How to avoid burnout: identify what gives you stress at work, and follow these five tips to lower the risks
- Work-related stress can lead to burnout and depression if you are not careful; start by figuring out which of the eight causes of stress you are experiencing
- From relaxation methods to eating lunch away from your workstation, our experts share advice on how to avoid feeling overloaded
In 2017, Eileen Wee found herself short-staffed and ended up having to cover for a few employees across multiple projects for about eight months. The founder and managing director of a public relations and events agency in Singapore, she would work tirelessly right up until bedtime, and repeat that routine the next day.
She realised her non-stop schedule was affecting her health when she began experiencing heart palpitations and shortness of breath. She also had trouble sleeping. Later that year, Wee went for a routine medical check-up and was told she needed to take better care of herself.
“I had gone into overdrive and the check-up was a wake-up call for me to slow down and be more mindful of my health,” she shares. “I have a high stress threshold and I love what I do, so when I was pushing myself all those months I really didn’t think it was a problem.”
The WHO says it leads to exhaustion; negativity or cynicism towards one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.
According to Dr Adrian Low Eng-ken, a Hong Kong-based psychologist who has done substantial research on workplace stress, burnout is a kind of energy disorder, the result of having to deal with causes of stress at work and not giving oneself the chance to rest or recharge.