1 Thing You Can Do To Prevent Or Recover From Job Burnout

I am so excited! Today I sent my first draft of a new ebook I am working on to my editor.  My new book doesn’t yet have a title but it was inspired by blogs that I wrote about factors related to work that can have health implications – so earlier this year I began writing about job burnout.  So my new ebook is about things we unwittingly do that can increase our risk for experiencing job burnout.

This ebook is not about what employers do or can do to help employees recover from job burnout – it’s about what YOU can do to help yourself – to become more aware of subtle behaviors that may diminish your connection with your work and with your confidence to give what you can do for others as fully as you can give it.  This ebook can help you to to understand these subtle behaviors and ways of thinking and therefore nip them in the bud.  It will also offer tips about how you can reduce your risk for experiencing job burnout or to cope with and recover from it if you think you are already experiencing it.

If you think you are burned out, the first and most important thing to do is to consult with a medical professional.  You want to be sure that any serious, physical health threats are under control.

In the meantime, I’d like to give you all a sneak peak into the #1 thing you can do to recover from or safeguard yourself from job burnout…

… and that is to focus on those you serve.  First and foremost, the nature of your work should assure that you are regularly aligned with and exposed to people you enjoy “hanging out” with.  These are typically people who like what we like (and even dislike what we dislike) – they share our values.

Studies show who we affiliate with affects how we feel about our work.   So when we get to deal with people we relate to that can have more to do with influencing our happiness with a job than liking the actual job tasks we are responsible to perform.  If you will be interacting with a lot of people who don’t share your values or appreciate your contributions – you might not be able to sustain your job happiness.   When we struggle to make meaningful connections with others – when we feel that we are working where we don’t “fit” – our potential for work enjoyment and for maintaining strong job performance can be at a higher risk for suffering.  That is a fast track to job burnout.

And when we interact with people we relate to and care about, it becomes really easy for us to do all we can to serve them well.  So, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you clear about even one thing you do really well for those you serve?
• Does your current job allow you enough opportunities to give what you have to give?  If so, do you regularly take advantage of every opportunity you can to give what you give?  If not, are you sure the job or culture is a good match for you?

If you are struggling in your job, is there even 1 person you regularly enjoy working with?  If so, serve that person as much as you can – that alone can make a big difference in how you are feeling.

Over the course of my 20 year career as an HR executive I have witnessed many behaviors that seem to eventually lead people into job burnout.  What struck me most, is that most people unwittingly do these things not realizing that prolonged commitment to these behaviors or ways of thinking can sabotage their ability to sustain happiness through their work.  My new ebook will share with you my observation of several common derailing behaviors I have observed in employees at all levels and offer pragmatic remedies to prevent and recovering from job burnout – and I promise they are not the common behaviors or solutions you have heard of before!

When the book is ready – you will be among the first to know – stay tuned!