Am I heading for a Burn-Out? Part 5. More and more, today’s state of mind is one of working until you drop. Feeling tired or plain unhealthy, is taboo. You’ve got to finish your work first, right? As soon as our career becomes our first priority, we start to neglect our health. No wonder that we’re fueling a burn-out driven society. Instead of easing off when we’re feeling weak, we resort to pills against headaches or fatigue. When we’re low on energy, we either snack on candy bars or pump our veins full of caffeine. Only when our health completely prohibits working, we start to take things easy –until we’re feeling even slightly better that is.
Does this sound familiar? In the coming weeks, we’ll give you five questions you can ask yourself to better understand the contemporary syndrome. Here’s the fifth question.
Am I heading for a Burn-Out?
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Which (realistic) adjustments can you make to prevent heading for a Burn-Out?
Moving to a tropical island and quitting work might be what you need, but is it realistic too? Probably not. So what can you do?
Even if you have little control over your boss’ style of leadership and the rules in the office, you can always focus on how you react to certain situations. Don’t avoid a (difficult) conversation on your boundaries, but use it as an opportunity to change your working life for the better. Talk about flexible work and the possibilities that lie in it. Learn to say no, but remember that self-reflection is equally important. Focus on your core talents and bond with your colleagues when you’re having difficulties completing a task. Are you unsure what your core talents are? Your childhood reveals a lot.
Do you know how to delegate? To delegate, is letting go but at the same time checking everything at the end. After all, you’re responsible for the work you’ve delegated. Doing it the right way, keeps your desk from being flooded with work. It’s the only way to work in a healthy manner.
Even more important to stay healthy on the job, is knowing that you’re allowed to take breaks. If you wait until you’re ill before you take a break, the damage is already done. Set your health at least on par with your career or even better yet, set it as your first priority. If necessary, take it easy. You’ll achieve much more in the long run.
Food is another influential factor on your productivity. Eating food that’s rich in sugar in the morning for instance, will rapidly raise your blood sugar level, followed by a double dip. At that point, there’s only one way to prevent the energy dip: eating more sugar throughout the day. Unfortunately, due to the fluctuations in your blood sugar level, that leaves you feeling exhausted at the end of the day. It’s better to prevent sugar rich food altogether.
Am I heading for a Burn-Out? Please remember that all tips we’ve given you, are tips to lead a healthy lifestyle that helps prevent a burn-out, but if they cause stress for you, you shouldn’t abide to them. Try them out and see which work for you. One last tip we’re giving you, is finding a dear colleague to go through these changes in your working routines together. Observe one another and help each other to prevent burn-out in a friendly way.
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