Why Work-Life Balance Will Not Fix These 5 Signs of Burnout

The term may have become a byword, but it is still challenging to detect the signs of burnout. What could be one person’s typical response to a stressful situation might already be someone else’s cry for help. Research after research tells us that this level of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion is real. But the good news is that the same amount of information says you can address it.

What Are the 5 Signs of Burnout?

Professionally, burnout happens when your workplace becomes an unrelenting source of stress. It doesn't matter whether the work arrangement is on-site, remote or hybrid. Each may present circumstances that can lead to burnout. Usually, it starts as a mental response. Then, it affects a person's emotional and, eventually, physical well-being. Here are some early signs of burnout.

You notice a significant reduction in productivity.

When you want to do well at work, you always strive to be efficient and find ways to be productive. You always accept more work and rush to finish your assignments. However, constantly pushing yourself can push you over the edge, and you may lose your motivation. You may start missing a deadline. Then two. If you suddenly realise you're drowning in what you used to be able to blaze through, you may be starting to feel overwhelmed.

You have difficulty concentrating and focusing.

Because so many things demand attention, this symptom may be tough to notice. Distraction might masquerade itself as busyness. But if you notice that little things preoccupy you easily or you constantly look for excuses to get away from work, you might need a break.

You are constantly exhausted physically.

Several factors can bring this about, like not getting quality sleep. In addition, your appetite may have also waned, which will, of course, affect you physically.

You're uncharacteristically socially detached.

Many characters make up an office since many personalities converge in a work setting. When you notice a colleague who used to be the social ringleader becomes withdrawn, check on them. How about you? Have you been feeling extra moody lately?

You're increasingly cynical.

Picking up on the earlier point, you – nor the people around you – won't always be a ray of sunshine. However, if you notice you're crankier and more jaded, then your frustrations at work may be growing – even if you're not aware of them yet.

Though this list isn’t exhaustive, it can make you more self-aware. Moreover, it can make you more conscious of your colleagues. Are you okay? Are they okay? Is it something personal or is the issue related to the company's system? Once you identify the source of burnout, then you can better address it.

Addressing burnout by finding ways to achieve work-life balance has been challenged. After all, landing that satisfying middle ground isn't a quick process. It takes a lot of willpower and determination to deflect even the early signs of burnout by striving for work-life integration.

Work-Life Integration

Work-life balance recognises that work and life are two separate entities. There is a clear and definite boundary between your professional and personal life. Work is work, and personal life happens when you shut down your laptop. Imagine how tough that can be when you're working remotely, dealing with time zones and other location-independent people.

Singapore’s senior business leaders revealed that after the initial shock of COVID-19, their work-life balance improved. The secret? It's not really balance. Work-life integration has a more flexible approach. Since remote work has taken over on-site work arrangements, merging personal and professional aspects has become much more manageable. You could be on a treadmill while on a conference call. Your children may be blurred behind you during a presentation. You don't have to balance when you can blend.

5 Ways to Put the Burn Burnout

Detecting the signs of burnout is one thing, but it will always be better to avoid it altogether. Because of the pandemic, people show up for work in many different ways, and none of them is burnout proof. Consider the following suggestions to help keep burnout at bay, whether working from home or on-site.

Set boundaries.

You have heard it over and over—setting boundaries is always a good idea. Learn to say no. If you are non-confrontational, ask your colleague to give you time to think about what they ask of you.

Plan your workload. If there are tasks that someone else can do better than you, delegate. One way to help you avoid burnout is by building up the capabilities of people in your team. When they are able enough, delegating tasks will be a cinch.

If you want to practise work-life integration, change your clothes from the office or for home. You may be merging your duties, but this process still conditions your mind and helps you switch between roles. Assign the tops you will wear, depending on whether you are focusing on domestic or office duties.

Be firm with your work hours. Use the out-of-office reply function to get into the full non-work mode. Also, use virtual coffee breaks as a transition period to switch from one task to another. These don’t necessarily have to involve coffee. A quick walk around the block of a 10-minute guided meditation will work wonders.

Change your environment.

There is something about moving around, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

In this age of agile workspaces, use different areas that will need differing concentration levels. If you can manage to work around people talking, use the common areas to give you a sense of community.

The same goes if you are doing remote work. You can either physically move to another spot in the house if the work demands more concentration. If your space is limited, you can be creative and change your desktop wallpaper for certain tasks. Anything that will show a different view counts as a change in your environment.

Practise mindfulness.

Be present wherever you are. If you are in a meeting at work, be all there. Contributing to the conversation doesn’t always have to be active. Listen well because your undivided attention matters.

Find an activity that will encourage you to detach from technology and unplug from devices. The practise of journaling has helped develop mindfulness. You can try this at home or even in your favourite coffee shop. You don’t need to be on vacation to enjoy these mini-technology breaks. The key is consistency. The more you practise it, the more it will become a permanent part of your day.

Pursue a hobby.

This suggestion builds on the idea of the previous one. Take a few hours every week to concentrate on something you enjoy. Find it as unrelated as possible to your line of work. These can be a book, a sport or a craft. Whatever you decide on, this will give you that much-needed break from thinking about the office.

When you make time to immerse in something other than the office, you can come back recharged and refreshed. When you are doing something you enjoy, it will give you an outlet where work-related stress just goes away.

Build relationships.

Work involves other people, which is why emotional intelligence is necessary in the workplace. One way to keep from burning out is to build relationships within the organisation.

The evolving workplace can be disorienting, lonely even. Deliberately include socialisation in your schedule. You can have a meal with people or just set aside time for quick catch-ups by the water cooler. Be intentional with these conversations and find ways how you can help people with their tasks. You can also use this time to see who can support you with what you are working on.

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