Is Your Job Exhausting You? Here’s How to Handle It

Are you struggling with job burnout? At the end of your workday, do you feel depleted and absolutely exhausted? A recent study published by Forbes shows that job burnout is on the rise. According to the Mayo Clinic, job burnout is a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity. I’ve struggled with this myself, and it can be difficult to set boundaries and recognize the signs you need a break. So, I reached out to a few people to share their insights on how to handle job exhaustion.

Keep track of your accomplishments.

Sonya Sigler, CEO of PractiGal LLC suggests that you keep a list of both personal- and business-related accomplishments. “One of the things that leads to exhaustion is never experiencing a sense of satisfaction or of completion. Otherwise, it can feel like you are on a hamster wheel, day after day, with no way out or any way to change it.”

Personally speaking, I have been following this advice myself lately, and it helps me so much. At the end of the day, I’ll jot down how the day went, accomplishments, and a few reflections on the day. Sigler shares doing so can build “your sense of satisfaction and can dissipate the shroud of exhaustion.

Connect with a passion project.

Jacqueline V Twillie, founder at ZeroGap.co, suggests that you re-connect with a fulfilling passion project. “It should be something that isn’t related to your daily work. If there’s an organization or group with a structured schedule that will allow you to fully immerse yourself in the project, that’s a perk.”

In stressful day jobs, having a go-to project that gives you joy in some way can be really fulfilling. That could be why I’ve kept up with my blogs for so long.

Prioritize mental health.

While some advice you may hear is to find a new job, that’s easier said than done. Caroline Lee, co-founder at CoCoSign offered great advice that focuses more on your mental health rather than a not-so-easy fix of finding a new job. Lee says, ” I have faced this situation once and was able to maintain my sanity with things like taking some time off, spending time with loved ones, learning new skills, and taking consultation. Pouring my heart out helped me to keep the negativity inside me and see the brighter side.”

In my previous day job, I talked regularly with my mom during the breaks to unload stressors and to just exchange humor to help ease the stress. That helped me so much. Along with that, make sure you take time off as Lee says. Since many of us are working from home, it can be difficult to take a day here and here, but it’s just as important if you have a remote job as it is if you work in an office.

Alina Clark, co-founder of CoCo Doc, offered similar sentiments inspired by her own experience dealing with job exhaustion. Clark says, “I introduced a lot of self-care treatment in my life. I believe in the saying that I only live once and I have to spend time living the best life. So, I try as much as possible to treat myself right. I can’t be working all day and doing nothing to improve my well-being. Rather than wait till I finally break down.”

Take your sick days.

Rashad Skinner, founder and Executive Director of Sapphire Therapeutic Services, Inc also encourages take your sick days. “Don’t reserve sick days to when you are sick or have to meet a personal obligation. Take off for your mental wellness. Everyone is more productive in all areas of their life when they are well-rested. There is no award for perfect attendance in the career world. The company was there before you started. It will be just fine if you take time for yourself.”

Taking your sick days and PTO days are essential to your mental health and enjoying your time off is essential to maintaining your mental health. In my previous position, I regularly took my sick days and PTO and I know that made a huge difference for me and helped me avoid burnout and exhaustion.

Take plenty of breaks away from your computer.

With so many of us working from home, it’s hard to pull away from the computer at times. I know that happened to me and I’m sure that played a part during my most recent setback. James Khoury, an online retailer and CEO of Zendbox, found that scheduling free time periods is an excellent way of avoiding burnout. “By actually scheduling time into your work diary for relaxing or simply walking away from the computer, you’re forcing yourself to detach from what potentially could be stressful environment, or a particularly busy day.”

So set aside time throughout your day that you are walking away from your computer and taking a break from work tasks. Be committed to giving yourself that mental break, and go to a separate room completely. Ideally, try to do something unrelated to technology completely if you can, like going for a walk, listening to music, or journaling thoughts about your day.

Most of all, don’t be afraid to talk about this with your employer. Jamie Irwin of TutorCruncher reminds us that communication with our employers goes both ways. He recommends having a discussion about your workload and how you are feeling. Irwin says, “You’ve got nothing to lose by talking honestly about your thoughts. It’s good for your mental health too.”