How to Avoid Chaos Induced Burnout

With us working for a generation who values tenure and expects you to do more than ask, how do you climb the totem pole without burning yourself out?  Here are five suggestions to avoid chaos induced burnout:

1. The power of no! We are so often taught, to obey authority and do what is asked of us. That when recognized to do a task you do it and no questions asked.  That somehow if you continue to say no, uppers will stop asking you.  Quality over quantity, always!  You’d rather do two or three projects extremely well versus five projects where you’ve made simple mistakes.  Saying no doesn’t mean disrespect it shows you are able to manage your time and know your limits.
2. Know your limit! When you say no to taking on more projects, you might get a side eye from your boss; but oh well.  Any boss will be more impressed with quality work rather than a huge pile of projects half done.  You may get a little bit of jealousy from co-workers when your 5 projects are done well with little to no errors while their 20 projects are constantly being picked apart by uppers for mistakes.  This doesn’t mean you should produce far less than your counterpart, you still have to pull your weight and meet expectations.  Just know your limit.
3. Become a J! According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, being a ‘J’ is someone who prefers to be settled and organized. If you’re feeling a level of burnout; you must get a plan!  Whether you’re a big picture person like me and like working backwards or vice versa; just plan your projects out.  It will keep you on task and give you small accomplishments along the way.
4. It’s just a job! It’s not personal; it’s just business. So stop taking things personally.  I know it’s human nature to feel personally attacked when someone disagrees with you, but get over that.  This is a job/career that should not consume you.  When someone gives feedback to your project, think about it, and apply it accordingly.  No one is personally attacking you, and if so then that’s a whole other issue. This is not your life.  You’re life includes your job, but your job is not life; think on that.
5. Relax & Recharge! My previous post talked about unplugging from work. No overzealous email should ruin your evening at home.  It’s a time for you to recharge your brain and body battery by doing something you enjoy and not office related.

Writer Bio:

Kendra Lewis is a 20-something professional hoping to share her professional experiences with young women through conversations and proven coaching techniques. Kendra has extensive knowledge in talent development and career & life coaching and is the blogger behind Career Guidance for Today’s Young Professionals. You can follow her via Twitter.