How to combat burnout?
Hi everyone, Happy New Year! It feels surreal that it is the year 2024! Time flies!
However, unconventionally, I am about to start the year with a heavy topic: burnout. I have been dealing with and researching it for the past six months. On the last day of 2023, I finally found something clicked. The link will be shared at the end of the post. I will summarize it in this post and add some additional thoughts.
Three states to identify burnout: exhaustion, cynicism, and low self-efficacy. They precisely pointed out the factors that I was struggling to summarize. I took a big chunk of space writing my feelings and performance in a previous post, [Book Club] The Pathless Path. I like the precision. But I would like to add one more: chronic symptoms caused by immune system malfunction.
Before we continue with solutions, let’s see the causes of burnout first. It is not a single cause of being overworked.
Six Psychological Burnout Triggers
Lack of control. When you describe your day, it always starts with “I have to …”, “I don’t have time for …” or “It is always like that…“ Be careful. Someone takes responsibility for a task and does not let you contribute. Two solutions are presented, and yours isn’t taken without any reason. You tried hard, but the result doesn’t change. You produce and produce, but the project vanishes due to politics.
Values conflicts. What is your organization's core value? How is your organization communicating it? What does your organization do in reality? Do they all match together? Do they all match your sense of morals and ultimate pursuit?
Insufficient reward. Presenting results without feedback? Significant contribution without acknowledgment? Outstanding performance yet got budget cut? Huge effort paid on mundanes, and no learning outcome? Or simply didn’t get the salary, bonus, and raise you want?
Work overloaded. Constantly working over 100% of your capacity?
Breakdown of community. Sticky incompetent big-mouth coworkers? Politics over productivity? Groups, teams, and organizations implicitly discourage individual learning and growth.
Unfairness. Culture favoritism? Same results, different treatment? Higher contribution, same treatment? These are opposite directions of unfair actions, but they all result in demotivation. An excerpt from Confusion on fairness.
Someone said, "What do you say concerning the principle that repays evil with kindness?" The Master said, "With what then will you repay kindness? Repay evil with justice, and repay kindness with kindness."
When we look back on those six triggers, we must also be aware of the external and internal factors. Occasionally, the solution is altering one’s beliefs or perception of those triggers. Talk openly to relevant persons about your feelings, e.g., lack of control, unfairness, etc. See how they react. Is it true? Or do you lack some information?
Solutions
Choose the right kind of HARD: the right kind of hard aligns with strength/intrinsic motivation.
Don’t stay too close to the full capacity. 80% is the optimal effort rate. Sustainable effort beats endless sprints every time.
When you see a hill, sprint. While 80% is optimal, occasionally, when there is a deadline, go with 120%. A short sprint that brings positive and instant results can motivate you more. Don’t forget to relax after the sprint and return to 80% capacity. What does a 54-hour video editing marathon teach me? is a good demonstration. The problem is that I didn’t realize I turned this short sprint into a six-month marathon. So be careful.
Tackle all problems from those six triggers, not only overworking.
Exercise, exercise, exercise. The more your heart struggles, the better you will benefit.
Happppy new year!
Take it easy ~~~