11 things to do if youre suffering from work burnout - Debut

11 things to do if youre suffering from work burnout - Debut Writers note 11.05.2017:  This is a bit of a Throwback Thursday. I wrote this a month into my job here at Debut HQ, and yet, the tips still apply. Work burnout is still something I suffer from, from time to time. Theres no such thing as a one-article-fix-all scenario if so, heck, Id be out of a job. However, things are a lot better, and with time and patience, it will for you too. Team Debut wishes you a good Mental Health Awareness Week 2017.   I have a confession to make. Ive been working at my new job here at Debut HQ for just over a month, and Im suffering from work burnout. Heres the thing. Feeling burnt out does not mean 1) You dont like your job and 2) Youre not good at your job. Likely, youve been pushing yourself to your limits in a new, unfamiliar and stressful situation, leading to you feeling like your sparks gone out. Weve all been there.  We ran a quick poll on Debuts Twitter and here were the results: Something were pondering: Have you ever felt burnt out/overworked at your job? #mentalhealth #talkingaboutit â€" Debut (@DebutCareers) October 3, 2016 Not a single person said they hadnt experienced burnout before. So Im putting myself out there with the steps Ive been taking to combat burnout if you have any other tips, do tweet us @DebutCareers with yours! 1.  Take a night off from checking your emails If youre anything like I think you are, you probably say alright, Im off to bed and then spend the next 45 minutes scrolling and tapping away at your phone. Article after article tells us that checking your phone before bed is bad for you.  It causes worse sleep quality, insomnia, and fatigue during the daytime. So take the night off. Read that book thats been collecting dust on your nightstand, perhaps. 2. Make sure you eat a good breakfast A photo posted by Hayley (@whygowithout) on Oct 2, 2016 at 3:31am PDT Earlier this year the New York Times had the audacity to say theres nothing magical about breakfast, but Imma bout to fight them on this. Sometimes it isnt even about the meal itself. Its about the ritual. When you eat a good breakfast, youre mindfully giving your body the nutrients and energy it needs to fuel itself for the day. So dont scoff at the Instagrammers with their avocado toasts there might be a reason why theyre that cheery. 3. Start a bullet journal A photo posted by Nicole Lionne (@nicolelionne) on Aug 12, 2016 at 4:24am PDT This productivity craze has taken over the Internet, and the sheer neatness of the aesthetic is bound to soothe the burnt out beast within. Theres no specific planner you need to buy, just use your favourite notebook and start mastering your calendar and life. Head over to BulletJournal.com to get started with your own DIY planner. 4. Or, screw to-do lists altogether and use an anti to-do list Forget about a to-do list. Start making a done list. According to Slate, writing down the things youve already done is just as useful as listing the things you have to do. I love the idea of the anti to-do list. If this means giving myself a gold star every time I accomplish a task, Im all for it. Also, this could be a great way to track achievements and small wins. For someone suffering from work burnout, this could be a fantastic small adjustment to improve overall mental health. 5. Call your person Everybody is guilty of letting work get in the way of the important relationships you have in your life. But if theres a good time to call your person, its when youre going through burnout. Your person could be anybody. It could be your mum, or your best mate from uni you havent caught up with. Just someone you can bounce ideas off, share frustrations with, and most importantly, who can be supportive and honest at the same time. 6. Take some time in the workday to go outside Take a break. Dont just sit at your desk to eat your lunch, pop out of the office for a quick wander. Its important to be strict about this with yourself. Your lunch hour is  yours and its necessary to give your brain the recharging it needs to go about the rest of your work day. If you can join a gym an do a quick lunch sesh, even better! 7. Start a careers fight club We go into the details of a careers fight club in this article, but honestly, theres no better place to recalibrate your work life than in the meetings you have with your fight club. They will likely offer you the bespoke advice you need to be able to overcome your work burnout. Trust us, this strategy is a good one. 8. Do a brain dump of the things that have been giving you anxiety Keeping your worries in will only result in them festering. I tend to type out all of my worries in a Notepad .txt file, read over it, and then cathartically place it in the Recycle Bin on my desktop. Running away from your worries wont do you any good. Facing them head on and saying Im not afraid of you can empower you to push through them. 9. Speak to your manager about it Its better you do this earlier, as keeping silent about struggling through burnout may result in your work superior thinking youre under-performing. Take the initiative by addressing your needs, and work together with them to find a solution. 10. Chant  affirmations to yourself in the morning before you go to work Practicing mindfulness is a great way to keep you centered. Just take a look at this adorable dad/daughter duo and their morning affirmations.   Its useful to come up with affirmations that are specific to you. Write down a list of your own, and say it to yourself every day in the mirror. 11. Pick a weekend, and make it all about you Self care is the best care. Forget about your job for just a hot second, and have a weekend just about taking care of you. Put a face mask on. Sort out all of your bills. Drink lots of tea. Go exploring in your favourite city. Sometimes you just need a break in your routine to get you back on the right work track. Feature Image ©  Unsplash Post originally published on 6th October 2016.