Recruitment can be a highly rewarding career and attracts ambitious, high performing people. However sometimes in efforts to do your absolute best, multiple stressors may leave you feeling overworked, overwhelmed, and seriously burnt out.
The American Psychological Association’s David Ballard, PsyD describes burnout as “an extended period of time where someone experiences exhaustion and a lack of interest in things, resulting in a decline in their job performance.” Left unchecked, it can seriously impact your health, happiness, relationships and job performance.
Simple measures can be taken to ensure you and your team look out for each other and avoid the trap of burning out:
1. Get enough sleep
A restless night will reduce productivity and focus. On top of this it will significantly impact the quality of your judgement. Give yourself an hour before bedtime to unwind to increase your chances of a good night’s sleep.
2. Get some fresh air
Leaving the office for even 10 minutes and getting outside can refresh your perspective and increase your creativity. Studies have shown that spending even a few minutes in a ‘green space’ can significantly reduce the stress hormone cortisol.
3. Exercise
The impact physical activity has on your psychological health can not be overstated. Exercising floods your body with endorphins – natural painkillers which decrease stress, improve mood, boost self-esteem and improve sleep. Going for a fast walk or jog during your lunch break will set you up to tackle your afternoon to-do list.
4. Take holidays
Make sure you take your annual leave. Or if you work for yourself, schedule time off. It is important to enjoy life outside of your job, away from everyday stressors. Plus, you’ll come back to work refreshed with renewed energy to hit those targets!
To catch burnout early, it’s important to know what to look out for. Check out our infographic below!
