Is Your Job Exhausting You? Five Bad Work Habits That Can Cause Burnout And Tips To Overcome Them

If you develop bad habits at work, it could lead to burnout and mental and physical exhaustion. 

Job burnout occurs due to work-induced stress—it is a state of emotional or physical exhaustion that promotes a sense of diminished accomplishment and personal identity. Since respecting your workplace, job, and coworkers is essential for achieving professional growth—you need to get rid of poor work habits to develop and nurture good ones. Keep scrolling to explore some bad work habits that may cause burnout.

Not going on vacation.

Vacations can mitigate feelings of fatigue induced by work. Do not hesitate to go on a vacation—taking a break from work. Research suggests that people who sought leave for 11 or more days to go on vacations every year had a 30 percent greater possibility of being awarded a hike in their salary, as opposed to those who sought less than 11 days’ leave. Your productivity will surge when you go on a holiday and get back to work with renewed vigor.

Absence of work-life balance.

If your work exhausts you by keeping you occupied most of your time, preventing you from spending quality time with your family, friends, and loved ones—you might feel burned out at work quickly.

Working late at night

Are you staying up late at night to work? Are you working two shifts to meet deadlines? If you work during the day as well as at night time—you might experience severe burnout. It is critical to set a fixed schedule and time to log out of work and maintain that routine every day. A healthy routine will allow you to unwind and relax before retiring to bed. It is also essential to have some personal or family time (at least 30 minutes) after work—for relaxation. If you receive adequate sleep at night, you will wake up feeling “fresher” the following day, and in turn, you can efficiently complete tasks at work.

Taking frequent breaks

Taking frequent and too many breaks can also hamper your productivity. Snacking after every hour or mindlessly scrolling through your phone can distract you from work—and cause you to miss deadlines. You have to limit the frequency of breaks you take during work. Seeking occasional breaks is essential to relax and recharge, but too much of anything can be bad.

Seeking perfection at work.

Seeking perfection demands too much effort. If you are aiming to seek perfection at work, you are treading on a trail that leads to burnout. The reason is, striving for perfection will compel you to slow down, and in turn, it will diminish your output. You will try to double your effort at work to achieve perfection because “good enough” is unsatisfactory for you. Perfectionism at work can trap you in a vicious cycle of fatigue and exhaustion.

It is essential to take care of your emotional and physical needs if you want to excel at work.