Secrets to stopping burnout

Many of us were taught to be self-deprecating when it comes to our opinion of ourselves. While it is wise not to have a feeling of superiority over others, this type of modesty can lead to devaluing ourselves to ourselves. When that happens we tend to work harder and longer in order to have others value us. 

 The result however usually isn't what we intended. When we take on more cases to impress the manager, we end up having to stay late every day—and pretty soon it isn't impressive anymore. It's not fun to keep doing more and more to impress people that are never going to stay impressed. The end result? You don't want to anymore. If this sounds all too familiar, here are a couple ways you can reduce your chance of burn out.

Think of yourself first

During an emergency on an airplane, you are instructed to put an oxygen mask on yourself first before tending to any children. While it's tempting to put your children over yourself, doing so may get all of you killed. After all, you can always put an airmask on an unconcious child, but not so if you've already passed out.

This doesn't mean swaggering out of the clinic at 2PM when you have a full afternoon of appointments lined up, but it does mean penciling in time for the things you love on your days off so that when Monday comes around again, you actually feel rested.

Don't ask too much of yourself

It's tempting to set a bar impossibly high and tell yourself that is the only acceptable level you can reach. It's okay to set realistic goals for yourself, and to work on those instead.

Burnout is a real problem, and can effect both your work and home life. These tips can help you keep yourself fresh and engaged at your job, while taking care of yourself at the same time.