How to Avoid Burnout

When we're constantly moving and don't have time to take a break, that's the best way to burnout. Here are a few strategies for avoiding this.

What is burnout?

Burnout is a prolonged state of emotional and physical exhaustion. If you don't take time to take care of yourself, this can happen. Burnouts can often happen to very motivated people. Failure to take time for yourself can lead to an emotional, mental or physical breakdown.

Causes

Burnout can have external or internal causes.

External factors are usually related to work:

you always have too much to do
mistrust
constant competition
a lack of feedback
lack of buffer room

Heavy pressure in the workplace can easily lead to burnout, but your own unhealthy behavior patterns or attitudes (perfectionism) are problematic. Long-term stress, a lack of recovery time and poor stress management also increase your risk.

Take time for yourself

You burn out much faster if you aren't cheering for yourself. Your body is not a machine, it needs recovery. Just remember you can only help others or move ahead in your life if you are helping yourself stay healthy.

Phases of descent

The descent into a full-blown burnout lasts for some time, usually going through several stages (which vary from person to person). Here is a brief overview of these steps:

The urge to prove yourself.
Increased commitment, feeling the need to do everything yourself
Neglecting your own needs, not taking time for them
You start making mistakes
None of your hobbies or other things in your life matter as much as work
Denial
Social withdrawal
Behavioral changes: you resort to unhealthy substitute gratifications like alcohol, junk food ...
You feel like you're being controlled by external forces
Inner emptiness
Depression
Breakdown

How do you prevent burnout?

You do have to actively change your lifestyle and you need to establish new habits. Relaxation and exercise are very important and give us strength for new challenges. Everybody relaxes differently. Some take a nap, others use progressive muscle relaxation or autogenic training to help them relax. Some people even manage to consciously do "nothing" - a true luxury in today's world! Even just pursuing a relaxing activity like reading a book or listening to music helps.

Exercise reduces stress, which of course leads to a higher resistance to stress and generally, better stress management. In addition, exercise also releases happiness hormones.

Social contacts are also essential. We often find relief in sharing with others!

Active time management also helps to reduce stress!

Helpful measures:

Minimizing exaggerated and unrealistic expectations.
Setting priorities
Learning to say no.
Taking deliberate short breaks several times a day.
Eating healthy
Exercising regularly
Being open about conflicts.
Letting go of perfectionism.
Taking more time to relax.
Plan time for yourself, every day - even if only a few minutes.

With this awareness, we can avoid burnout by making small changes. The challenge is to integrate these methods into your daily life and apply them. Your body, mind and soul will thank you!