How to Avoid Emotional Burnout at Work

Pay attention to your mood., Remain objective about work., Talk to someone you trust., Set realistic boundaries to maintain your work-life balance., Consider professional support.

5 Steps 4 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Pay attention to your mood.

    Keeping track of your mood from day to day can help you to identify if there is a problem.

    Try keeping a log of your mood to identify changes.

    You might notices changes in your mood that are dramatic or subtle.

    For example, you might notice you are feeling unmotivated one day, or that you feel hopeless.

    Watch for these types of mood shifts and talk with someone you trust about them.

    If your mood shifts begin to interfere with your ability to do your job, or if you feel overwhelmed by your emotions, then see a therapist for help as soon as possible.
  2. Step 2: Remain objective about work.

    You might find yourself becoming emotionally involved in situations at work, even if you don’t mean to.

    You may have a job that requires you to get closely involved in the lives of others.

    Or, you may work in an emotionally charged environment with volatile co-workers.

    You can avoid emotional burnout if you take a step back and stay objective rather than allowing your emotions to takeover.

    Remind yourself that you have to maintain some emotional and mental space between your professional and personal life.

    For instance, if you work in social services, you may need to tell yourself, “By doing my job, I’m doing something to help this person.

    But I can’t take this home with me.” Try to avoid getting caught up and emotionally involved in workplace drama.

    For example, if the office ‘hot couple’ just broke up, steer clear of getting worked up as if your own relationship just ended. , Releasing your emotions by confiding in someone close to you can do a great deal to help you manage feelings that arise because of work.

    Just having someone listen while you talk through your feelings can help you avoid emotional burnout at work.They can also offer a fresh perspective on frustrating situations and strategies for handling work-related stress.

    You might tell your brother, for instance, “Work has been really crazy lately! Can I talk to you about it?” If you have a career or professional mentor, it would be perfectly appropriate for you to talk to them about your work-related emotions, as well as strategies for avoiding emotional burnout.

    Or, for example, if you have a good relationship with your supervisor, you might ask them, “Could we talk about some ways to manage emotions and avoid burnout in this line of work?” , It is important to maintain healthy boundaries to keep your work life and personal life separate.

    Try setting some boundaries that are based on what you value and want to preserve in your life.

    To do this, you will need to examine your values and determine what is most important to you.

    Then, you will need to make these limits clear to your coworkers and boss.For example, if you value spending your weekends with your friends and/or family, then you might make a rule that you will not work weekends, and let your boss and coworkers know that you are not available on the weekend. , Sometimes, either because of the nature of your job or because of circumstances, situations come up at work that can be emotionally taxing.

    For example, you may be an ER nurse who sees serious trauma on a regular basis or you may work at an organization that’s undergoing major restructuring.

    In these, and cases a counselor, therapist, or similar professional may be able to help you cope and avoid emotional burnout.

    Contact your human resources department for information about receiving support and services through your employer.

    Some professions have dedicated hotlines and other resources set up to help employees.

    You can also talk to your regular healthcare provider about receiving professional support.

    You might say, “I’d like to talk with someone about some of my feelings about my job.

    Is there anyone you recommend?” Make sure that you report any inappropriate behavior towards you or other people in your workplace.

    Being sexually harassed, bullied, cyber-bullied, or pressured by your colleagues can contribute to workplace stress and burnout.

    Talk to someone about the issue right away.
  3. Step 3: Talk to someone you trust.

  4. Step 4: Set realistic boundaries to maintain your work-life balance.

  5. Step 5: Consider professional support.

Detailed Guide

Keeping track of your mood from day to day can help you to identify if there is a problem.

Try keeping a log of your mood to identify changes.

You might notices changes in your mood that are dramatic or subtle.

For example, you might notice you are feeling unmotivated one day, or that you feel hopeless.

Watch for these types of mood shifts and talk with someone you trust about them.

If your mood shifts begin to interfere with your ability to do your job, or if you feel overwhelmed by your emotions, then see a therapist for help as soon as possible.

You might find yourself becoming emotionally involved in situations at work, even if you don’t mean to.

You may have a job that requires you to get closely involved in the lives of others.

Or, you may work in an emotionally charged environment with volatile co-workers.

You can avoid emotional burnout if you take a step back and stay objective rather than allowing your emotions to takeover.

Remind yourself that you have to maintain some emotional and mental space between your professional and personal life.

For instance, if you work in social services, you may need to tell yourself, “By doing my job, I’m doing something to help this person.

But I can’t take this home with me.” Try to avoid getting caught up and emotionally involved in workplace drama.

For example, if the office ‘hot couple’ just broke up, steer clear of getting worked up as if your own relationship just ended. , Releasing your emotions by confiding in someone close to you can do a great deal to help you manage feelings that arise because of work.

Just having someone listen while you talk through your feelings can help you avoid emotional burnout at work.They can also offer a fresh perspective on frustrating situations and strategies for handling work-related stress.

You might tell your brother, for instance, “Work has been really crazy lately! Can I talk to you about it?” If you have a career or professional mentor, it would be perfectly appropriate for you to talk to them about your work-related emotions, as well as strategies for avoiding emotional burnout.

Or, for example, if you have a good relationship with your supervisor, you might ask them, “Could we talk about some ways to manage emotions and avoid burnout in this line of work?” , It is important to maintain healthy boundaries to keep your work life and personal life separate.

Try setting some boundaries that are based on what you value and want to preserve in your life.

To do this, you will need to examine your values and determine what is most important to you.

Then, you will need to make these limits clear to your coworkers and boss.For example, if you value spending your weekends with your friends and/or family, then you might make a rule that you will not work weekends, and let your boss and coworkers know that you are not available on the weekend. , Sometimes, either because of the nature of your job or because of circumstances, situations come up at work that can be emotionally taxing.

For example, you may be an ER nurse who sees serious trauma on a regular basis or you may work at an organization that’s undergoing major restructuring.

In these, and cases a counselor, therapist, or similar professional may be able to help you cope and avoid emotional burnout.

Contact your human resources department for information about receiving support and services through your employer.

Some professions have dedicated hotlines and other resources set up to help employees.

You can also talk to your regular healthcare provider about receiving professional support.

You might say, “I’d like to talk with someone about some of my feelings about my job.

Is there anyone you recommend?” Make sure that you report any inappropriate behavior towards you or other people in your workplace.

Being sexually harassed, bullied, cyber-bullied, or pressured by your colleagues can contribute to workplace stress and burnout.

Talk to someone about the issue right away.

About the Author

L

Logan Phillips

Logan Phillips is an experienced writer with over 4 years of expertise in engineering and technical solutions. Passionate about sharing practical knowledge, Logan creates easy-to-follow guides that help readers achieve their goals.

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