Banishing Burnout! September 1, 2011My LifeOff

Job burnout: 77 percent of American workers suffer from it. Teresa Watkins – wife, mother, entrepreneur and founder of lifestyle management firm Time Sweet Time – can relate.

“The constant demands placed on professional women today, especially full-time working mothers, are enough to overwhelm even the most talented overachiever,” Watkins tells PINK.

“While it’s clear there are only 24 hours in a day, perfectionist attitudes and the perpetual pursuit of excellence are two primary catalysts to reaching burnout.”

What can we do about it? “Let go of the belief you have to be Superwoman!” suggests Watkins. She recommends letting go of unrealistic expectations and

lowering standards for what you want to accomplish in a day to help banish guilt leading to burnout.

Already feeling the burn? To combat it, Watkins takes baby steps. “[I] jot down one or two things to do now to make things easier. Ask yourself what you can let go of, and let go!”

Experts say women avoid burnout by accepting a certain level of anxiety as normal and making the effort to block out time to do things they enjoy each day – like listening to music or being with family.

Not sure if you’re heading toward burnout? Try Psychology Today’s 45-question quiz to find out. Plus, Entrepreneur offers tips on how coworkers can ease burnout, like rotating job responsibilities and exploring new methods of motivation.

Bonus PINK Link: When stress hits overdrive, here’s how to hit the brakes.

By Brittani Banks

“Burnout happens, not because we’re trying to solve problems but because
we’ve been trying to solve the same problems over and over and over.” Susan Scott  

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