I want to talk about something that happened to me in 2024. It’ll probably happen to you because we’re facing a burnout epidemic. Last year, I burned out. I was unmotivated and not happy, and I wondered why I didn’t want to work anymore.
As you know, I’ve continuously been bitten off a lot. I’m a hard worker because that’s what gets me up in the morning. That wasn’t up until last year. I’ve always been passionate and excited, but there was a point last year when I realized I needed change because I wasn’t happy.
Tired vs Burnout
Burnout is a chronic state of physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion brought on by a constant state of stress. It’s different from being tired. Tiredness happens occasionally when you don’t get a good night’s sleep or push it too hard at one point. Burnout, however, leaves you feeling emotionally drained and detached. It can make you struggle to be productive, and it can also manifest in other unhealthy ways. You may skip going to the gym, self-medicate, or not be as present. It’s an overwhelming feeling of being stuck and stagnant. It feels like you’re on a treadmill doing the same thing day in and day out and not feeling energized or excited.
Burnout has reached an epidemic proportion in our society, and more specifically with men, due to pressures to have an incredible family, to make tons of money, to always grind and hustle, and from pressures on social media. We feel like we’re a failure if we’re not productive, and we’re expected to work harder and longer. Our pay is not seen as a pace or growth as productivity or output, leaving us feeling disassociated and dissatisfied with our actions.
Nothing is worse than working hard and giving your time and effort to somebody who doesn’t value it. Add on the feelings of insecurity about your job, and this is scary. Companies are laying off people, and when you have responsibilities, this fear makes you work even harder to prove that you’re worth it. But you may not be getting compensated for the extra effort.
Actionable steps to prevent and fix burnout
If you feel like you’re burned, analyze the situation. If you don’t like what you’re doing, that’s a problem. If you don’t like who you’re doing it with, that’s also a problem. If you don’t like who you’re doing it for, this also is a problem. You need to make a change because life is too short to hate what you do 8 hours a day. Find something that you enjoy. Sure, it will still be at work, but you need to manage the situation so you don’t feel burned out.
Burnout; many men just suck it up because we’re expected to do that, which leads to other problems. It can affect relationships and every aspect of your life if you don’t feel good about what you’re doing or how you’re doing it. You can break the cycle, however. Burnout is rising, so I would like to provide some actionable steps to prevent and fix burnout.
Make sure you prioritize your mental health and use all the available tools. Better Help is a therapy that can help you through a time when you’re starting to feel burned out.
Change your mindset that you have to be busy at all costs. It’s not about being constantly busy. It’s about being productive and effective. Many times, we fall into the trap of thinking that if we work harder and longer, this will solve our problems, but it just makes everything worse. Let your brain rest and unplug. This may mean going to exercise, going on vacation, taking a weekend off, or otherwise.
Set boundaries for yourself and others. Take time to decompress and set boundaries for others, including your boss. Be disciplined with your time and how you manage it.
Be better at managing your time by making a schedule and sticking with it as closely as possible. Structuring your day will make it easier to fit everything you need to do. Take a step back and reassess your commitments. Don’t say yes to things if you won’t have the time to do them or do them well.
Make physical activity a priority every day. Doing good for your body will also do good for your mind. Take care of your temple, which includes nutrition. Fuel your brain with good nutrients to be effective and efficient.
Also, prioritize your sleep. In a world of FOMO, everybody worries they’ll miss out on things. Don’t just aimlessly scroll or watch trash on TV. Make sleep a priority. You need 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. You don’t want to lie in bed watching TV or aimlessly scrolling.
Detox digitally, which will have a significant impact on you. It’s imperative. It will help reset and recalibrate your dopamine and also help you not waste time. If you’re aimlessly surfing or looking at p^rn or social media, it’s very detrimental to how you feel about yourself.
Constantly seeing people grind and buy stuff perpetuates the hustle culture. Break that cycle and be thankful for what you have and grateful for what you’ve accomplished. Be present in your life and embrace the time with your loved ones. Delegate things that can be done by somebody else so that you can take time off or a vacation. This will make you more effective and productive when you return.
