You would think that avoiding burnout would simply be a matter of not crossing a threshold of fatigue.
Burnout is not that simple.
Burnout
And Creativity
Burnout is often work-related
because we are increasingly expected to be not only highly creative but also
highly productive – like creativity machines.
Robert Fritz, author of the
bestseller, The Path of Least Resistance, writes that when we are
creating there are two parts to the process:
- Stretch: which occurs when we work and expand ourselves in the work.
- Consolidation: which occurs when we take a step back afterward, rest and assimilate the results of the work.
Both parts of the process are
necessary and support each other. Our fast-paced economic system keeps many of
us stuck in the stretch phase of creating. If you are stretching and not
consolidating, you are headed for burnout.
What
Is Burnout?
“Exhaustion of physical or emotional
strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.”
Burnout usually occurs for one of
two reasons:
- Lack of rest or rejuvenation (overwork)
- Lack of motivation or reward
Over the past 50 years rest has acquired
a bad reputation. You can rest when you are dead is how the thinking goes.
However, work and rest are two
complementary sides of the same cycle and they enhance each other. We know this
intuitively because we love getting a good night’s sleep after a day of
positive and productive work and love going to work when we feel refreshed and
on top of our game. When the cycle is working well we feel positive momentum;
when not, we feel drained.
Burnout can also occur when:
- …the work we are doing work that doesn’t suit our skills or interests.
- …we know we are not interested in a particular job or task and force ourselves to do it too often.
- …our work environment is fear-based and highly political.
- …we have too many emergencies, both at work and at home.
- …we are sick or a family member is sick.
When we are well we can withstand
some turbulence in our lives. When rough spots last too long they start to
debilitate us. Life is not meant to be a long emergency.
Steps
To Prevent Burnout
There are many things you can do to
prevent burnout:
- Strengthen your body first. Improve your energy by getting a great night’s sleep, exercising, keeping hydrated and eating well. Detox your body since toxins can build up causing debility over time.
- Learn to meditate to relieve stress and help you with emotional balance. It works wonders.
- Make a list of all the areas you want to work on and set priorities for them.
- Research on the Internet about the issues you want to take on. Do not be afraid to tackle large issues like career choices and family problems.
- Do not be afraid to cut back on commitments that are too draining. Your other commitments will benefit from your improved attention.
- Upgrade your skills to keep yourself marketable and functioning well.
- For the tasks you hate, you have several options: drop them if they are really unimportant, break them up into small bite size work units so that you only have to so it for a short time, delegate them, or trade your undesired task with someone else’s undesired task.
- Determine what is most important to you so that you increase your time spent on your high value activities and therefore increase your satisfaction.
- Treat burnout as a life-time concern that you can eliminate but taking good care of your life.
Everyone’s life matters and everyone
deserves to enjoy their life. Accept the reality of change and plan to be
resilient but also make sure you can say no. You do not have to carry the
world on your shoulders.
When you are proactive, flexible,
mindful about commitments and take excellent care of yourself you are doing
what is necessary to beat burnout. Good luck!
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/9-ways-to-prevent-burnout.html
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