Smartphones, tabs, laptops, notebooks etc; all come at a price. Carrying work home is sometimes no longer an option – it follows you home in the form of tweets, messages, emails and other random pop ups that seem to occupy the focal point of your mind view. This can wreak havoc with your mental health and put a strain on relationships eventually leading to that much to be avoided state – burnout. Here’s how you can sidestep burnout:
- Be proactive in planning downtime:
Proactive actions apply just as well to personal life as they do to work. We take preemptive decisions at work to avoid pitfalls and avoid risks. The same goes for time spent with family and friends. Ask your family about what’s happening in their lives so you can plan ahead and be there for them at the important moments that count.
- Perfectionism doesn’t work well with teamwork:
It is easy to use perfectionism as an excuse to spend more time on a report/project than is actually required. Learn to let go. There will be people in your team who may not achieve what you feel you may have had you done everything yourself. But then, if you have to do it all yourself, why have a team in the first place? Let go of your personal perfectionism and align your goals and expectations with that of the team as a whole. Doing everything yourself is not the answer and will only build up frustration in yourself and your team not to mention play havoc with your personal life.
- Workout:
Exercise works the same way as meditation for some. Working out encourages the secretion of the hormone endorphin which is sometimes called the “happy hormone”. You may be thinking how exercise will help when you are already feeling tired. The answer is that once your workout is a regular part of your routine your mind starts to relax and unwind – letting go of all other issues. When you’re done you are walking out with a clean slate/trouble free mind and this will help you to prioritize your issues better.
- Be social in real time:
Engaging in social media is an addiction. Like all addictions it overpowers all other impulses leaving you anxious and disturbed if you haven’t replied to or seen all comments on Facebook/twitter (whatever your social media juice is). Start putting your electronic devices away for a certain time of the day. Best way is to make sure you don’t have any virtual interruption devices around for meal times. Build up from there. Once you realize your world doesn’t come to a stop if you don’t check your online world every two minutes, it will be easier to make social media a part of your life instead of letting it rule your life.
- Make a happy list:
Make a list of your ideal routine – what you would like to be doing during the day if you had no obligations and responsibilities. Match it with what your routine really is like. Seeing the difference on paper might give you the reality check of your life. Use this to re-align priorities and see how you can make changes in what you are spending your time on to make it better reflect what truly defines you as a person.