5 Ways to Beat Burnout and Bring More Balance into Your Work-Life

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have struggled with burnout. Maybe you’ve been working longer hours in a stressful industry, and lately, you’ve been perpetually exhausted. Mothers, in particular, have been stretched thin with more childcare responsibilities as many schools continue with remote learning.

Overall, the past year and a half have been an exceptionally difficult time for most people, and it’s no wonder that so many are suffering from burnout. If you’re trying to recover from burnout, working with a life coach like me can help you heal your mental and physical health. Additionally, these tips can help you return to a healthier more harmonious work-life and avoid burnout in the future.

Practice Self-Compassion

Do you have a tendency to criticize yourself for minor mistakes? If you’re a perfectionist, it’s all too easy to get down on yourself for failing to reach impossible standards. Instead, try practicing self-compassion. TinyBuddha recommends identifying negative assumptions about yourself and challenging these assumptions, as well as cultivating acceptance for your flaws. Shifting your self-talk won’t take place overnight, but over time, you’ll learn to cut yourself some slack.

Celebrate Small Wins

Have you been working towards a major goal for a long time? If so, you might feel disappointed in yourself because you haven’t reached your objective yet - and because of this, you may be pushing yourself to work too hard. Instead of fixating on one big goal, try celebrating small wins! The Every Girl recommends writing a list of five recent accomplishments that you’re proud of to remind yourself how far you’ve come.

Pursue Online Learning

What if you’ve been working in a high-pressure environment for a while now, and you can no longer handle the stress? You want to pursue a new job, but your ideal career path will require some further education, and you don’t know how to balance coursework with your time-consuming, full-time job.

Rather than attending a brick-and-mortar degree program, you can enroll in an online degree program so that you’ll be able to continue working while completing your assignments. You’ll be able to enjoy a more flexible course schedule and work on projects for your classes when it suits you, as long as you turn everything in by your deadlines. In addition, you can take an online program that prepares you for multiple industries.

Set Healthy Boundaries

Do you ever find it hard to separate your professional and personal life? Maybe you’ve gotten used to answering phone calls and emails even when you’re off the clock, or you regularly spend an extra hour or two working after you should technically be done for the day. Setting strong boundaries between your time at work and your time off is crucial. Turn off your notifications when your workday is done, and step away from your inbox on the weekends.

Choose Your Priorities

Do you ever feel burned out because you’re juggling too much at once? It’s time to hone in on your priorities and remove some items from your to-do list. Assess how you’re spending your time, and consider what you could let go of or outsource to someone else. For instance, you might be able to hire a freelancer to tackle certain tasks at work. You could also reduce the time you spend on activities that are unproductive and lack concrete benefits, like scrolling through social media.

Overcoming burnout can be challenging. But by being patient with yourself and focusing on what matters most, you can find your center again. With these tips, you’ll be able to free yourself from burnout!

Ready to transform your life? Seek coaching with me, Life & Leadership, Dionne Nicholls! Contact us through the form on our website to learn more about our services.

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