For the past month or so, I’ve really been battling with something that we all may deal with at one point or another in our professional lives; job stress and burnout.  Lately, I’ve been working my fingers to the bone at the job and it’s really been taking a toll on me.  With the nature of my job, these phases are common and I have gotten used to them coming and going, but this one seems to be coming and staying for a little longer than usual.

A lot of people deal with this on more occasions than we think.  Most professionals take the “suffer in silence” road and tend to find ways to persevere through these emotions, despite what they may be feeling.  This can be a dangerous thing to do, because burnout can cause a lot of negative affects to someone mentally, physically and emotionally when it comes to their job.  Personally, I’ve been dealing with stressors that have personally affected my health, which has been the primary reason why I’ve had to seriously take a step back and find ways to mentally separate myself in order to get a break.

I know that I have personally felt the effects of burnout in my job, and I also know that I am not alone.  I’m sure there are several people who are battling with this same issue daily; those of us who get up in the morning immediately thinking of all the things on our plate for the day, and possibly automatically without the slightest thought, beginning to obtain slight anxiety over the day.  I know it’s happened to me before, and I’ve had to program myself into not thinking in that manner.

I’ve been thinking of ways to combat this burnout feeeling, and small steps I can take towards trying to continue to find the positive outlooks on my job depsite the pressures that may come down each day.

• Adapt a Positive Mantra or Affirmation: I’ve begun to state a positive mantra or affirmation daily that I recite daily (may be the same or different depending on the day) to help me get through the rough moments in my day.
• Take Much Needed and Regularly Scheduled Breaks: If you’re allotted 2-15 minute breaks and an hour lunch, take advantage of them!  Also, use the opportunity to step away from your desk or take a drive away from your office and get some fresh air.  Spending an entire day indoors or in front of a computer does nothing but make you feel like a zombie at the end of the day.
• Always Highlight  a Positive in Your Workday: In my line of work, some days are not always positive, but I try to always find a highlight in the day to hang on to.  Sometimes,  a positive is much needed in your workday in order for you to remember that it is not all bad, and sometimes it’s worth trying again the next day.

These are just a few things I try to do on a daily basis to keep my hopes high and my spirits up when I am having a long, draining day at the office.  So far, I’ve found them to be quite helpful during the day.

Let me hear from you.  Are you suffering from any work-related stressors, and if so, how do you relieve the stress?  How do you combat burnout and what are some ways you keep your spirits positive when the workdays are getting the best of you?