How To Prevent Burnout

Are you experiencing burnout? Often times we are so overwhelmed with having the responsibility of juggling all the things. How do we deal with burnout from our job and other responsibilities?

Event Planners have one of the MOST stressful positions, but burnout can happen no matter what it is you do for work. The following is an explanation of burnout symptoms and what to do to prevent it.

According to helpguide.org Most of us have days when we feel helpless, overloaded, or unappreciated—when dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. If you feel like this most of the time, you may be burned out.

Burnout is a gradual process. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it can creep up on you. The signs and symptoms are subtle at first, but become worse as time goes on. Think of the early symptoms as red flags that something is wrong that needs to be addressed. If you pay attention and actively reduce your stress, you can prevent a major breakdown. If you ignore them, you’ll eventually burn out.

Physical signs and symptoms of burnout:

*Feeling tired and drained most of the time

*Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses

*Frequent headaches or muscle pain

*Change in appetite or sleep habits

Emotional signs and symptoms of burnout:

*Sense of failure and self-doubt

*Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated

*Detachment, feeling alone in the world

*Loss of motivation

*Increasingly cynical and negative

*Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment

Behavioral signs and symptoms of burnout:

*Withdrawing from responsibilities

*Isolating yourself from others

*Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done

*Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope

*Taking out your frustrations on others

*Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early

Lifestyle causes of burnout:

*Working too much, without enough time for socializing or relaxing

*Lack of close, supportive relationships

*Taking on too many responsibilities, without enough help from others

*Not getting enough sleep

Work-related causes of burnout

*Feeling like you have little or no control over your work

*Lack of recognition or reward for good work

*Unclear or overly demanding job expectations

*Doing work that’s monotonous or unchallenging

*Working in a chaotic or high-pressure environment

Whether you recognize the warning signs of impending burnout or you’re already past the breaking point, trying to push through the exhaustion and continuing as you have been will only cause further emotional and physical damage. Now is the time to pause and change direction by learning how you can help yourself overcome burnout and feel healthy and positive again.

Dealing with burnout requires the “Three R” approach:

Recognize – Watch for the warning signs of burnout

Reverse – Undo the damage by seeking support and managing stress

Resilience – Build your resilience to stress by taking care of your physical and emotional health

Bottom line, we will all face burnout at one time or another. The most important thing is to recognize it, ask for help, and find ways to implement some self-care.