Day 3: 3 Crucial Mistakes At Work That Will Lead You Straight To Burnout

Take it from someone who learnt this the hard way — you spend way more time recovering from burnout than you do burning out.

I worked at the last job I burned out working in for only 4 months and spent the next 8 months recovering from it. That’s how long it took me to recover and regain my health and more importantly, my confidence back.

Learn from my mistakes to avoid making them yourself

Think of a gas stove. Now imagine burning your hand on that stove. No amount of Burnol will be helpful if you don’t move your hand away from the stove. Burnout is like that. Unless you address what’s causing the burnout, you will continue to feel sick — mentally and physically. Moreover, you won’t have the energy to put your work out into the world as you want to see it because you’ll be too busy trying to catch up.

Read on to know not what to do, but what mistakes to avoid.

#1. Measuring your self-worth against your job

You are bigger than the sum of your billable hours.

We make the mistake of equating our work with our identity. Can you really equate your salary to your identity? And if work were to disappear one day, would that mean your worth would be zero?

How can a third of a day that you spend at work be a reflection of your whole identity? Instead, recognize that work can only be one part of your identity.

#2. Believing that you need to keep proving you deserve to be where you are

There are organizations and bosses who thrive on making people feel like they constantly need to prove themselves.

Remember, you are not your job, your job is just one part of you. Your contributions deserve as much recognition as the things that need improvement.

Trying to control and perfect things is setting yourself up for failure. Instead, do your best, recognize that most jobs demand change, and be willing to adapt rather than feeling you need to be in control all the time.

#3. Calling your workplace your family

I used to be this person. I called my work my “second home”. Guess where that landed me? 18-hour work days with my eyes glued to my laptop and not being able to fall asleep beyond 2–3 hours every night.

Recognize that two-thirds of your life exists outside of work and that too deserves attention and tending to. Your real family will always support and champion your endeavours — at work or outside of it! So, take steps to actively design a life outside of work.

It’s absolutely possible to love the work you do and thrive outside of work.

You do not owe anyone your life. And no job will ever be the equivalent of your health and sanity.

Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog