the less likely you are to feel fatigued during the day.
However, that’s not quite how it works. Sleeping pills disrupt your natural cycle and can, over time, actually make you feel more tired, even if you sleep longer during the night.
As always, what matters is sleep quality, not sleep quantity. The less time you spend cycling through different sleep schedules and the more you actually shut off your mind at night, the better you will feel.
In recent years, hormone replacement therapy for men has proven itself to be a good way to restore sleep cycles. Therefore, if you are a little older, it could be an option to reduce nighttime wakefulness and help you feel more rested when at the start of the working day.
Where possible, avoid drugs that cause sedation. While they will send you off to a night of deep sleep, they will interfere with the brain’s natural sleep rhythms over time, leaving you less able to sleep and recover in the future.
Be More Organized
It might sound like a simple hack, but being more organized can also make a big difference to your levels of burnout. Just getting more efficient helps you meet more of your obligations in a shorter span of time, allowing you to get more done, experience less stress, and feel more competent.
Take A Break
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Working constantly during the day is okay if you’re feeling fresh. But if you can feel tiredness taking over your body, it can make burnout more likely. The human body and mind work best when they cycle between episodes of relaxation and intensity. Therefore, you’ll want to take breaks from work regularly to recover and then throw yourself back into the fray periodically. If you can, schedule your breaks. If you feel productivity starts to dip, take some time out to let your brain recover and then go back to the task you were addressing later. You may find that you can get through it much faster than before.
Get Good At Setting Boundaries
Boundaries are a great way to avoid burnout because they let you set standards for your own life. If work is stressing you out because your boss is on the phone with you at 10 pm, insist on a change in direction. Refuse to answer the phone late at night and put the ball in your team’s court. Set the rules of engagement yourself and don’t allow anyone to invade your private space.
While setting boundaries is challenging, it is a great way to improve your well-being. The healthier your work-life balance becomes, the better you’ll feel. You’ll also have more psychological control over your life, reducing the pressure you feel and making you feel better all around.
Don’t Forget To Have Fun
Lastly, it’s impossible to feel cynical, exhausted, and burned out when you are having fun. Therefore, find some time in the week to just do something you love for the sake of it. Give up your goals for an evening to just bask in the joy of life for a change.
