Beating Burnout and Getting Out of a Rut

If you experience that feeling of being in a rut in your life, then something’s not right. A lot of people who feel that way don’t take the time to say, “O.K., well, what am I doing? Is that what I want to be doing? What is it making me feel this way?” You have to identify what specifically is making you feel stuck.    —Joy Mangano

No ifs, ands, or buts about it: the last year has been tough for everyone.

For many of us, making it through this very difficult year has been possible only because we found new ways to draw on our inner reserves of resilience (see my post “Resilience in the Age of COVID-19”) and kept our focus on getting through the challenges around us.

Managing everyday life can often be a difficult task under normal circumstances. But during a pandemic, when our work and personal lives have been intensely limited—well, then it becomes a lot harder.

For the past year, burnout has become a bigger-than-usual problem for many of us, in large part because we have had fewer options for dealing with it. Big changes, such as switching career paths, starting at a new company, or moving to another town, have been much more difficult to do over the past year. The common recommendation of “Take a getaway weekend trip somewhere fun to shake up your routine” has also been off the table for most people for a while. For the most part, we haven’t had access even to many local and small-scale diversions, such as going to movie theaters and live performances, eating in restaurants, or simply just hanging out with friends.

But here’s the thing: burnout is bad. I mean, it’s really bad. According to the staff at the Mayo Clinic, people who suffer from job burnout have a higher risk of several health issues than can include:

• Excessive stress
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Sadness, anger, or irritability
• Alcohol or substance misuse
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Vulnerability to illnesses

I’m sure you’ll agree that none of those sounds good. That’s why it’s important not to let yourself get stuck in the routines, patterns, and habits that can leave you feeling overwhelmed and bogged down—and burned out.

Fortunately, you don’t have to sit there and let it happen. You can do something about the burnout you’re experiencing. Here are some great strategies for dealing with it.

Beating Burnout Tip #1: Manage Your Time Better

This is the key to time management—to see the value of every moment.   —Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Sometimes feeling overwhelmed can make it seem like you’re just spinning your wheels and not making progress—a situation that can set you up for burnout. Time management is one of the most effective tools you can use to prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed in the first place. (Well, that and learning how to tell people “no” when you need to!)

In one of my earlier posts (“Top 10 Tips for Defeating the Time Thief”), I described some of the best things you can to go manage your work time more effectively. In that post I wrote, “You have to realize that you can’t actually get more time out of a day, but you can learn to use the time you do have more wisely.” This awareness is the key to better time management, which can help you avoid feeling burned out and stuck in a rut.

To that list of recommendations, I’d add this: don’t fill your time with stuff that doesn’t have some meaning to you. If you’re struggling to balance your various commitments, but part of you feels that some of what you’re spending your time on is “worthless,” though, you’re doing to feel even more stuck than usual. Don’t let yourself be the victim of your own poor choices: breaking free of this pattern is one of the best ways to kick yourself out of your rut.

Meaning is subjective, though, and something that has no value to you may be incredibly valuable to someone else (and vice versa). For example, one person might find a bit of mindless channel surfing to be a great quasi-meditative way to clear their mind at the end of a long day, and someone else might see no appeal whatsoever in that activity. You just have to be honest with yourself about what truly carries meaning for you. If a Netflix binge brings you happiness—and is compatible with your other commitments—then go for it!

Beating Burnout Tip#2: Tackle a “Someday” Project

Jump-start making progress on something on your long-term to-do list. Find one of those things about which you’ve been telling yourself “not today—I’ll start on it another time” and make now the moment when you decide to finally get started on it. It could be work related (a project you’ve kept relegated to the back burner for a while) or something personal (time to sign up for that pottery class you’ve always wanted to do). Better time management will help you carve out more space for pursing your interests.

I’ll share my “someday” project: I’m working on Book #3!! As many of you may know, I’ve written two non-fiction books (Clash of the Generations: Managing the New Workplace Reality and Planes, Canes, and Automobiles: Connecting with Your Aging Parents), however, I’ve wanted to write a fiction book for years. I’ve picked it up this spring and hope to have it into my editor this summer! I’ll keep you posted (although I will let it slip that it’s a murder mystery!).

Beating Burnout Tip #3: Seize Control

A feeling of lack of control can be a major contributor to feeling stuck at work. Obviously, you can’t do whatever you like at your job: you have tasks to complete, responsibilities to fulfill, and colleagues to support. You also have a boss who assigns and oversees your work.

That said, are there any elements of your job over which you might reasonably ask to exert more control? Could you request a change in your schedule (such as some kind of flextime, or moving your hours from 9-5 to 8-4 or to 10-6, for example)? Would a different workspace improve your productivity and outlook? Would collaborating with a particular colleague or team yield benefits to both you and the organization?

These are just a few possibilities, and as the saying goes, “Your mileage may vary”: a request that one person might reasonably explore could be career suicide for someone else. You’re the best judge of what’s appropriate for you, your workplace, your relationship with your boss (and your colleagues), etc.

If you decide to request something from your boss, don’t go in there swinging! Do your research and prepare your arguments ahead of time, then at your meeting make your case calmly, respectfully, and professionally. Good managers want their employees to succeed and be happy. If you say, “This is what I need to get out of my rut and be a better employee” and your boss can make that happen without having a negative effect on your work or your team, they should. (And if your manager says “no,” ask if there is an opportunity in the future to revisit your request.)

Beating Burnout Tip #4: Hit the Road

One of the best ways to step way back from your current situation and see it with different eyes is to travel. I am a huge fan of travel (I even wrote and published a book all about travel!) and its ability to help us learn (about others and about ourselves), relax, and recharge. Going somewhere new is one terrific way to break out of your routines.

Throughout the past year, though, travel hasn’t been a viable option for most people. That’s why I suggested virtual travel and short-range day trips as pandemic-friendly vacation alternatives last summer. Even though things are starting to open up more every day, travel is still pretty limited for many, so I continue to recommend those other travel options.

Lots of places are still closed now, but that will change. Things are getting better, and eventually widespread travel will once again be a possibility. Maybe you can’t take a big trip tomorrow, but you can start planning it today. That way when it’s safe to travel and your dream destination is ready to welcome visitors again, you’ll be all set!

Learn about local activities and attractions, draw up itineraries, and start your pre-trip preparations (such as learning some phrases in the local language or reading up on local geography and architecture, for example). Depending on your destination (and the likelihood that will be on the “safe” list soon), if you’re looking at least several months out, you may even be able to start making reservations and booking tickets.

Beating Burnout Tip #5: Prioritize You

As you work to meet your obligations to others, don’t forget to meet your obligations to yourself. Yes, you do need to meet your work deadlines. And of course, you do need to keep your household running and help your kids with their homework. All of that is important. But you are important too.

People who give constantly to others without making space for themselves are prime candidates for burnout. It’s not a question of selfishness. It’s a question of self-preservation.

First, use your paid time off, even if you aren’t able to go on a trip anywhere. Don’t adopt a martyr complex and refuse to take time off because you “don’t want to let anyone down.” You have earned that time, so use it. If you have worried about not being seen as a team player, keep in mind that by taking care of yourself, you actually get yourself better positioned to also help your team and the company.

Don’t forget about getting enough exercise and sleep, too. I know, I know—we all hear this advice all the time, and for good reason: it works. So be sure to move your body and to get your rest!

Final Thoughts for Beating Burnout

The land of burnout is not a place I ever want to go back to.   

—Arianna Huffington

During the pandemic, we had to endure a lot—and that includes even more burnout than usual. And we endured it for a long time, too. If you’re experiencing burnout, you are definitely not alone. And you don’t have to resign yourself to living with it.

The most important thing to remember is that your time, attention, and energy are finite. You can’t change how much of them you have, but you can change how you use them. Once you commit yourself to addressing this problem, burnout doesn’t stand a chance!

If you have suggestions for other ways to beat burnout, please share them in the comments!