Preventing burnout by cultivating resilience

The COVID-19 pandemic has left many working individuals feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and lacking personal time for themselves outside of work. The feeling of burnout, caused by a lack of adequate social support or job requirements not matching workers' resources or needs, is associated with symptoms including anxiety and/or depression, fatigue, shortened attention span, and lack of motivation. In a recent survey by the American Psychological Association, 79% of individuals have experienced work-related stress, and of these individuals, nearly 3 in 5 reported a negative effect on their work due to a lack of interest, motivation, or energy. Luckily, burnout is preventable and reversible through cultivating healthy habits to promote self-resilience. 

When feeling an episode of burnout, there are self-care strategies to deal with and prevent the onset of burnout itself. Some strategies include starting every day by setting intentions and working on one productive task at a time, taking lunch breaks, paying attention to your feelings throughout the day, and unplugging from all electronic devices at the end of your personal day. Using these strategies can create healthy habits for yourself, and in turn, reduce burnout throughout your day, week, month, and general life at and outside of work. 

You are not alone in your mental health journey. If you begin to feel distressed at any time, please seek the assistance of a mental health professional. If this is an emergency, call 9-1-1 now or the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-799-4889 for the deaf and hard of hearing).