Working 50 to 60 hours a week is fast becoming a norm in many competitive work environments. With bills to pay and deadlines to meet, professionals are obliged to perform hours beyond the usual 8 hour workday. We have no other choice but to work hard in order to meet our career goals. But one problem that you need to consider is burnout.
Burnout is a serious concern for many workplaces. Burnout can impede productivity, not to mention satisfaction of the employee at the workplace.
In different countries there are legislations that hope to address this problem. France, for instance, has been known for implementing its 35 hour work week. Unfortunately, not all countries have this. So how exactly do you increase productivity without experiencing burnout from work? Here are some productivity tips that you can use.
Set the tone for the week
Work well begun is work half done. Though Mondays can be difficult, you want to make sure that you set upyour productivity up first thing during the work week. This helps you gain momentum, especially when you have a lot of work that needs to be accomplished in your hands.
The moment you enter the workplace, stay away from emails, blogs and other things that could take attention away from important work. You will be surprised how this will help boost your productivity for the week.
Have some goals that aren’t work related
It also helps to have goals that aren’t work-related. Do you plan on investing or diversifying your investment portfolio? Or perhaps you are planning to go on a vacation in the next months? This will help boost your productivity, as you look forward in accomplishing the work at hand.
Create a schedule during the weekend
Ever experience working without an actual plan? This scenario can be stressful. If you are the type who plans his or her work on a Monday morning, here’s something that you can do to make things better. Other than time for yourself, weekends also serve as the perfect time to plan your week ahead.
Planning your week ahead is another great way to cross off more tasks at the workplace during the weekdays. This allows you to be organized and to accomplish things systematically. Furthermore, being organized reduces stress that can cause burnout.
Develop a healthy coping strategy
One of the reasons why people end up tired from work is due to the fact that they don’t have a healthy coping strategy from stress. Some people smoke cigarettes, while some people eat junk food whenever they are stressed.
It is important that you find a healthy coping mechanism that suits you. It could be in a form of a hobby or an exercise routine. This way, you can always enter the workplace refreshed and ready to perform. What most people forget is that work is only one aspect of their life. Though you are working during most of your waking hours, it shouldn’t define who you are. It is a good idea to have an activity aside from work.
Do not bring work at home
It is important to have clear boundaries between work and life. Unfortunately, a lot of individuals still bring work home with them, which can be an unhealthy habit.
Home should be your place where you rest after a long day at work. By bringing extra paper work home with you, you are not exactly minimizing stress. Not only could this disrupt your rest, it could even obstruct your interaction with family and friends.
If you really have to accomplish tasks from the office, it is better to chip the work down in the office. Why not go to work 45 minutes earlier than usual?
Sleep eight hours every night
Next, you need to make sure that you are always well rested. What most people forget is that sleep is a physiological requirement. How do you expect to work without having a complete 8 hour sleep the night before? Though coffee can work for a while, nothing beats a good nights sleep.
If you are the type who finds it a problem to sleep, it is a good idea that you have a ritual that tells the body to shut off.
Eat the right food
Your performance at work is dependent on your daily sustenance. Without the presence of healthy meals, it is impossible for you to have a clear mind and a healthy body to tolerate a great amount of work. Also, keep in mind that food helps your body recover from stress.
One of the biggest problems that we face today is our access to unhealthy food. It is easy to simply buy breakfast, lunch and dinner from fast food restaurants. Though it meets (even surpasses) the macro-nutrient requirements, it doesn’t provide us with the right amount of vitamins and minerals.
One of the best ways to eat the right food is by preparing your food during the weekends. This gives you the opportunity to know exactly what goes in the food that you eat.
Evaluate your productivity every week
It is important to have a clear picture of the work that transpired after every week. It makes perfect sense to always evaluate how much work you’ve actually accomplished. Here, you’ll be able to determine if you slowed down after already logging a certain number of hours at work. You will also understand how your body reacts from stress.
With this information, you can determine whether or not you are actually productive at work. And by looking closely at these things, you can even find ways on how to improve your performance.
Work in a place you can enjoy
Lastly, if you want to increase your productivity and still not experience burnout, it is important to find your passion. Working a job that you aren't passionate about can leave you stressed and unhappy. Also, it is crucial to find the right workplace that matches your personality.
Conclusion
Productivity is important for both employees and employers. Productivity, often times, become the basis of your progress within the corporate world. However, there are times wherein it can also lead to burnout.
It is a struggle for many businesses to find a balance between getting the most from their employees without surpassing their stress tolerance. Often times, we don’t realize that we are already working way too hard to reach our goals. What we think is a smart move, is actually the opposite.
Do you have other productivity related strategies on how to work smart and reduce work-related stress that could contribute to burnout? Feel free to write them down at the comments below!