{"id":43410,"date":"2024-07-02T10:37:04","date_gmt":"2024-07-02T14:37:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=43410"},"modified":"2024-07-02T10:37:04","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T14:37:04","slug":"tips-to-decrease-work-burnout-during-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/tips-to-decrease-work-burnout-during-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips to Decrease Work Burnout During Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\"GoodTherapyBurnout can strike any time of the year, but it\u2019s common for symptoms to set in during the summertime. That\u2019s due to a few factors. Longer days, warmer weather and vacation anticipation mean distraction seeps in more frequently. And seeing friends and family members on social media enjoy time off work doesn\u2019t help.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not to mention, it\u2019s only natural that we crave sunlight and warmer temperatures, especially after months of cold weather. When we can\u2019t enjoy summertime to the fullest extent, we tend to feel more constricted, as our days may be largely spent indoors, perhaps behind a computer screen.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Four ways to prevent burnout this summer\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It may take a little extra planning, but there are a few ways to pre-emptively temper burnout:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Take breaks<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Scheduling more frequent breaks to get outside and go for a quick walk is always a good reset, but it\u2019s particularly useful when it\u2019s warm and cloudless. It\u2019s no secret that sunshine has immense physical and mental health benefits. Remember, even if you have back-to-back meetings, or you\u2019re working a busy service shift, remember that you don\u2019t need to step away for 30-minute or hour-long stretches of time. In fact, it can be even more beneficial to take shorter but more frequent breaks. In a 2022 National Institute of Health <\/span>study<\/span><\/a>, \u201cmicro-breaks\u201d were shown to reinvigorate employees and stave off fatigue.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So make sure to take a quick 5-minute lap around the block if that\u2019s all the time you have.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"GoodTherapyIf the weather outside isn\u2019t favorable, that doesn\u2019t mean you should stay at your desk. Try to find a low-trafficked area in your workspace to do some light stretches or meditate. Be sure to stay off your phone during breaks if possible, especially if your job entails lots of screen time as is. While connecting with a loved one is also beneficial, any dissociative activity that takes you away from a state of mindfulness, such as scrolling social media, can have the opposite effect.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Schedule your days<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

As the old adage goes, \u2018fail to prepare, prepare to fail.\u2019 That\u2019s true across many situations, including how you spend your weekday. Not only are we creatures of habit<\/a>, but if we don\u2019t have some level of accountability that pushes us to try something new \u2014 and perhaps outside our comfort zone \u2014 we\u2019re quick to rationalize why we should skip said activity. Even setting an alarm or blocking off time in your calendar to either take a break or knock out a dreaded task you\u2019ve been postponing, is a nudge in the right direction. Such planning provides a mental breather, as ongoing angst over a never-ending to-do list takes up a lot of brain clutter, even more than we realize.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to a Kellogg Management School <\/span>report<\/span><\/a>, try to tackle the harder tasks earlier in the day \u2013 which helps with feeling a sense of accomplishment \u2013 and be sure to plan around end-of-day fatigue, or any time in the day when you know you\u2019re not as mentally sharp.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Set Boundaries<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Creating boundaries<\/a> starts with yourself. Identify your priorities, especially outside work or school \u2014 perhaps it\u2019s spending time with your community, or running a volunteer organization. Identifying your \u201cwhy\u201d helps remind you what boundary-setting will allow you to achieve. It\u2019s often tempting to just say \u201cyes\u201d to a colleague\u2019s last-minute request to hop on a work call at 9 p.m. Remember, your \u201cwhy\u201d doesn\u2019t have to revolve around a specific activity or person \u2014 it can be as broad as wanting to maintain a strong mental health state.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then start adjusting your schedule and calendar as needed \u2013 block off certain times in your calendar if possible \u2014 and if applicable, have a conversation with your boss or colleagues to set expectations about your workload, deadlines, and what you feel are appropriate and inappropriate expectations from employees. While this may seem nerve-wracking in the short term, in the long run, it will save months\u2019 and years\u2019 worth of resentment, frustration, and mental distress.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can also <\/span>speak with a therapist<\/span><\/a> who can help you work through what boundaries will work best for you and how to navigate potentially difficult conversations needed to implement them.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Get enough sleep<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s no shortage of studies touting the indisputable mental and physical benefits of getting enough sleep. After all, adequate sleep has been shown to improve anything from memory to blood pressure. However, burnout symptoms are exacerbated when there is a lack of sleep. Having a consistent nighttime routine \u2013 staying off screens at least 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening \u2014 can improve not just the quantity of sleep, but the quality as well.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why it\u2019s important to recognize work burnout\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Without proper intervention, burnout metastasizes to the point where you will not be able to perform your role adequately, leaving you vulnerable to sudden resignation, getting let go, or worsening professional or personal relationships. Such scenarios will pile on even more stress, so it\u2019s best to get ahead of the condition before it controls your day-to-day. According to the <\/span>World Health Organizatio<\/span><\/a>n, burnout is defined as \u201cchronic workplace stress<\/a> that has not been successfully managed.\u201d It\u2019s characterized by feelings of energy depletion, cynicism, and negativity toward one\u2019s job, as well as overall diminished performance.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember \u2014 burnout doesn\u2019t improve without making changes, but they don\u2019t have to be sudden, life-altering choices. Learning to have difficult conversations about setting boundaries \u2014 and how to handle potentially negative reactions \u2014 improving time management skills and even asking for accountability help from loved ones can make a big difference. Summertime can be a particularly challenging time, as the stress of work is also accompanied by the pressure to plan trips and socialize. However, mental health professionals, such as <\/span>therapists<\/span><\/a>, are well-versed in recognizing burnout and helping individuals make the necessary adjustments in their life.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

?Burnout can strike any time of the year, but it?s common for symptoms to set in during the summertime. That?s due to a few factors. Longer days, warmer weather and vacation anticipation mean distraction seeps in more frequently. And seeing friends and family members on social media enjoy time off work doesn?t help.?? Not to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3201,"featured_media":43411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2095,1879],"tags":[2237,2236,2233,1201],"class_list":["post-43410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-find-therapist","category-personal-growth","tag-summer","tag-work-burnout","tag-work-stress","tag-work-life-balance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3201"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43410\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}