Mental Health Month is coming up in October. On October 10 – we celebrate World Mental Health Day. According to AU Mental Health: “Good mental health is when we can cope with the stressors of our daily lives, participate in loving relationships, contribute to our community, and work towards our goals. Everyone has mental health. And we can all benefit from looking after our own mental health and the mental health of our communities.”

Chronic workplace stress – otherwise known as burnout – is prevalent, especially as we gear towards the holiday season. Not everyone can separate themselves completely from the stress of the workplace. A lot of workers don’t have the option to give up a couple of days or weeks to take time off. Examples of these are healthcare workers or gig workers. So, how can we avoid burnout or workplace stress?

1. Boundaries:

Set boundaries for yourself around life and work, including defining your non-negotiables. To define your boundaries, ask yourself the following questions:

• What am I prepared to NOT compromise on?
• Where do I need extra support?
• What areas am I willing to be flexible?

Once you have the answers, you can clearly define your best work environment scenario and clearly define your non-negotiables.

2. Priorities:

There is a concept in Positive Psychology called “time affluence” defined as the sense that one has ample time available on a daily basis. It is the idea that you have enough time to do the things you want to do. Having an abundance of time for the things you need and desire to do is one of the most important factors of happiness. The inverse, which is the state of being “time poor” can lead to unhappiness. This means that we have to prioritize tasks so that work, chores, and other responsibilities don’t eat up all of our time. Learn how to prioritize. We’ve written about that here and here. Use the Eisenhower matrix to help you identify which tasks are to be prioritized and which ones to manage, delegate, limit, or avoid.

3. Social life: 

The first thing we drop when we’re stressed is socializing with other people. We turn inwardly and keep to ourselves. However, evidence of a 75 -year Harvard study suggests that building and maintaining strong relationships is the best indicator of happiness. The strength of our relationships determine our level of happiness. So call a friend, visit family, and don’t isolate yourself.

4. Me-time and Mindset 

Experts always suggest taking a break and spending some time on self-care in order to mitigate the effects of workplace stress or burnout. That works for some time, but the effects wear off as soon as you get back to work. What should change is your mindset about work. If you see it as a boring place or a terrible place, no amount of vacation time or self-care time will make you want to go to work. Make some tweaks and changes to your thinking. Focus on what’s strong instead of what’s wrong. What’s going well for you? What brings you happiness? Where do you want to be in 3 mos, 6mos, or 1 year? Celebrate your wins, all of them big and small.

What are your tips to avoid burnout? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp