As we embrace 2024, setting goals is one way of staying on track with our aspirations and what we hope to achieve in the year ahead. Setting a specific goal to avoid burnout can alleviate the stress and exhaustion some people experience as a result of their packed schedules.
Burnout is a type of mental, physical and emotional tiredness caused by ongoing and excessive stress. Symptoms can include reduced efficiency, feeling negative about and distant from your job, and feeling depleted.
Experiencing a constant state of stress puts pressure on our adrenal and limbic systems, and can cause anxiety and depression, headaches, sleep issues and affect our immunity.
What to look out for:
- Feeling tired a majority of the time
- Sore muscles and headaches
- Change in appetite
- Feeling dissatisfied at work
- Feeling alone, defeated, unmotivated
Tips to avoid burnout:
- Practice mindfulness
- Go for a walk in the fresh air at lunch time
- Help someone in your workplace
- Chat with workmates
- Practice saying no and shifting impossible deadlines
- Work out if you are happy at work, or do something you are passionate about