Holistic Ways To Fight Off Burnout
When I’m teaching my lunch & learns, I get so many questions about holistic ways to fight off burnout. Everyone is feeling the pressure over the past few years. I’m happy to share this contributed article in hopes that it helps you with any symptoms of burnout you are struggling with.
Your enthusiasm and drive for your career can drastically change once you’ve experienced burnout. Sadly, 84% of workers at Canadian organizations are suffering from career burnout, with about 34% of this demographic experiencing the occupational syndrome at extreme levels. Extreme burnout has also caused numerous Americans to quit their jobs during “The Great Resignation” in the U.S., and it seems that Canadians are following suit, considering that one in five employees are already actively looking for new jobs.
However, you don’t have to resort to resignations to be able to fight against burnout. We will look at the different ways to combat burnout and how professionals in stressful industries are doing so.
Indulge in mood-boosting food
Everyone’s got their own kind of comfort food. There’s no doubt that a bowl of gooey mac and cheese or a sweet slice of cake can make you feel better, but there is food that is more effective for boosting your mood.
In fact, my article entitled “What Are Adaptogens?” emphasizes that this category of mushrooms and herbs can soothe your stress away, whether it comes from trauma, anxiety, illness, or even fatigue. Adaptogens, like chaga and turmeric, manage your stress by balancing your body’s hormonal and physiological response to an intense situation. So by sipping a chai chaga mushroom tea or eating an anti-inflammatory carrot muffin, you can regulate your body’s stress response to exhausting work events.
Make more time for rest
As a dedicated and hard-working professional, you may be inclined to spend most of your time at work. While this can help you accomplish crucial tasks, you’ll also need to step back and rest if you want to fight against burnout.
This is especially true for lawyers who handle criminal, family and child protection law, because the tragic cases that they handle can cause compassion fatigue and career burnout. Since you are dedicating most of your time to others, Canadian Lawyer recommends that you maximize holidays to make room for self-care. By making time for nature, music, and people, you can allow your body to recalibrate.
Go for flexible work schedules
Though rest is crucial for recovery, it can be difficult to take a break when you’ve got a jam-packed schedule. To bring back more balance into your life, you can pursue flexible work opportunities in your industry.
Flexible work opportunities are widely available and more employees are looking to take advantage of this. For example, the state of Georgia ranked second in the country for its job quit rate, reflecting Georgia workers exercising their current desire to seek better jobs. A result of this trend is seeing workers in all industries moving to work opportunities with more flexible schedules. This is why more telehealth services are opening up remote opportunities for physicians in Georgia and across the country. Thanks to these remote opportunities, physicians can have more freedom over their schedules while continuing their practice in their specialization areas. Likewise, professionals in other high-stress environments can negotiate for remote work and flexible hours with your current or prospective employers.
Acknowledge your own body’s needs
Burnout can manifest in physical symptoms. So if you’re frequently feeling headaches and shoulder pain, it’s a sign that you need to make time for self-care.
Recognizing that the accounting industry is stressful, Matthew Iamelli from accounting firm Mria Group in New Hampshire makes it a point to complete a full-body workout and get twenty minutes of sunlight on a regular basis. The busy accountant actively manages his schedule, so that he can make time for exercise and hobbies. Similarly, you need to make room for self-care and your favourite activities whenever you feel more stressed than usual.
You don’t need to make major career and life decisions to combat burnout. Through these holistic practices, you can manage burnout in various aspects and build healthier work habits.
This is a contributed article on holistic ways to fight off burnout. If you are interested in having your article published on Jesse Lane Wellness.com please email info@jesselanewellness.com. Photo by Christian Erfurt on Unsplash