Are You Burned Out at Work? How Can You Fix It?

There are times when looking for a new job is the only solution to the lack of love between you and your current role. But sometimes, if you’re reaching burnout, a few tweaks can help you revive your enjoyment at work. 

Are you burned out?

Firstly, consider whether you’re actually burned out or if something unrelated to work is causing the problem.

Ask yourself:

• Do I count down the days until the weekend?
• Do I dread Sunday nights because of Monday mornings?
• Do I look for excuses not to do something?
• Am I motivated to meet deadlines?
• Do I wish to get ill to get a day off?
• Do I avoid people in the office?
• Am I struggling with workplace relationships?
• Do people I have personal relationships with comment on how much I complain about work?

There are plenty more signs, but these can help you reveal where your problem lies.

How to fix job burnout

These signs don’t show that you’re a shirker, especially if you’re typically self-motivated and engaged. What they may well be showing is that you’re responding to being overworked or poorly treated by disengaging and reaching exhaustion. 

There’s a lot you can do to change things.

1. Be honest
   
   Be honest with yourself, and ideally others, about how you are feeling. Acknowledge that it’s genuine to release some of the anxiety. Identifying work burnout, rather than assuming it’s something else such as relationship problems, is the first step to finding a solution.
   
   If you can, be honest with your line manager. Often, they simply don’t see burnout coming, or may be blind to it because of their own workloads. You may find that admitting it at work enables others to think more carefully before putting more on your plate.

2. Fuel your inspiration
   
   Feeling passionate and inspired can fuel energy levels and ease the symptoms of burnout. What can be particularly helpful is to ride on the back of someone else’s success and enthusiasm, until you feel it yourself. Listen to inspirational podcasts, read books, and listen attentively to the ups and downs of other people’s stories.

3. Create some control
   
   Burnout is fuelled by feeling out of control, so try and regain some. Create ordered to-do lists and prioritise tasks. Seeing things written down can also help you determine if you genuinely have too much for the hours in a day and, if necessary, use this to address change with your boss.
   
   Be realistic and say “no” more as well. A good mantra is “saying yes to someone else is saying no to myself”.

4. Take breaks
   
   Powering on is all very well, but with burnout it can backfire. Force yourself to take regular breaks, ideally outside and away from your desk. You’ll probably find that you’re actually more productive as a result.

5. Make a plan
   
   If you’re feeling burned out then you need to make a plan for how to move forwards, and what to do (and when) if things don’t ease. Simply having this plan—knowing that you’re doing something about it—can make you feel better.

Browse job opportunities or chat to a recruiter, and know that moving on is always an option.

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Our expert recruiters can help you find permanent and temporary jobs in London.

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