Letting Mindfulness Prevent Burnout
Do you often feel overwhelmed at work? As though you’re paralysed in the midst of all that’s happening around you.
Do you spend long hours at work without taking a breather?
Are you lacking the aha! moment at work and are bored of the mundane nature of your job?
Do you focus energy feeling uninspired by your work in comparison to that of others?
If these are true for you, you’re experiencing burnout! Burnout, simply understood, is a state of exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.
We often find ourselves burning out at work, while some others around us are soldiering on. What do you think causes that? A lot of the stress we’re under is often self-created. How many times have you psyched yourself out in anticipation of future incidents that may or may not happen, have or have not happened? Interestingly, it’s the people who constantly strive for perfection that find themselves in this situation the most.
To beat the stress, our solution is to take a break, to give ourselves a time out and get some rest. We sincerely believe that will help. Well, honestly, that doesn’t work.
But don’t be disheartened, there’s a silver lining! Half the process of overcoming the stress is in knowing that the stress is self-inflicted and it’s not coming from an external source. If you’ve identified this, you’re on the right path.
Burnout is a phenomenon that’s received a lot of attention lately. However, a burnout cannot be prevented or dealt with by “handling the stress well". Preventing a burnout is simply a matter of mindfulness. Some simple shifts in your mindset will prevent you for ever experiencing a burnout:
Being mindful not to get caught in the endless loop of comparison. Stress, burnout and similar phenomenon are all a mere reflection of how we see ourselves in comparison to others and in the eyes of others. We may admire the quality some have and despise the qualities some others may have. It’s great to be inspired, however, it’s important to remember that we are not and needn’t be a reflection of others around us.
Being open-minded and not getting stuck to a singular perception. The approach you adopt is often more important to reaching an optimal solution than the solution itself. It’s important to realise that more than one perspective can be true, more than one solution can be valid and more than one person can be right.
Knowing that conflicts are not always a bad thing. One of the major causes of burnout is dealing with conflicting situations. Conflicts are perceived as negative but more often than not, conflicts give rise to more creative solutions and decisions. Instead of being pushy about our point of view, we may also approach the same situation with inquisitiveness about the other person’s views.
Burnout is a phenomenon that can be prevented with sheer mindfulness. Make these mindset shifts and see the difference for yourself.
-Malvika