How to Manage Burnout without Quitting Your Job

Image: Stressed looking woman chewing on pencil while looking at laptop.

Burnout is a major problem and September can bring a feeling of dread as we all return to work after the summer holidays and see our inboxes fill up with demands. The advice is often to quit a toxic or tedious job, but the reality is most people simply cannot afford to do this. You can protect yourself from serious burnout even if you have to stay in your current role for a while. Here are some tips:

1. Acknowledge the stress. The first thing to do is to acknowledge that you are depleted and are thereby not in your best-thinking brain. When our central nervous system is taxed, as it is in burnout, we tend to go into fight, flight, freeze or fawn (people-pleasing) modes. When we are stressed, we are operating from our emotional and survival brains rather than from the more rational pre-frontal cortex. So decision-making, problem-solving, innovation and collaboration will not come as easily to you as they might at other times. You are also more likely to rely on thinking shortcuts known as cognitive biases, falling into traps like confirmation bias (only gathering data that supports your initial hunch) or loss aversion bias, where you might turn down opportunities if they feel risky. (This is why it might feel impossible to find another job when you are experiencing burnout.) When you know your brain is not at its best due to burnout, you are more likely to hit the pause button and choose a better time to have hard discussions that require patience or make major decisions.

2. Set boundaries. Boundaries are the best protection against burnout. If you don't set limits around work, you are likely to snap at a coworker or client (fight), quit when you can't afford to (flee), or get sick (freeze.) It's better to set some boundaries before something bad happens. Decide what hours are reasonable to work. Turn off your phone after a certain time. Take your vacation days and let people know they cannot reach you when you are on holiday (even if you are staying home.) When you are burned out, you tend to feel less psychologically safe, and setting boundaries will feel scary, but nobody will look out for your best interests better than you. You can get in a burnout cycle and convince yourself that you cannot step away but try to be logical. For example, if you are overwhelmed with work because your organization is understaffed, it's unlikely they will want to fire you for taking a vacation day.

3. Set long-term intentions. When we have something to look forward to on the horizon, it can help us get through a trying situation. While planning something like a vacation can be helpful in the short term, it makes more sense to make plans around finding another job or starting a side hustle to supplement your income so you have more choices down the road. Maybe you want to go back to school or move to a place with more jobs. Start to plan. Create a vision board around what you want. Research some of the steps you need to take. Start to network. Just knowing that you will not be stuck in a job you hate forever can help you feel better about your current situation.

4. Nervous System regulation. While you are making longer-term plans, there are some things you can do to help your brain get in a better state immediately (these are short-term solutions to help you hold it together - like emotional Spanx.) Exercise, sleep, eat well and surround yourself with supportive people. Somatic or body-based practices can signal to the brain that you are safe even though you might not feel that way. One of the best techniques is 4-7-8 breathing, where you breathe in for a count of four, hold for a count of seven and exhale for a count of eight. When you place emphasis on your exhaled breath, it signals to the brain that you are safe (if you are running from a predator, you do not have the luxury of a slow exhale.) When you are feeling overwhelmed (like if your boss asks you to work late yet again), doing some deep breathing can help you get your brain in a state where you can set some boundaries and work on your exit plan.

Burnout is real, but if you take some protective steps, you can protect your energy until you can find a better role.

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