4064: 5 Expert Tips for Avoiding Burnout at Work by Paula Davis-Laack of Live Happy on Burnout Prevention

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[00:00:29] [SPEAKER_01] This is Optimal Living Daily, 5 Expert Tips for Avoiding Burnout at Work by Paula Davis-Laack with LiveHappy.com and I'm Justin Malik. We're gonna get right to it as we optimize your life. 5 Expert Tips for Avoiding Burnout at Work by Paula Davis-Laack with LiveHappy.com

[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_01] Soldier on. Suck it up and drive on. Hang in there. I can't tell you how many times these phrases zipped through my head as a busy, practicing lawyer. If I was sick, I went to work. If I was exhausted from working 14 days straight, I dug in and did more. If my clients made unreasonable demands, I'd fake a smile, nod my head, and do whatever it took to make the deal close smoothly.

[00:01:20] [SPEAKER_01] Those worker growing pains were all part of the process, I told myself. To prove myself and make partner, I had to go through the ringer. After all, hadn't every lawyer before me working in a firm done the same thing? I convinced myself it was just a rite of passage. Then, seven years into practicing law, I hit a wall. I burned out. I'd been so busy putting my head down and powering through that I completely ignored the warning signs that I needed to slow down.

[00:01:48] [SPEAKER_01] Tuning in to Burnout. Burnout is a process of chronic stress and disengagement typically related to work, but can impact many areas of your life. The big three dimensions of burnout have been defined as chronic exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. Burnout doesn't have to be an inevitable consequence of ambition. Here are five proven ways to avoid burnout on the job.

[00:02:12] [SPEAKER_01] Number one, clear your mental clutter. Most go-getters I know run on some combination of guilt and anxiety. When you catch yourself feeling guilty, do a mental check to see whether in fact you have something to feel guilty about. Have you let someone down? Your bosses? Your children? More than likely, you are busy judging yourself for imagined crimes. Try to give yourself a break.

[00:02:36] [SPEAKER_01] When you experience a stress-producing event at work, do you see where you have any control, influence, or leverage? Or do you fold? Some people jump to conclusions, while others maintain a flexible and accurate thinking style. Some people catastrophize. Their worst-case scenario thinking gets the best of them, and it stops them from taking purposeful action.

[00:02:58] [SPEAKER_01] Resilient employees under stress track their thoughts, emotions, and reactions to notice counterproductive patterns that might undercut success. Number two, let go of perfectionism. Perfectionists are notoriously hard-working, conscientious, high-achievers, traits frequently rewarded at work. Their stress and calls for help tend to go unnoticed by parents, significant others, and bosses.

[00:03:25] [SPEAKER_01] Perfectionists strive for the best, even when good enough will do. As a result, they experience a lot of regret and anxiety about missed opportunities. You can minimize regret three ways. Adopt a standard of good enough. Reduce the number of options you consider before making a decision. And be grateful for the good decisions you make instead of focusing on disappointments. Number three, change your job without leaving your job.

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_01] Job crafting has been shown to be an effective strategy to prevent burnout. Job crafting is the term for actively changing the content or design of your job by choosing tasks, negotiating different job content, and assigning meaning to different components of your job. One way to job craft is to reorder your day. What tasks are sources of energy and engagement for you? When do you do those tasks? Would you rather work on those most engaging tasks in the morning or at the end of your day?

[00:04:20] [SPEAKER_01] Match the order to what works best for you. Number four, manage your energy, not your time. Getting adequate opportunities for recovery during your workday, after work, and on the weekend is critical. Pick one or two five-minute strategies you can do daily. I downloaded an app called 7 Second Meditation, which prompts me to take a break each day at 2 p.m. And number five, become more of a giver.

[00:04:49] [SPEAKER_01] Morton professor Dr. Adam Grant has identified subsets of givers, two of which are selfless givers and otherish givers. Selfless givers give their time and energy without regard to their own needs. Hey, it's 3 p.m. and I haven't eaten yet today. Selfless giving in the absence of recovery becomes overwhelming and can drive burnout. Otherish givers, however, find a way to balance giving with their own self-interest and self-care.

[00:05:17] [SPEAKER_01] As you probably guessed, selfless givers are more likely to burn out. You can determine your giving style at giveandtake.com. It is possible to have the life and career you want and avoid burnout. Choose a strategy that will help you move forward in a less crazy, busy direction and embrace the perfectly imperfect journey. You just listened to the post titled,

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_01] 5 Expert Tips for Avoiding Burnout at Work by Paula Davis-Laack with livehappy.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Now I don't know about you, but I've left doctor visits with a you're fine, no real data, no game plan. After driving over, waiting forever, sometimes getting sent to a lab across town for more waiting. That's why I'm fascinated by superpower. A licensed professional comes to your home for one simple lab test covering over 100 biomarkers, way more than you usually get.

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[00:07:41] [SPEAKER_01] Thank you to Paula. I'd never heard of the different types of givers, so I found that part interesting. The selfless givers versus other-ish givers. We tend to admire the person who's always available and never takes a break. But that person is probably the one who eventually hits a wall. I think it's common to see it as normal or expected, like it's proof that we're working hard enough.

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_01] We reframe the warning signs as signs of dedication instead of what they should be, signals to slow down. I like the tip to manage your energy, not your time. Most productivity advice is time-focused, but energy is really what ends up determining the quality of what we do and how long it takes. You can have all the time in the world and actually end up producing nothing if the energy isn't there. So, thank you to Paula for this one.

[00:08:34] [SPEAKER_01] Thank you for being here and listening every day, whether you're commuting or traveling or out and about or at home. Your support and listening every day is how I'm able to keep going. Have a great rest of your day, and I'll see you tomorrow as usual, where your optimal life awaits.