How to Cure Burnout

Stress and burnout are on the increase. With downsizing and cost cutting occurring at an alarming rate, workers who survive are being asked to do more work with reduced resources. This results in too much effort being expended without enough opportunity to recover. Given this scenario, how does a worker cope with increasing demands that lead to extreme stress and burnout? Take these 7 steps to overcome and cure burnout by managing your efforts and energy at work.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Get sufficient sleep and rest. Various studies have shown that most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day to feel well rested and energetic. Additionally, proper rest is necessary to maintain good health and reduce the chances of burnout.

2. Eat for high performance and peak energy. Proper nutrition and diet are absolutely essential as well as watching the combination of foods you eat. Your digestive system has to work overtime to break down fatty foods. This causes your brain to divert most of its oxygen to fuel the digestive process. When this happens the brain begins to shut down and you get tired which over time can lead to burnout.

3. Get daily non-stressed fun aerobic exercise. Exercise can make you feel less tired and stressed. Fun aerobic exercise like walking, running, and bicycling have been found to be very beneficial in overcoming work-related stress and burnout.

4. Spend time alone. Establish a daily morning quiet time to reflect and mentally prepare for the work day. To cure burnout, take 15 minutes for yourself first thing in the morning for a physical, mental and intellectual boost.

5. Take time to read and learn. Develop a daily balanced reading habit by avoid depressing news stories). Try studying history or learning about the great philosophers like Socrates and Plato. This will expand your mind, develop new neurons and decrease the chances of succumbing to burnout.

6. Seek to grow spiritually. Get alone with God and learn how to practice spiritual disciplines like fasting and prayer to reduce stress and help cure burnout. Develop a sense of purpose.

7. Spend quality time with family and friends by engaging in fun, joy and play. Take regular and frequent vacations or develop new interests and re-visit old hobbies.

Resources

• Learn to Control Your Stress Level to Eliminate Burnout

[ncourage]

on 8/5/2008 Especially with the pressure's, we need to take care of ourselves. Good stuff

[mattlee]

on 8/5/2008 great article - we all need to heed this advice

[DreamLiving]

on 8/3/2008 Great tips.