Overworking and Burnout are affecting many of us, and definitely something that has be talked about. But first of all, despite mentioned in the same sentences over and over, overworking and burnout are not necessarily the same thing, and to accurately handle them, we have to make the distinction. There are several issues associated with overworking, including:

• Increased stress and (lol?) burnout: Long hours and high workloads can lead to feelings of stress and exhaustion, which can make it difficult to perform effectively on the job.
• Health problems: Overworking can lead to a range of physical and mental health issues, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression, and can have a lasting effect on your health.
• Reduced productivity: Despite working longer hours, overworked individuals may not be as productive as they would be if they were working more reasonable hours. There is a maximum of effort in a day (around 8-10 hours) that you can be productive in – no matter how many energy drinks you consume.
• Relationship problems: Overworking can also lead to problems in personal relationships, as it can take time away from loved ones and make it difficult to maintain healthy connections, or just not having time to chat with our friends.
• Lack of work-life balance: Overworking can make it difficult for individuals to achieve a healthy balance between their work and personal lives, which can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and unhappiness.

On the other hand, burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged and excessive stress. It can be caused by a number of factors, including:

• High workload: A heavy workload or unrealistic expectations can lead to burnout itself, as individuals may feel overwhelmed and unable to keep up with the demands of their job.
• Lack of control: A lack of autonomy or control over one’s work can lead to feelings of helplessness and powerlessness, which can contribute to burnout. Getting ticket overwhelmed is not helping at all. Fight with WIP limits and more!
• Unclear expectations: A lack of clear goals or expectations for one’s role and responsibilities can lead to confusion and uncertainty, which can contribute to burnout. Make sure goal setting is real – you can try to define SMART goals, but really try to put the effort into making them real.
• Inadequate support: A lack of support from supervisors or colleagues can lead to feelings of isolation and frustration, which can contribute to burnout. If you interested, you can pick a mentor…
• Constant exposure to stress: Constant exposure to high-stress situations, such as working in a high-pressure environment or dealing with difficult clients or patients, can lead to burnout.
• Imbalance work-life balance: Not having enough time to relax, pursue hobbies and spending time with family and friends can lead to burnout. Do feel free to take a day off here and there. The world and the firm won’t stop.
• Personal factors: Personal factors such as perfectionism, a lack of self-care, and negative coping mechanisms can also contribute to burnout. As an example, I don’t try to plan to be my blog posts to be perfect 🙂 They are full of grammar mistakes and typos all the time 😀

Brrr, neither of them looks great. So there has to be a way to prevent burnout and overworking, aren’t they? I think, there are:

• Prioritizing self-care: Taking care of your physical and mental well-being is important in preventing burnout. This can include taking breaks throughout the day, getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and engaging in regular exercise.
• Setting boundaries: Setting clear boundaries between work and personal life can help prevent overworking. This can include setting specific times to check work-related emails or turning off your phone or computer when you’re not working.
• Managing stress: Finding effective ways to manage stress can help prevent burnout. This can include techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises, or something like this 🙂
• Communicating effectively: Communicating with your supervisor or colleagues about your workload and any concerns you have can help prevent burnout.
• Finding a balance: Finding a balance between work and personal life can help prevent burnout. This can include taking time off work when needed, making time for hobbies and interests, and spending quality time with friends and family.
• Seeking support: Seek support from supervisors, colleagues, friends, family and mental health professionals if you need it. See mentoring as well.
• Re-evaluating your goals: Re-evaluating your goals, expectations, and priorities in your life can help you to ensure that you are not overworking yourself. These might be your work goals, or your goals, generally.

Remember, it is important to take preventative steps to avoid burnout and overworking, and take action as soon as possible if you notice signs of stress or burnout. There are many factors that can contribute to burnout and overworking – at the same time, it’s worth noting that different people may have different risk factors to burnout and overworking, and it is important to understand and identify the factors that affect you the most.