3 ways to extinguish burnout

Are you thinking about work 24/7? Do you look forward to the weekend because you’ll have uninterrupted time to work? Has your stress level gotten so high that you don’t even remember what it feels like to be relaxed?

If so, you’re probably burned.

The more you work, the more successful you can become. You enjoy hearing you’re doing well and making clients and employees happy. But, your “To Do” list soon becomes unachievable, and you start to hate the thing that once brought you happiness.

And if you think about it, there’s no one else to blame (speaking from experience): You’re the only one looking out for you. No one else cares if you do too much, and the better you do, the more people are going to want from you.

Burnout is a gradual thing that can hit you like a ton of bricks all at once. So once you realize the issue, you need to take charge and fix it.

Here are 3 ways to extinguish burnout.

1. Realize you can’t do it all. This is one of the hardest things to do, at least for me. Just because you’re capable of doing something doesn’t mean you should do it. Learn to delegate responsibilities, and surround yourself with people you trust.

2. Take responsibility for your happiness and health. Stress will take its toll on you, so you need to keep it to a minimum when possible. There’s no one else out there who can improve your health and happiness, so make it a priority. Start by taking a weekend off and doing something relaxing. Or, if that’s too much, start by not working through lunch or until late at night. If you’re rundown, you won’t be of any good anyways.

3. Make a change. Everyone knows the definition of insanity — doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. To end the burnout cycle, you’ll need to make changes. Maybe that means bringing on extra people to help with the work. Or, maybe you need to say “No” to some things. Although that can be one of the hardest things to do, it really is the only answer sometimes. Would you rather turn down work or do a job half way, leaving the clients unhappy and hurting your reputation?

Realizing there’s a problem is half of the solution. Once you see you’re burned out, you need to change so you can start to love what you do again.

What are your tips for dealing with burnout?