Have you been feeling tired and worn out by your job lately? If so, you may be experiencing burnout. Burnout can cause employees to feel disengaged, exhausted, and can lead to you being unproductive at work. Here are some burnout mistakes that people make, and some tips to help you beat burnout at work.

Recharge Your Batteries

Riley Burke, Growth Marketing Manager, Ohza Mimosas

If you are experiencing burnout on the job, this could be due to a number of reasons including stress, a heavy workload, difficult co-workers or a boss, or even something as simple as a lack of sleep. In order to turn this burnout around, you may need to take a break from the office and recharge your batteries. This could be taking time to catch up on your sleep, spending time with the family, or even taking a much needed vacation. This way, you’ll be recharged and feeling better than ever. Everybody needs a break from work sometimes, and taking some time for yourself is a great way to avoid burnout.

Find What You’re Passionate About and Set Goals

Omid Semino, CEO, Diamond Mansion

When you start a new job, most people are excited about going to work and love acclimating to a new environment. However, after you have settled in, or maybe it has even been a few years, you may start to lose some passion for your job. If you are feeling like this, it is a huge sign that you may be heading towards burnout. So, take charge and turn the ship around. Find out what you are passionate about, set new goals for the future, and maybe even learn some new skills. This will help you to feel more fulfilled and like you are working towards a higher achievement. 

Isolation from Co-Workers

John Wu, Co-Founder, Gryphon

If you have been feeling a bit alone or isolated lately at your job, there could be some serious conscious or subconscious reasoning for this that needs to be addressed. Isolating yourself from co-workers or pulling away can definitely contribute to burnout. If you have been feeling this way, the best thing to do is to talk about it with someone. Whether it’s your spouse, co-workers, a therapist, or even your boss, having a dialogue about burnout or feeling isolated is a great place to start. Also, try jumping back in and being social. Go to the next social event that comes up on your work calendar, or even just try having some one-on-one conversations at your next business meeting. Feeling comfortable in your workplace is critical to being happy in your career.

Taking a Stress-Management Class

Olivia Young, Head of Product Design, Conscious Items 

Burnout can sometimes cause you to call out sick on a regular basis, even if you’re not ill. Maybe this is to avoid stress. If you have been feeling stressed out at work lately or are even making the burnout mistake of suffering from absenteeism, it may be time to address it. Taking a stress-management class can be a great way to learn how to manage stress in a healthy way. In these types of courses, you can learn from experts on how to let go of the stress, and how to leave that stress at work. Also, incorporating healthy habits into your life such as volunteering, eating healthy, and exercising, can also help mitigate the stress and incorporate positivity into your life.

Exercising Your Body

Lori Price, Co-Founder, PixieLane

If you have been feeling lazy, tired, or burnt out at work lately, a great idea to try is exercising your body more. Starting off your morning with a short exercise routine will not only boost your energy levels throughout the day, but it should leave you feeling more rejuvenated and ready to start your work day. Exercising in the morning can also help you to stay more alert and focused throughout your day. Physical activity is also a natural remedy for stress, so exercising should help to release those endorphins, or “feel good” neurotransmitters, to help you have a more optimistic outlook for the day. It’s also important to wear comfortable clothes when exercising, and at the office as well. Wearing the right clothes and shoes that fit right, will also leave you feeling happier and more comfortable throughout your day.

Adding Some Life to Your Space

Chris Gadek, Head of Growth, AdQuick

If your office or cubicle is lacking in life, try adding some plants to help awaken your space. Having plants or a petite garden in your office is known to help reduce stress, increase productivity, and reduce sickness. Plants are a beautiful reminder to be creative and will leave you feeling more focused and refreshed.

Making Mistakes and Taking Responsibility

Shahzil Amin, Founder, WellBefore

Have you been noticing yourself making more mistakes recently? Making a mistake every one in a while is normal, but employees who are burned out often find themselves making the same mistakes over and over again. If you find yourself experiencing this, a great place to start is to take responsibility, and start better managing your workload. Whether this is breaking your workload into smaller and more manageable sections, or working more with your team, it can often be overwhelming to take on large tasks all by yourself, or to feel rushed on projects, which could be why you have been making so many mistakes. .

Overreaction and Irrational Thinking

Ramin Oskoui, Director of Growth Marketing, NURO

Burnout also causes many people to suffer from irrational thinking, or acting out of character. This can ultimately stem from stress, or even just the overall feeling of being unhappy in the workplace. If you have been feeling like little irritations have been setting you over the edge lately, then this definitely needs to be addressed. Many companies have employee-assistance programs that are designed to help with these types of problems, and can be a great resource for employees who are needing some motivation or mental health help.

Take Advantage of Resources

Irish Burch, CEO, Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center

Two of the things that I learned that are very critical is one, you have to have a world outside of this one. When you’re in a mission-focused organization, then it almost becomes your life, it can consume you. Some people might be disengaged, when they are usually really engaged with everyone, you’ll notice a form of disengagement. Some people might struggle with performance issues, some people might start to call in a lot and really want to stay home. Some people may just feel like ‘I’m not as excited as I used to be.’  We really work to ensure everyone understands the resources we provide. We are diligent to make sure we provide those mental health support systems free of charge to our staff members and our partners. We are encouraging our staff members to always take care of themselves, take your wellness leave, take your vacation time. 

Changing Up Your Routine

Lindsay McCormick, Founder and CEO, Bite

Have you been feeling stuck in a rut lately? Sleep, work, eat, repeat. Burnout often occurs when we do the same things over and over everyday, and get tired of our experiences. Sometimes our job and daily routines just need a refresh. A great way to do this is to make a more sustainable daily routine that works for you. There are many benefits to changing up your schedule and daily routine including improving brain function, experiencing more excitement in life, and avoiding future burnout. 

Exhaustion and Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

Matthew Mundt, CEO and Founder, Hug Sleep

Experiencing burnout at work can leave you feeling exhausted. On the flip side, if you’re not getting a good night’s sleep, this could also leave you feeling tired at work, which is a huge burnout mistake. Getting a good night’s sleep is so important for both your mental and physical health. Good sleep can improve your concentration and productivity at work, which will help you to be a better problem-solver and an all around happier and productive employee.

Experiencing Headaches and Pain

Lauren Kleinman, Co-Founder, The Quality Edit

For many people, burnout is an emotional issue like anxiety or depression, but for some, burnout can also lead to physical ailments. They can include headaches, chest pain, stomach problems, sweating, or dizziness. If you have been experiencing any physical pain at or after work, you should definitely consult your doctor and try to find out the root cause of the pain and potential burnout. 

Feeling Ineffective

Stephanie Harrison, Founder and CEO, The New Happy

Burnout has three different components: exhaustion, cynicism, and a sense of ineffectiveness. For example, you might hear an employee talking about how they feel like they aren’t ever successful or achieving their goals, which would indicate a sense of ineffectiveness. It’s essential to help employees to learn and adopt tools that help to prevent burnout, like making time for movement and exercise, getting enough sleep each night, prioritizing their work effectively, clearly communicating boundaries at work, and learning stress management strategies, like meditation or breathing.

Having a Healthy Diet

Jeff Goodwin, Vice President of Direct to Consumer and Performance Marketing, Orgain

If you have been experiencing burnout, it may be a good idea to look at your diet. Studies have shown that burnout can be affected by your diet and the food you consume. By taking in clean nutrition and eating a healthy balance of foods, this can help you improve your mood and productivity at work. A great place to start is by eating a healthy lunch. Smart lunches consist of having the right amount of protein, sugars, fat, fiber, carbs, and nutrients. Having a large portion of fruits and vegetables in your lunch will help you to feel more engaged and creative while at work. 

Another thing to remember about having a healthy diet is to not skip meals, as this can cause your concentration to suffer and your energy levels to drop. Also, be sure to focus on hydration and drinking enough water while you are at work. If you find yourself feeling hungry throughout the workday, try packing some healthy snacks like nuts, fruits, or yogurt, to give yourself an added energy boost.

Taking Care of Yourself 

James Sun, Founder, Beautytap

Has sitting at your desk all day been making you feel down in the dumps? A great way to avoid burnout and make your office feel more like a home away from home is to add some comforting elements. For example, keep a soothing lotion, calming cream, or hydrating mist in your drawer for the next time you’re feeling a little tired. Also, maybe try using a standing desk to help your body when feeling tired. Taking care of yourself is key to avoiding burnout, and feeling relaxed and awake at work.