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Step 1
IDENTIFY: Identifying burnout is simple but complicated. It requires an honest, self-assessment of your current life situation. Honesty is the key. Burnout is really a state of mind or a manner of perspective based on the situation. To assist in identifying burnout, examine your daily routine; note what you like and dislike. Where do you spend your time? Keep a journal of your daily routine; continually asking yourself how you feel about that event or entry. An accurate life journal can help identify where the thorn is and how to remove or relieve it from your life.
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Step 2
WORK: This is no surprise; burnout at work is extremely common. However, what is it about work (other than the fact that it is work) that is causing you burnout. Use the life journal to describe the daily events at work, what do you like or dislike.
If you live in a cube condo (cubical if you didn’t get the joke), change your landscape. When my company changed office spaces, nearly everyone went from private offices to cube condos; needless to say I wasn’t happy. So, I coined the phrase “Pimp my Cube.” Make it your space; decorate it to change the mood; a happy place, if you will. Change the picture on your computer desktop, clean up the icons, rearrange the paper on your desk; all of these things can make it a little more enjoyable at work.
If the work environment is the problem, examine how to change it to make it more enjoyable for you. A happy worker is a better worker. I have always found that if you want to get a bunch of people or an individual to see things your way at work or just be in a better mood, bring in food (donuts, biscuits, bagels). People are much happier when they are eating. -
Step 3
COMMUTE: The dreaded commute can cause burnout and road rage. You are probably taking the best or only route to and from work but what are you doing with that time. One solution is to load your favorite MP3 player (iPod, Zune, iTouch) with your favorite music, movie (just to listen), podcasts or what I like, audio books. You will be surprised how fast stop and go traffic moves when listening to an audio book. If you have multiple routes to and from work, take the scenic route home. Let the breeze wash the work stress away as you make your way home.
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Step 4
HOME: Burnout at home comes in many colors. I mean it. It could just be the color of the walls. However, use the life journal to document your home life, be honest with yourself. The honesty will reveal the source of the burnout, and it is not your spouse, partner, girlfriend, boyfriend or family member. This opens another assortment of problems that I will defer later but open communication provides a starting point. Other than relationship issues, try to identify what it is about your home life that is giving you that feeling. Then look for ways to better it.
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Step 5
EXERCISE: If you exercise regularly then you probably have experienced burnout at some point. It is caused by routines; doing the same push-ups, sit-ups and running, day in and day out. Simply put, change it up. Find other ways to get exercise that gives you the same workout in the same amount on time. Other than injury, boring fitness programs, done everyday are the number one killer of regular physical fitness. People get bored then they lose interest, then they stop.
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Step 6
EVERYDAY: Like previously said, examine your everyday life. Use the life journal to document your daily events. Be descriptive in your feelings during the daily events. Look for common patterns, which might be the cause of your burnout feelings. Once identified, look for positive ways to relieve the burnout from your life. The answer may be simpler than you think.
Comments
kaytay said
on 2/25/2009 thanks for sharing. 5* and a recommend
writer7 said
on 2/18/2009 Excellent article! 5*