BURNOUT is just another term for being overworked and overwhelmed. I chanced upon an interesting post online about how passion and burnout are both associated with the metaphorical fire within us that usually ignites when we’re immensely interested in doing something. But burnout is basically letting the fire burn so strong and unattended. Passion can consume in a bad way and that’s when burnout comes into the picture.
Lucky for us if we come across a job that pays for our basic needs and lets us do things we are passionate about -- almost like a dream job. But at some point, especially this pandemic, the worst in us comes out and even the most interesting things seem overwhelming. Some of us may have been feeling burnt out for the past few months.
Let me share a few simple activities you can do to prevent burnout
1. Have a life outside of work.
As a young professional, your years are laid in front of you full of promises and possibilities. You’re very young to think that work is THE life because it’s not. The simplest you can do is to prevent yourself from doing work-related tasks beyond work hours. It’s simple and very difficult to commit to but once you do, it’ll be better from there. After work hours, do something for yourself. Maybe read a book, catch up on a series, or bond with your pet. Anything that gets you off the office email.
2. Do volunteer work.
All the energy that you have for the weekend you can save by doing something else that’s not work-related but you’ll definitely enjoy. Maybe sign up for a local club with good community projects or ask around your barangay or homeowners association for small-scale activities you can join.
At the very least, you can do these things online as well. There are volunteering opportunities online and you can render service without having to leave the house.
3. Develop a real hobby.
I’m not sure if it’s because of our Filipino culture or because of our financial status but many of us have the instinct of turning a hobby into an income generating venture. There’s nothing bad about this but at some point, this can backfire. When we develop a hobby, we’re passionate about it, we feel relaxed and stress-free. The moment we decide to take it to social media for strangers’ affirmation and for business, we remove the aspect of it being a stress-reliever. It becomes a different thing to be busy about and there are things you need to consider like profit, quality, and deadlines.
To prevent burnout, separate the tasks that you get money from and the hobbies and activities that you solely do for enjoyment. Your future self will take you for that.
4. Learn to say ‘no’
There’s an online joke going around that people who show how much they can do at work are often given the most tasks, even if it’s beyond their job description and capacities at the moment. Hence, the joke, just do the things that you’re expected to do and not beyond that.
For some of us, the main reason for burnout is the incapacity to decline job demands because we are scared we will be fired or get on the hot seat.
But in today’s time being a doormat will not take us anywhere. Learning to say ‘no’ is not equivalent to being disrespectful. Very politely, if you know that the tasks given to you are impossible to do within the requested time, say so. Or if you feel like someone else should be doing it because it’s their job, say so.
In the end, if you find yourself in a job or working for a boss that’s impossible to say ‘no’ to, chances are you’re going to be burnt out there anyway. So choose your battle.
5. Take a break.
It’s okay, use that vacation leave or that sick leave even if you’re not going anywhere, even if the only thing you have planned to do is sleep in, catch up on a few household chores, and take a loooong hot shower. It’s okay.