Coping with Workplace Stress and Burnout

For most of us, work is a necessity and, for a few of us, our work can be a calling. No matter if we are working a job that makes our heart sing or working to survive, we all experience work stress and burnout. Workplace stress usually begins with feelings of being overwhelmed by deadlines, expectations, and responsibilities. If left unchecked, this feeling of being overwhelmed turns into stress and eventually leads to burnout. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion that can make it hard to function both at work and at home. Paying attention to our stress levels is a key component in reducing and preventing burnout. One of the first places we feel stress is in our bodies. It often shows up as tension in the body that is difficult to resolve. This can be tension in the face, neck, shoulders, and back. Changes in the digestive track are also an indication of stress. Stress impacts our thought processes, resulting in racing thoughts, irritability, and difficulty focusing. If you have these warning signs, addressing them early is essential.

To reduce stress, build a self-care routine in your daily life. Practices like a daily gradual muscle relaxation routine can help you get back in touch with your body and relieve muscle tension. Another key component in muscle relaxation is staying hydrated. Every system in the body needs water to function. Also try a variety of grounding exercises like deep belly breathing to recenter yourself when feeling stressed. Pay attention to stress triggers and signals so that you can improve your reaction time for bringing stress relieving practices into those moments of stress or overwhelm. There are also some preventative things we can do, such as making sure we have an adequate support system for difficult times. We also need to ensure that we have work-life balance and that our social needs are being met outside of work. We can curtail stress and prevent it from becoming burnout. Burnout develops gradually when stress is not managed over time.

Coping with burnout is a little different than coping with stress. Burnout has a lot of the same signs as stress but at a much more critical level. With burnout, it’s common to feel a sense of dread on workdays or feel exhausted even after a full night’s sleep. To have increased irritability, withdrawal, detachment, as well as a decrease in productivity and creativity. Fighting our way out of burnout starts with recognizing that we are at the end of our tether and then taking a step back and assessing what the root cause of the issue is. This begins with leaving work at work. Having clear cut off time in which we no longer answer emails or texts. We all need space to think about things other than work. Taking time off gives us the space to reflect on if our work environment or career path needs to shift. Look for ways to delegate some of your responsibilities to others and begin to adjust expectations. Decide if it’s time to explore new opportunities. Look for spaces and dynamics that allow you to create change at work and at home. By tuning into your needs, setting boundaries, making changes, and seeking support when necessary, you can create a healthier dynamic at work and home. Be kind to yourself and know that taking protective measures isn’t selfish—it’s essential to your well-being and mental health.