Looking for tips for preventing burnout? Especially this year, many of us know the feeling of burnout all too well. It’s that state of total exhaustion – emotional, mental, and physical – brought on by chronic and unrelenting stress. Burnout is a matter of supply and demand: when we’re outputting more than we can replenish, we’re more likely to get burnt out. Chronic burnout can lead to a long list of health problems including depression, anxiety, changes in sleep and appetite, feelings of anger and irritability, low motivation and productivity, and low self-esteem. 

Burnout has been a serious and growing problem for years. In today’s fast-paced world, we’re more likely to be anxious, uncertain, and worried about the future. We’re constantly adapted to technological changes, economic pressures, and shifting social expectations. We’ve experienced major life transitions and challenges. We’ve had to take on new and demanding roles while juggling multiple responsibilities. We’re feeling tired, and the outlets we used to have to recharge often feel out of reach due to busy schedules and competing priorities. The chronic stressors of modern life are adding more to our plates and depleting our resources, in turn making us even more susceptible to burnout.

If burnout is a supply and demand problem, it follows that protecting yourself against it is a matter of both doing what’s in your power to lower your demands and replenish your supplies.

What is burnout?

Burnout develops in response to chronic stressors. When individuals experience intense pressure and feel consistently overwhelmed, they may develop burnout – a state where they feel emotionally drained, detached from their responsibilities, and ineffective in their day-to-day life.

Unlike temporary stress, burnout represents a more persistent state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. It occurs when the pressure to perform and meet demands consistently exceeds an individual’s capacity to cope and recover. This not only affects day-to-day responsibilities but can also spill over into personal relationships and work performance.

Maslach Burnout Theory

The Maslach Burnout Theory, developed by psychologist Christina Maslach, is a widely accepted framework for understanding burnout. According to this theory, burnout manifests through three interconnected dimensions:

  • Emotional exhaustion: This is often considered the core component of burnout, involving feelings of being emotionally overextended and depleted. Individuals experiencing this dimension feel drained by their work and lack the emotional resources to deal with daily stressors.
  • Depersonalizaton/cynicism: This dimension involves developing negative or detached attitudes toward responsibilities, relationships, or activities that were once meaningful. People may become cynical about their efforts and treat others or situations with emotional distance.
  • Reduced personal accomplishment: This involves feelings of ineffectiveness and a lack of achievement. Individuals may feel that their efforts don’t make a meaningful difference or that they’re not living up to their own standards across various areas of life.

Maslach’s research emphasizes that burnout often stems from systemic and environmental factors that create unsustainable conditions, whether in professional, personal, or caregiving contexts.

5 tips for preventing burnout

1. Focus on what you can control

First and foremost, remember to focus on making choices that are within your control. You control your own behaviors, reactions, habits, and routines. You can learn and implement helpful coping strategies. You decide your priorities.

You can’t, however, control the actions of other people or any other forces outside of yourself. Too much focus on matters that are out of your hands will only amplify your stress.

2. Make fewer decisions every day

We’re living in an era of constant change and information overload, and all this unpredictability puts us on edge and makes us feel anxious. We’re constantly weighing decisions with incomplete information and facing new challenges that often require us to adapt quickly. The mental load and energy it takes to make all the decisions can quickly fatigue us. So, adding structure and routine to your day takes the guesswork out of what to do so you don’t have to make so many decisions. Before you go to bed each night, make a schedule or checklist for the next day. What needs to get done? What can wait for another day?

By proactively choosing what to make a priority, and conversely, what to sacrifice, you’re doing a favor for your future self.

3. Keep reasonable expectations

Be careful not to put too much pressure on yourself to constantly optimize and improve every aspect of your life by learning new skills, starting new hobbies, or even being more productive than usual. Of course, though, if learning something new or practicing a new skill helps you relax or cultivate joy, you should do it.

But if the idea of putting energy into something else sounds exhausting, or you often feel guilty or like you’ve failed because you think you “should” be trying harder or doing more, remember that it’s okay to give yourself a break.

4. Build boundaries into your time and space

The structure of our world has changed significantly in recent years. For example, with the rise of remote work and flexible schedules, many people now lack separation between work and home life. Building boundaries into your space helps to prevent burnout as it takes the burden off your brain to remember what you should be focusing on. If you can, designate a workspace and avoid working in bed or on the couch where you normally relax. Eat your meals mindfully at the kitchen table.

In addition to protecting boundaries around your space, keeping a schedule can help to protect boundaries around your time which reinforces the importance of rest and leisure time. With protected time to take care of yourself, you’re less likely to burn out.

5. Stick to the basics

Nutrition. Exercise. Sleep. Under stress, these basics of self-care are often quickly sacrificed or forgotten. It’s easy to get off track on these fundamental pillars of health, but they’re important to come back to when you can.

Getting help for burnout

Even with our best efforts for preventing burnout in place, sometimes it all just gets to be too much. Our platform of hundreds of online and in-person therapists with a wide range of specializations to choose from, so it’s easy to find the right fit for you.