Burn-out can happen to the best of professionals, at any level. And it can have a negative impact on your professional and personal life so it’s critically important to manage this issue as much as possible. In the first article in this series, we examined a few of the negative effects that stem from feeling burned out at work. For example:
- You are bored or not challenged at work.
- You feel less effective.
- You are good at your job, so you are given more work to do, causing extra stress.
- Your coworkers think you have it easy, and this affects your work relationships.
(For more tips on treating career burn-out, download our free briefing here!)
To stop feeling burned out at work, consider the following tips.
- Stay in the know. Keep up to date with industry trends. This may mean taking on a new challenge at work, learning a new skill or trying new software. This can automatically improve your situation at work.
- Put yourself out there. Attend events inside and outside of your organization and industry. You will learn about new things, meet new people, and be invited to do more. Staying active socially is a great way to combat burn-out.
- Volunteer. If you’re feeling bored at work, this is a great way to mix things up. Volunteer to take on a project that is out of your normal wheelhouse. Start up something that your company needs, or volunteer your time outside of work to a cause you feel passionate about. Remember that how you feel personally impacts how you feel professionally. This can also be a great opportunity to make new networking connections.
- Be an active team member. If you’re feeling burned out, it can be easy to take a backseat when working as a team. Instead, try to combat your burn-out by being an active participant. You may be asked to take on aspects of the team project that you wouldn’t normally do. This also helps you to stay motivated, even if you are assessing your career in the long-term.
- Communicate with your boss regularly. Don’t wait for your performance reviews to speak to your boss. Try to check in monthly with your boss to keep them updated about your tasks. They will be more likely to keep you in mind for other projects. If you are feeling overwhelmed or overworked, ask them if there is someone who can pitch in and help you. If your boss is unreceptive to making adjustments, you may have a valid reason to move on.
- Embrace change. You may be feeling burned out at work due to old ways of doing things. Are the processes at your organization outdated or inefficient? Research how your organization could improve to be more efficient and come up with an action plan.
- Create your action plan. Use our Ideal Career Model to determine your long-term career plan to eliminate burn-out for good. Can you do that by staying at your current organization or should you look for a job elsewhere? Set monthly goals and regularly update them. Ask a friend to be your accountability partner to help you stay motivated.
If you need help filling out our Ideal Career Model for yourself, purchase a copy of our Identify Your Ideal Career Workbook today or schedule a complimentary consultation with our team of coaches. We would be glad to help you eliminate burn-out for the rest of your professional career.
