What would be some of your tips/suggestions for new graduates moving into the workforce to try and have work life balance or prevent burnout?
What would be your tips/suggestions if they do start to feel burnout?
I don't always feel like that work/life balance is something we strive for here in the US although that isn't true for all industries or companies. I think mental health and healthy boundaries are important for everyone.
My tip is always make sure you know how many hours they are contracting you to work. Set boundaries so they know you aren't going to go over your set amount of hours or if you absolutely need to to finish something do not make it a habit. Work hard while you are at work and take time at home to destress - don't check emails, don't do work outside of work.
Jackie Ruka
ProfessionalHappyologist Thrive in your purpose.
2.73k
01/15/22 at 7:15PM UTC
I suggest you look for a company that has a wellness or wellbeing platform in place for their employees and understand and appreciates their employees plus supports you and life integration at work. Some companies are just getting on board with this concept others are already doing this, do some research before you apply and pick your top companies that support work/life integration.
Anonymous
08/13/21 at 5:56PM UTC
I work in mental health as well, and preventing burnout is a really important but complex topic. I do a lot of training for new and continuing employees and I always include 20 or so minutes to talk about burnout. Of course self-care, limit & boundary-setting, etc. are important but part of it is unfortunately as employees out of our hands. For instance, a huge contributor to burnout is a "mis-match" between your own values and those of your employer or senior management. Not being given enough time to finish work contributes, as does feeling like you have no decision-making power/autonomy. Some employers give their employees the impression that they are burned out because they are weak, but nothing is further from the truth! Those who get burned out tend to be the most caring, hard-working, dedicated people in their fields. A friend of mine did his dissertation recently on burnout - he's fond of saying that if you come home at the end of the day & can't get that sense of relaxation, can't recharge, or can't leave it behind you then chances are burnout is what you are experiencing.
Margrit PatelTechnology Program Management in New York
187
07/24/21 at 9:35PM UTC
No one should get to a point where they burn out. I recommend speaking to the manager in an open discussion about which activities you think should be prioritized and which ones should move to the back burner. You’d be surprised how well this approach can be perceived as it shows self awareness and problem solving.
Annette ReimerAccount Management and Support
191
07/23/21 at 5:49PM UTC
I agree with your tips. I have in the past allowed the workload to follow me home and would spend countless hours on a weekend following up on emails. The problem is that this happened gradually and I did not realize how much extra I put in until I was, in fact, burnt out. I know now I HAVE to set the boundaries on what will be acceptable occasions where working outside of the allotted hours is necessary.
Anonymous
07/23/21 at 6:33PM UTC
Yes! Before moving into my career I worked two jobs and often worked 50 plus hours a week between the two. I knew going into my professional jobs I wanted to set boundaries which helped me because I felt so burnt out after those experiences.
Do you have any tips on how to set boundaries professionally? That is always something I find difficult to articulate as advice.
Annette ReimerAccount Management and Support
191
07/26/21 at 7:49PM UTC
For myself, I kept answering work emails late into the night, I decided I had to put the phone down and not answer any emails after 8pm. On weekends, I also would not answer a group email, but if I needed to add something to the email in response, I would prioritize it to answer first on a Monday. When I was in sales, and felt I initially must respond to every inquiry, I set my personal boundary to stop jumping in right away as we had a Customer Service Department and they were to answer first. Letting them do their jobs and letting go of the feeling I had to step in was the first step to help myself and create that work/life balance.
