Does burnout sound familiar? Having found myself on the verge of burnout a few years ago, I know what I’m talking about!

Many factors lead to burnout, but long-term, permanent stress is certainly the main culprit.

During the pandemic, cases of burnout increased, partly due to people working longer hours while working from home, and being even more stressed than normal. At my conferences these days, I even suggest that participants give themselves a bonus point for the level of stress they feel.

So what can you do to avoid burnout?

One of the simplest and easiest things to do is to take more breaks.

Not only will this improve your mental health and reduce the risk of burnout, it will also improve your productivity. Ultimately, you’ll get more done, because regular breaks will improve your concentration. This means you’ll be able to work fewer hours, helping to further prevent burnout.

A study by Owl Labs in 2020 showed that people working from home worked an average of 26 hours more per month, or almost an extra day per week. 26 MORE hours!!!

Even though working from home has many advantages, it does something strange to our way of thinking. We feel guilty taking breaks when we think we should be working. So we often don’t, and just get on with it.

Unfortunately, not taking breaks doesn’t save you time in the long run. On the contrary, your productivity decreases as your brain becomes exhausted, causing you to slow down, lose concentration and make more and more mistakes.

The good news is that your breaks don’t have to be long to be beneficial. A few minutes’ break can make a huge difference to your state of mind and your ability to concentrate for longer.

Overall, you’ll need a good mix of longer and shorter breaks for optimum benefit. This includes a proper lunch break, a good night’s rest with a relaxing evening, weekends and vacations to completely unplug and recharge.

How to make the most of your breaks

• Write down your breaks in your diary. Set alarms so that you don’t “go straight through”. That way, you’ll be more likely to stick to them. Write down what you’re going to do during your break, for example, go for a walk or read a book, or join a laughter group on URGENCE RIRE for energizing and relaxing 10-15 minute breaks. Your brain will be oxygenated, you’ll feel more relaxed and continue your work with smiling energy.
• Choose an activity that takes you away from your work. Don’t use it to check e-mail or social media. No. Do something else. Like LAUGH!

Most people can’t concentrate for more than 90 minutes at a time, which is how often you’ll need a mini-break. You’ll notice that you need a break when your mind starts to wander, you begin to procrastinate or you make more mistakes.

Wouldn’t you keep driving your car if the engine started to overheat?

HA! You’d take a break to let it cool off. Don’t treat your body any worse than you would your car!

Jaw clenching? Time to relax a little!

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Laughter, joy and health

Linda

p.s. To consult the 2022 results