There are certain jobs that lend themselves very easily to job burnout. For example, if you’re a social worker or a customer service representative working night shifts, chances are you’re experiencing fatigue, depression and a general sense of unease most of the time.
But burnout is possible in any kind of job. Whether you’re an accountant or a copywriter, it’s possible that you’re going to overwork yourself and get burnt out sooner or later, if you don’t take the time to maintain a work-life balance. Even if you’re not overworking, you may experience burnout simply because you’re following the same routine day after day.
What Is Mindfulness?
How do you avoid getting burnt out? One good way to do so is through mindfulness. This basically means keeping in touch with yourself and how you’re feeling throughout the day.
Sometimes, burnout presents itself all of a sudden as a very high degree of exhaustion. But if you stay mindful, then you’ll know when you’re feeling good and when you’re feeling tired, low or anxious. So when you start experiencing negative emotions, you’ll be able to take action immediately in order to counteract the way you feel.
Practicing Mindfulness
How does one go about being mindful? It’s simple. Take a moment in the middle of whatever you’re doing. Just pause and open up your senses. What are you feeling, seeing or hearing in that moment? Pay attention to what’s going on around you and also what’s going on inside you.
At times, you will unexpectedly find yourself feeling good and, at other times, you might find yourself feeling tense, stressed, anxious etc. Try to figure out why you feel the way you feel. Most times, it will be obvious. And then, you can do whatever is necessary to deal with that situation.
Taking Time Outs from Work
Taking time out from work to do something fun is generally a good solution to whatever might be ailing you. In fact, you don’t even have to take a lot of time out. Sure, it would be great if you could leave work aside and go watch a movie or read a book. But even if you sneak in a few pages of that mystery at lunchtime or go for a short walk in a nice, shady lane, you’ll still be taking a step to avoid burnout.
