3 Tips to Start 2020 Free from Burnout
Happy new year everyone! The start of a new year is a great opportunity to start off with a fresh slate and set some ground rules that will help you avoid burnout. With that in mind, here are some tips to start off 2020 burnout-free!
Whenever I talk about burnout I like to use the definition from the World Health Organization, which defines burnout on three scales:
Emotional exhaustion or overwork
Depersonalization or cynicism
Reduced professional efficacy
The first thing to keep in mind is to start small. If you try to make changes across three scales at once, you are going to burn yourself out again! Instead, pick one of the scales and start from there.
The first scale of burnout is exhaustion or overwork. You could prevent this by setting boundaries at work. Setting boundaries has come up on many episodes of Talk Burnout, starting with the first episode with Jenny Blake. The new year gives you a great excuse to set a boundary. If you'd like to start going home at 6pm consistently, make it sound like a New Year's resolution or tie it into another goal of yours:
"I need to head home now because my New Year's resolution is to spend more time with family."
"I'm going to head out now to the gym to keep up with my New Year's resolution."
Of course, it would be nice to just be able to head home without any guilt or sharing these things. But saying that you need to go home for a specific reason may help this go well with your manager or coworkers.
The second scale is depersonalization or cynicism. This happens when you feel like your work is pointless or you have no connection to your work. One thing I'm doing in 2020 is thinking about who I'm helping with my writing and podcasting when I start my day. Sometimes it's a specific person that I know enjoys my work. Usually though it's just a generic "audience member" that I imagine is trying to avoid burnout. You can do the same thing! Think about customers, clients, or coworkers that benefit from your work.
The final scale of burnout is lack of professional efficacy - which is the feeling that your work isn't up to your personal standards or you're not improving. I liked Justin Jones-Fosu's advice to live your life "On 10". That means giving your best no matter what you're doing. Everyone's version of "On 10" is different and will involve different behaviors. If, at the end of the day, you can say that you gave your work your best effort that will help you feel proud of your work and avoid burnout.
What actions are you planning to take to avoid burnout in 2020? Feel free to email me to let me know.