Everyone can experience work life burnout, even managers. We have had to handle so many changes and adjustments this past year, it is even more important that you make sure you are taking the steps needed not but completely burnout. Below are the top 3 ways to avoid work life burnout.

Define Your Time

Working long hours doesn’t always equate to more work getting done. Many times it just means you are available to people, new issues, distractions for longer or simply wasting time to fill the day. Instead of making sure you work 60 hours per week, define a better routine for yourself by determining the amount of time you need for daily tasks and then allotting for time the unexpected or non-daily tasks like meetings and interviews. This will help you be more productive during active work hours and leave the rest, if possible, for the next day.

It’s Okay to Say NO

We all know that not every days set of tasks can always be completed during working hours or wait til the next day. There are times when work must blur into personal time, and that’s okay from time to time. But it’s important to know that it’s okay to tell people no sometimes. Just because you have the ability to stay until 9pm doesn’t mean that you need to in order for work to get done. It also doesn’t mean that all or most of your personal time should be tangled up in work. It is important to have a separate personal life outside of work. Be sure you allow yourself to leave work (physically and mentally) and enjoy life with other people and activities. Even if it’s sitting at home on the couch watching TV or taking a walk with your dog… If you don’t make an effort to separate some “me” time away from work you will increase your levels of stress, anxiety and burnout exponentially.

Take A Break

Even if you manage to separate some personal time from work time, you still need to be sure you are taking breaks to avoid burnout. Everyone needs some down time to recharge for the busy weeks and months. Even if you don’t want want to use vacation time (which I recommend at least once a year) you can use the slower times during the year like Spring Break to do this without actually taking days off. Instead of the daily grind, schedule out time to slow down, address the things you haven’t had time to address and take a breath. When things are slower in the office, it can give you a chance to look at things that may have fallen through the cracks during busy times. A little refocus will help you not feel so monotonous. Remember, you can’t run on empty and be efficient. Make a conscious plan to fill your tank so you’re not running low in the next quarter.