New York City is known as the city that never sleeps for good reason. It’s because NYC is filled with people full of energy and drive, constantly striving to do their best. This drive to succeed can be both a blessing and a curse, as it often leads to burnout. It is important to learn about burnout prevention if you are facing symptoms of burnout.
People who are in the epitome of success may look like they have it all to the public eye. Behind the glitz and glamor of the limelight, many successful people fall into the pit of helplessness and deep burnout. A study by Asana that looked into 10,000 people across 7 countries found that about 70% of them experienced burnout that same year. It’s a common experience in the workplace, and successful people are more prone to it. If you’re curious to know why and more about burnout prevention, the following will go further in depth about burnout.
What is Burnout and When Does It Happen?
Burnout can happen to anyone. It’s a feeling characterized by complete exhaustion and the lack of motivation to do anything. Many people who report experiencing burnout say that they’ve lost their purpose and passion for work. While others say that they feel emotionally exhausted which often leads to having trouble sleeping and focusing on the tasks at hand. Burnout can happen if you don’t find the right balance between work and rest. A Burnout experience varies from one person to another, preventing burnout can look different for everyone. It can seriously affect your mental health and is not something to be taken lightly.
Common Reasons Successful Individuals are More Prone to Burnout
Burnout can be caused by a lot of factors. These are the top five reasons why successful people are more prone to it:
- The pressure to be successful can be overwhelming. Successful people place themselves on a pedestal where everyone expects them to perform excellently all the time. And, because of this, they constantly feel pressured to be nothing less than perfect which causes them to experience burnout.
- They have no work-life balance. Having no work-life balance is a common reason for burnout. Many successful people tend to experience burnout because of the lack of burnout prevention being practiced in the workplace. Their “all or nothing” attitude constantly pushes them to work harder and forget to spend time on rest and recreation.
- They have no outlet to express their emotions. Many successful people think that bottling up their emotions is the best way to deal with them. Others are simply too busy to spend time talking about their emotions with their family and friends. This routine habit of avoiding conversations that allow open discussions on emotions causes burnout. And, it only gets worse over time.
- They have very high expectations for themselves. They set goals and work tirelessly to achieve them. While this drive is admirable, it’s also a double-edged sword. If you set the bar too high, you can work long hours, sacrifice your health and relationships, and feel like you’ll never be able to keep up.
- They want everything to be perfect, including themselves. They strive for excellence in everything they do and find it difficult to accept anything less than perfect. While this drive for excellence is admirable, it can also be exhausting. When you’re constantly striving for perfection, it can feel like you’ll never be able to rest or relax.
How to Prevent Workplace Burnout in NYC
- Prioritize Self-Care: Practicing self-care is important if you want to prevent burnout. This might look like getting enough rest, eating a balanced diet, and exercising regularly. Preventing burnout might also look like scheduling time for reading, cooking, and hanging out with loved ones.
- Set Realistic Goals: Even though setting goals for yourself is important, make sure they are reasonable and realistic. If you set the bar too high, it might be harder to reach them which means you will have to put in more work than necessary.
- Learn to Say No: When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s important to learn how to say no and not take on more than you can manage. Otherwise, you might overstretch yourself and spread yourself too thin if you accept every invitation.
- Find Work-Life Balance: In New York City, it can be difficult to strike a balance between work and personal life, but it’s essential if you want to avoid burnout. That might mean you are scheduling time for activities aside from work. This might be as straightforward as going for a stroll in the park or to a yoga class.
- Seek Support: If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to ask friends, family, or a professional for help. It can be beneficial to discuss your stressors with someone in order to gain perspective and create coping mechanisms. Additionally, there are many resources in NYC that can assist you in managing stress, including support groups and counseling services.
Dealing with Workplace Burnout? Ask for Help!
A burnout experience can affect your life in many different ways. It’s real and common among successful people. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and have lost your motivation and passion to work, you may be having a burnout experience. The good thing is that there’s help available for preventing burnout that’s effective, flexible, and accessible online. So, you can squeeze the practice of burnout prevention into your busy schedule. Prioritize your mental health. Talk to us at Uncover Mental Health Counseling and we will help you get back on track.
