7 ways to prevent burnout

We are living in times where it is harder to disconnect from work than it ever has been before, which means many people are overworking and suffering from burnout.

If you’re looking to maximize your productivity, this will only happen by creating a healthy relationship with your work, taking regular breaks, and giving your body what it needs – healthy food, plenty of water and enough sleep.

Here are our top 7 ways to prevent burnout:

     1. Exercise

Yes we know, it’s that topic again. But it keeps coming up for a reason. Not only will regular exercise maintain your health, but it allows you a break away from your work. Plus, if you are someone who feels guilty or like you should be working when trying to take a break, by taking a break to exercise you’ll at least still be doing something ‘productive’ during this time. Furthermore, after exercise, the endorphin release you get will make you feel great. This is a much better way to give yourself something to feel good when you’re working hard on a project, as opposed to drinking 5 cups of coffee or grabbing a handful of Haribo.

     2. Close your laptop by a set time every day

The effects of burnout can be dreadful and long-term. It can take some people months to recover after reaching a point of total burnout. If you work 9-5, closing your laptop and finishing for the day is a lot easier than being a business owner. To manage your time and make time for yourself, set a time each day that you will not work past. And the most important part, is to stick to the timings that you have created!

     3.  Read

After a day of working, it can be very difficult to turn off and let your mind think about something else. Reading allows you to immerse yourself in a completely different topic and take your mind out of what you have been working on all day. The best way to do this is to find a good reading spot as well as a book that you’re interested in. This will make you look forward to your reading time and allow you to think about something else and there prevent burnout.

     4. Turn off email notifications

Now a days most people have email notifications on their phone, having these email pop ups on your phone all day can make it very hard to switch off from work. Turning off your email notifications can be a very good idea to avoid suffering from burnout. By doing this you will still be able to check your emails on your phone, but you will not be distracted by pop up notifications throughout the day.

With your work emails, this means they won’t distract you past the time you agree with yourself to not do anymore work that day. Plus with your personal emails, we can’t get away from the email marketing newsletters of the companies we’ve subscribed to, so turning off your email notifications means you won’t have these distracting you at all times of the day and night.

     5. Take a holiday and fully unplug Learn Yourself

The best way to prevent burning out is to know where your breaking point is before you reach anywhere near burning out. Over time, make a conscious effort to get to know yourself and see how you feel at different times of the day. Plus, how you feel after doing different amounts of work. Maybe you’re someone who can power through 5 hours of work and then be happy to have a long break after. Or you’re someone who needs to complete the same amount of work over a longer period of time with more breaks. Only you will know the answer to this.

     6. Take a holiday and fully unplug

We all know someone who always has their next holiday planned. Our working lives are busy and full of pressure, we need time to fully unplug. Having a vacation booked is a great incentive and gives you something to look forward to when working hard in the office. It can be big or small, a trip to another country, a weekend away down the road, or a trip to visit family. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you fully unplug and don’t take any work with you.

     7. Hire a virtual assistant

If you’re a business owner who worries about suffering from burnout a VA can help both your business and personal life. From responding to emails, chasing suppliers, paying invoices, day-to-day admin and even briefing freelancers or contractors. A VA can take of the logistical things that can be time-consuming so that you can look at the bigger picture. Because it’s difficult to do both.

Get in touch with us today to find out how our VAs can help you!