Are You Recovering from Burnout?

Can you even remember what life was like in the corporate business world prior to the assault from the coronavirus?

At the time, you thought your day-to-day existence was busy and complicated. You wondered how you would get through the week. From time to time, you asked life to slow down a bit.

And then life said, “You think this is bad, just wait.”

The last two years have created entirely new levels of stress in all of our personal and professional lives. Your personal life has been challenged because there was so much time spent quarantined or away from other people and loneliness became a real issue. Your professional life was severely challenged by a drop in consumerism, a change in workplace attendance and behavior, and a need to consider future demands for both customers and employees.

When will it stop?

While some of the challenges of the pandemic have been met and overcome, others keep popping up. The coronavirus has dangerous variants, people argue over the value of vaccinations, and there seems to be no end in sight for the overwhelming impact of the pandemic on everyone’s lives.

From a business standpoint, all of the pressures that have come about due to the pandemic remain intact. You either have invited employees back to the workplace but stressed over maintaining a healthy work environment, or you are still asking your employees to produce while working from home, just a few feet from their comfy bed or their stocked refrigerator, with all the distractions home life offers.

Or you are employing some form of hybrid work situation.

Just thinking about all the new complications in running a business can produce a raging headache. You are very likely suffering some form of corporate burnout, and you need to find a way to battle the exhaustion and depression of life in the 2020s.

Assuming you cannot take a week’s (or month’s) vacation at this time, we offer to you these ideas suggested by numerous medical and healthcare websites:

Get out

There was a short while during the early stages of the pandemic when people worried that the mere act of leaving the house could cause one to get ill. That quickly passed, and citizens began venturing outside but did so in a manner that would not bring them within contact of others. Today, many people are attempting to live the way they did pre-pandemic, and socializing is once again the norm for many people.

The first suggestion given to anyone suffering from work-related burnout is to get out of the work environment. Fresh air and pleasant weather conditions such as breezes, sunlight and gentle precipitation can soothe the darkest souls.

If you are in a situation that does not allow for complete days off,plan an occasional walkabout outdoors. And, if you are in a position where someone might question what you are doing or why, let them know that productivity is almost always positively impacted by short breaks.

Do you have anything a bit more long-term?

So you say a 15-minute walk is not going to cut it?

Schedule a time when you can involve your body and mind in an hour’s worth of physical activity. Yoga classes are plentiful (and coronavirus safe in the proper environment). If you are the sort to desire a more aerobic exercise, find a workout facility with a weight room or a gymnasium. A short walk, a quick change of clothes and 30 minutes of aerobic exercise boosts spirits and increases endorphin activity, which creates positive mental vibes that can get you through your long day.

Use that wellness program

Many firms provide a health and wellness program for employees, but executives can use those services just as easily. Most such programs have a human contact that can provide professional guidance to assist executives who can’t seem to stop working and need to find a way to recharge.

The suggestions above require getting out of the office, but if you cannot (or won’t) do that, there are mental exercises that can provide a spark to get you through the next meeting or corporate task you are going to attack. Closing your eyes for 10 minutes is not sleeping on the job; it is allowing your mind and body to return to their most productive settings.

Take a personal day and travel

Your compensation for work includes personal days. Take one or two. While the suggestions above are about stepping away from your desk for a while, you are allowed to run away from your desk for a longer period of time.

Travel is more complicated today than it was two years ago, but if you are only going to take a day or two, get out to the beach alongside the closest body of water, or visit a national park for a hike. While you are there, think about something other than work. Anything other than work. Absorb your setting and find stimulation from factors beyond your work assignments. Trust your coworkers to handle whatever tasks you would be facing in the office. You will be better prepared to handle those tasks in a day or two after your personal refresh.

Press the reset button

After you’ve taken a break, you will find it easier to set the reset button. When doing so, you may find a new passion for what you’re doing, and a desire to make new plans, solidify existing ones, and turn that vision into an action plan. If you need help–from strategic and operational planning to marketing and execution–CSD Marketing can help. We offer a full array of digital marketing and small business services, offering both short and long term support to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Let’s get started with a free consultation today.

In the meantime, stay in that refreshed frame of mind. Consider your work environment. Hang small prints of the photos and artwork that inspire you to be the best version of yourself. And create a playlist–a soundtrack–that epitomizes who you desire to be and where you want to take your life, your self, and your business. Here’s a track from my playlist that pulls me back when negativity tries to creep in. I know I’ll be Just Fine. Comment with a song from your playlist.