I am burned out you are burned out, everyone’s burned out but is it good to be burned out? Well, NO! Burnout might cause you to fall behind in work, deliver subpar work, and even miss deadlines. It is certain for you to experience procrastination, become disengaged, and even hit a wall creatively. A more troublesome burnout can put a strain in your relationships, give you a lousy reputation, and could even put your health in jeopardy. Here’s how you can manage time and avoid yourself getting burned out.
Reason of burnout
The reason for burnout varies from person to person. If you are working in a toxic environment where you are stressed or bullied then you will go through physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. Poor time management could also be another reason for burnout.
Limiting work time
You are not a robot who can work 24/7. Your body needs rest and good sleep so that it can recharge itself for the next day. Working 50-60 hours per week is no less than insanity. You are not a superhero who possesses superpowers and can work like a workaholic. Managing your worktime is an excellent start if you want to avoid the wrath of burnout.
Prioritizing time
Take a close look at everything you are doing daily. Although everything would seem significant to you. If you are dedicating more energy in the wrong areas, you might end up focusing less on the things that really need attention. Channelizing time and prioritizing important work will help you save yourself from burnout.
Aligning of your energy levels according to the work
You must try to plan the task according to the energy level. The most challenging or important tasks must be done when you have the most energy. Whereas, when the energy lulls, focus on less critical objectives or just take a break.
Learning to delegate
While you are trying to figuring out which item deserves more time or which thing is taking more time but is not deserving, you must try to choose the right person for it. It can help you to work more productively. But this doesn’t mean that you pass off all your obligations to someone else. Delegating means knowing which task should be worked by whom. Fitting in the right person for that particular task would be more helpful than doing it yourself.
Learning to track down interruptions
You need to track all time-sucks to save yourself from burnout. You can jot down whenever you get interrupted while working. Be it a notification from your phone, a grumbling stomach, or a knock at the office, noting the times of distraction can help you save time. If you know what the interruptions are, you can surely work on them.
Cutting time from meetings
Meetings are the most significant theft of time. It is possible that almost 35 to 50 percent of your time is spent majorly in meetings. But before you conduct or plan a meeting, just ask yourself first, “Is it really important?.” Because even a call, email, or slack thread will be enough in many cases rather than a meeting. Nowadays, project management software can also help you in monitoring progress.
Learn to relax and blow steam off
Finally, get over your ego or guilt to avoid burnout. Take time away from work, and enjoy your own company or with your family. You don’t have to be ‘on’ every second. There’s life after work and try not to forget this. Even if you consider yourself a robot, don’t forget to recharge the batteries.
