How Workplace Burnout Affects Our Daily Lives

Everyone can have “one of those days.” But when you start to feel like everything is wearing you down over time, it could be a sign you’re suffering from workplace burnout. In one recent study, 76% of people have experienced feelings of burnout and agreed that stress at work has negatively impacted their mental health.

Workplace burnout can be caused by many factors, including poor work-life balance or unrealistic job expectations. In some cases, burnout affects how we feel in the workplace, but it can also seep into our daily lives outside of work. What does burnout look like outside of the work world? Here are three areas of your life that could be affected.

Sleep Health

One of the most common effects of burnout is insomnia and reduced quality of sleep. This can set in motion a vicious cycle, as not being able to drift off quickly can be incredibly frustrating, particularly when you’re already feeling worn out. Insomnia is not only an effect of burnout but can also be a cause of it. According to a recent UK poll, they both contribute to each other.

There are many ways to beat insomnia, but here are a few key areas to address when burnout is involved. Consider your bedroom setup. Are you trying to sleep in the same room you’ve been working in throughout the day? If possible, avoid working in your bedroom since this can trick your brain into thinking it’s time to work when you should be winding down.

Also, is your nighttime routine conducive to a good night’s sleep? Shutting down the laptop five minutes before lying down for bed isn’t the most effective way to quickly fall asleep. Consider setting some time aside before bedtime to relax without a screen.

Mood

A bad moment at work can leave you feeling aggravated for the entire day. But when those bad days turn into bad weeks or even months, your mood will be heavily affected over a prolonged period. On top of the stress brought on by burnout, it becomes common to have negative or cynical thoughts and general feelings of apathy.

The struggle to maintain a positive attitude can affect your lifestyle choices. For instance, a consistent foul mood might cause you to withdraw from regular social life. You may also make unhealthy choices around food or lifestyle habits to alleviate these negative feelings.

If you’re working from home, consider making a fake commute by taking a walk or bike ride at the start and end of each working day. This will help you draw a line between work and leisure time and give you time and space to release the stresses of the day.

Strain on Relationships

Since the start of the pandemic, it has become common practice for professionals to take work home. Bringing job demands into the home places an extra burden on your non-work relationships since your focus and attention will often be elsewhere – particularly when you’re already stressed. When you feel overwhelmed with work, you’re more likely to let it intrude on your personal life, and burnout becomes more a lifestyle issue than a workplace one.

Small, seemingly harmless habits such as checking emails at the dinner table or finishing off a report while watching a movie with your family can quickly lead to feelings of alienation in the home. Failure to achieve an appropriate balance between your job and loved ones will make things harder for everyone.

It’s crucial to set boundaries with yourself and your colleagues to prevent work from taking over your personal time. This can become more challenging when working from home since everything you need to do your job is always within reach. But you can use those tools, such as digital calendars, to block out hours when you won’t be available to your colleagues. You can also put away your equipment at the end of the workday to help you resist the temptation to do “one more thing.”

Summing Up

The majority of professionals have admitted to experiencing feelings of burnout at some stage in their careers. It’s important to be aware of how burnout can impact our daily lives and create harmful patterns in our behavior, as this can affect those around us, too. If you have concerns that you’re experiencing burnout, it’s a good idea to speak to colleagues or a manager, who may be able to help you modify your way of working to better look after your wellbeing.

About the Author: James Ritter is a freelance writer with a particular interest in employee welfare and has created content for established companies worldwide. He has a degree in creative writing and is always eager to expand my knowledge around different subjects.

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