Four Ways To Say Goodbye to Burnout in the New Year
The start of a new year can be a chance for a clean slate and a fresh start, but we can also feel ourselves slip quickly into weariness and fatigue with the professional demands we face. If you’re determined to approach next year differently, here are a few ways to do that:
Set your priorities now
New Year’s resolutions may be a fun way to celebrate the start of a new year, but they often are made spontaneously and don’t last very long. In contrast, when you’re thinking about what you want your main goals to be next year, you need to spend some time evaluating and planning.
It’s tempting to push off that planning when the end of the current year is already busy for you – addressing collections, doing other reviews, and finding some time for enjoying the holidays with family and friends. But if you wait to set next year’s priorities until the new year, you may find that the urgencies of a turn of the calendar will find you playing catch-up. And you’ll likely be stressed about feeling behind in what you really want to focus on.
To get ahead of the curve, write down your goals and how to meet them, in order to hold yourself accountable. For example, if you want to do a better job of engaging with your network and broadening that network, perhaps you proactively block time on next year’s calendar to plan the events you’ll attend or host, and also draft a schedule for preparing for them. Whatever your aims, take the opportunity now to consider what you aspire to do, and how you can build a plan to advocate for yourself in working toward those objectives.
Decide when to say “no”
A lawyer I worked with once announced at an end-of-year holiday party: “Next year is my year of saying ‘no.’” She was one of the most talented attorneys at our law firm. As a result, she was sought out not only for many of the most high-profile cases, but also to engage in substantial business development, serve on firm committees, and take on pretty much any other task that came her way simply because everyone knew she would succeed in whatever she did. The problem was that she was also overworked and overextended. She could not advance her own professional goals. She didn’t say “no.”
To avoid the “don’t’ say no” trap, strengthen your resolve to be specific about what work you will decline. Start by making a list of the particular asks that you will turn down. Your list might include saying “no” to administrative work that doesn’t help your path to promotion, taking on projects where you have inadequate support or resources, or traveling for non-essential meetings. What you decide to give a pass is unique to you and your concerns, but ensure that you stick to your resolve to carve out more time for what does matter to you.
Don’t dwell on what went wrong last year
If you experienced a failure or setback in the prior year, it’s important to examine what happened, determine what led to it, and identify what can be done differently in the future to prevent it. Maybe you can avoid what happened by making some simple changes in process or approach to your work, or maybe the lesson learned is that you couldn’t have changed the outcome because of the actions or inactions of others which you could not control.
After this analysis, focus on the future rather than being mired in old disappointments. Being unable to move forward and instead being fixated on your past frustrations will be debilitating. Direct your energy toward the plans you have for your professional life now, and how you can achieve success going forward. Remind yourself of the skills and talent that you bring to the table, and recognize that you are not defined by something that didn’t work out. Instead, seek to re-engage and re-wire your mindset to the positive work you can do now.
Sleep and exercise
Mark Twain once said “I have never taken any exercise except sleeping and resting.” We all know that sleep and exercise are important for mental and physical health. But busy professionals in tough jobs, with unpredictable hours, often ignore those needs. A 2020 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association cited research by Stanford University School of Medicine professors finding that inadequate sleep had significant correlation with reduced cognitive performance, work exhaustion, impaired decision-making, and overall burnout. So, make time to get the rest you need for your well-being, including your performance at work.
Closely related to the need for sleep is the need for exercise. If you miss your workout because of a morning meeting or are overwhelmed by the gym crowds in early January, then resolve to engage in physical movement in another way. Movement refocuses our minds, makes us more aware of our surroundings, and gets oxygen flowing to our brains. Take a walk outside with a colleague rather than sitting behind a desk; or take a walk on your own during a conference call. Don’t ignore this fundamental need for your body to take a break during the day.
As you move into the new year, if I can be of assistance with planning or strategizing about how to refocus on your goals and avoid burnout, please reach out to me to discuss. This is a great time to start a coaching relationship and get the support you need to move forward. Contact Laura