How to deal with burnout at work when you can’t quit
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Firstly, what is job related burnout?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), job related burnout results from chronic work-related stress, with “feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy”.
Some of us are unfortunate to experience work related burnout at some point during our working careers. And a subset of this group is even more unfortunate to experience multiple episodes of this. It absolutely sucks.
You probably know the reasons that have led to your mental wellbeing taking a nosedive. The obvious answer for some may be to just change jobs. But, in this day and age, it may not be easy to do so for a variety of reasons. So, in this case, realistically what can you do?
We set out 13 actions you can take to help you on the road to recovery from burnout, if you can’t quit your job.
1. Prioritize quality sleep and a healthy diet
Quality sleep is incredibly important for good mental and physical wellbeing. Recall the last time you didn’t get a good night’s sleep. You probably felt irritable and wasn’t feeling your best self.
This is also true of your diet. It is incredibly easy to eat processed foods, and foods higher in fat and sugar, when you don’t have the energy to cook nutritious meals from scratch after a long draining working day. These will leave you feeling even more lethargic both mentally and physically. A healthy, nutritious balanced diet is going to fuel your mind and body with essential nutrients to give you the energy you need to help tackle your burnout.
2. Make time for self-care
Lack of self-care is a contributor to suffering from job related burnout. Burning candles at both ends, constantly running in stress mode or on auto-pilot, juggling work and personal obligations while making no time for yourself is going to mean that burnout is going to be inevitable.
Many people believe that they simply don’t have enough time to practice self-care. If this is true for you, you can absolutely start small. Think about the small things in life that really make you feel good. This differs from person to person. For some, it could look like spending an extra 5 mins a day to really disconnect from everything to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, being present in the moment. For others, it may look like spending 10 mins journaling and practicing gratitude.
Intentionally carving out a set and fixed time every day will help encourage you to be consistent with your self care. Additionally, how you spend that dedicated time may change according to your needs.
3. Make time for exercise every day
Making time to exercise every day will get your feel-good hormones going. Assuming you have a desk-based job, a short 5-10 min walk, a quick dance to your favourite song is all that’s needed to start. You don’t need to run a marathon or go to the gym to lift weights, hitting your personal best. Unless you want to.
According to Healthline, regular exercise has been shown to help boost energy levels and enhance your mood. Track how you feel after exercising and keep that positive feeling in your memory bank to try and build a habit.
We at Job Honesty encourage our team to talk a short walk whenever we’re feeling stuck on something, stressed or overwhelmed – it really helps to clear our minds.
4. Take regular breaks
According to the Harvard Business Review, taking regular breaks is productive and good for both you and your employer. Microbreaks, if you can’t have a 15 min break, can help you to feel recharged, avoid mental over-exertion and reduced productivity. Even regular acts such as getting up and going to grab water or a warm drink (or both) count.
Scrolling through social media/on your mobile phone does not count. In fact, studies show that it can leave you feeling further exhausted.
5. Take time off work, if possible
PTO/annual leave is there for a reason – to be used. Assuming you have unused leave remaining, taking a decent amount of time off work will help you to mentally and physically recalibrate. If you can, take a week off and really disconnect from work completely.
6. Plan activities outside of your working hours
It’s not always possible to take annual leave/PTO from work. And even if you are able to, it is still important to really make the most of your time outside of work. Give yourself something to look forward to that you personally enjoy. These activities will not only help you to temporarily disconnect from work, but they will also remind you that there is life outside of work and that for most of us, we aim to live by the mantra “work to live”, not the other way round.
7. Set boundaries at work
Learning to set clear boundaries at work comes easily to some of us than others. Additionally, we don’t all have the same boundaries across the board. However, knowing what your boundaries are as a starting point is important. If you have contractual hours, such as 9am – 5pm, and the nature of your job does not require overtime, then sticking to your 9-5 hours is a boundary that you should look to enforce. As this is a nuanced area, read this article: Boundaries to Set At Work To Be Happier
8. Review what tasks you enjoy at work
It could be the job itself that you really dislike. Or it could be your boss or toxic team that is causing your burnout. Whatever the reason, trying to identify tasks that you somewhat enjoy doing in your role can help you to a) focus on things you like doing and b) potentially seek out more of this type of work, if possible.
However, if you genuinely hate your job then focus on the fact that your job helps with your financial obligations and funds activities outside of work and that at some point, you will have a clear exit plan to find a job that you enjoy more, if not fully.
9. Raise it with your boss
If you haven’t already raised your burnout with your boss, it is worth doing so. Ensure that you plan on what, where and how you will deliver your message. It’s always worth documenting it, if possible, in the event it becomes an HR issue.
10. Practice acceptance with things you cannot control
Sometimes there aren’t not enough hours in the day to get through all your workload in your job, particularly where your team is under-resourced in terms of headcount. This is where boundary setting and expectation management with your boss, through clear communication can help. There will always be things out of our control that will crop up and throw a spanner in the works and derail our efforts.
Do you have a toxic boss or colleague that’s getting to you? You cannot control how they behave. Their negative attitude is down to them and says a lot about them as a person than you. The key here is to learn how to navigate these individuals.
11. Reframe your thoughts
When we’re feeling burnout, the way we view what we’re experiencing can really have an impact on our moods. It can greatly increase or minimize our stress. For example, if we perceive we’re being threatened and unsafe then this can kick in our fight or flight mode.
Notice your thinking patterns – when you’re feeling more critical and negative versus when you’re not. Catch yourself when you’re feeling in a negative spiral and really challenge these thoughts. For example, if your boss’s email to you was a little curt, it’s so easy to over analyse this. Instead, notice it and catch yourself really challenge whether it’s because they’re having a bad day rather than it being due to something you did or said. You shouldn’t have to walk on eggshells in your job – self-imposed or otherwise.
12. Discuss it with a close friend or family member
Confiding in close friend or family member about your job-related burnout can really help to let off some stream. Whether you want to simply vent or are looking for advice, it’s important to let them know beforehand. And, if you want to vent or confide confidentially with people you don’t know, that’s what the Job Honesty forum community is there for. You’ll be surprised to learn that there are many other people from around the world going through very similar job-related issues as you.
13. Seek professional help
A therapist, counsellor, coach or another mental health professional can really help with your burnout if you feel like you need external help. They’re trained specialists. Depending on the type of organization you work for, your workplace may offer this as a free or discounted service so it’s worth looking into this if you haven’t already.
Final thoughts…
For some, making positive changes might feel stressful. Incremental positive steps are far better than nothing and, remind yourself that your job is never more important than your health and wellbeing.