By Linda Olejniczak, courtesy of SBAM Approved Partner ASE
Associations Now recently published a 5-Day Anti-Burnout Challenge. The goal is to offer one small task each day for a week that could be worked into daily routines in hopes of preventing burnout. It is a great challenge to offer your workforce – especially with May being Mental Health Awareness Month.
Day One – Shut It Down
The goal for this day is to set a time to stop. Prioritize. Work off a to do list and don’t add anything to it. Shut down by turning off your computer and silencing notifications on your devices; you get the drill. During the pandemic it has become too easy to blur the day and work over the standard 9-5. That email you write at 11pm won’t be read until the next day, so shut it down.
Day Two – Self Compassion
What do you beat yourself up about at work? Would you talk to a co-worker like you talk to yourself? Have you ever been around a young child, and they accomplish a milestone and their family claps and cheers? Give yourself a pat on the back daily when you complete tasks, cross off that to do list, and really enjoy the feeling of a job well done.
Day Three – Complete the “Stress Cycle”
Learn how to allow your body to reach the natural end of the stress response and learn how to calm the nervous system. The benefits of relieving stress are almost innumerable, one being that you eliminate the primary cause of burnout. Completing the stress cycle includes breathing, positive social interaction, laughing, affection, and a “big ol’ cry.”
Day Four – Remember Your Purpose
Are you cynical about your job? It is time to find your purpose. Feeling disconnected from your purpose can cause stress which will cause burnout. To help find your purpose at work, focus on three main elements:1) Feeling connected to something bigger than yourself, 2) Knowing your work matters, 3) Understanding how your work affects other people.
Day Five – Make a Connection
The final day of the challenge is a reminder to yourself to enjoy life with family and friends. The pandemic forced us to stay home. It has almost become a habit now. The challenge does not want to make you uncomfortable or force you to go into a crowd but find simple things you can do to make connections. Text or call someone. Send a card. Meet one person for a meal. Go for a walk with a friend. Connections can help manage stress and give one a sense of purpose.