Did you hear that the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified burnout as a legitimate occupational phenomenon?
Patients diagnosed with the syndrome of burnout due to workplace stress might experience “feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.” In laymen’s terms, burnout puts your livelihood and ultimately your life in danger.
This recognition by the medical community may encourage companies to offer more mental health services and create policies that can help reduce workplace stress.
Consider finding time to meditate, learning how to delegate and making it a practice to hesitate before agreeing to take on more work than you’re obligated to perform. Commit to self-care and find someone to be your accountability buddy so you can keep each other on track. When you make conscious choices on how you spend your time and energy, you can avoid burnout and enjoy better work-life balance. Here are three ways to do that, from past blog posts:
- Set a Better Balance Quota
- Use This Simple Exercise to Reduce Unnecessary Obligations
- Outsmart Your Smartphone
Learn more about my leadership programs on work-life balance and achieving goals for companies and conferences.
How do you choose better balance over burnout?