Here's how you can prevent burnout in your career and maintain work-life balance.

In the past 10 years of my working life, I started setting boundaries, both for myself & immediate colleagues, and found this an important step in liberating me from the clutches of burnout and seeing the trees through the forest. We can only control what we do, and while I don't believe there is such a thing as 'work-life balance', setting boundaries works in delineating between being productive at work and dedicating time for my own interests outside of it.

One of my favourite topics- No burnouts Aka work life synergy!!! Setting priorities to your tasks is so crucial in order to avoid burnouts, How do you do that :- - Break down tasks - Build a calendar for yourself that helps you plan your tasks better - Understand the meaning of Urgency, everyone has their own definition of it - You can introduce segment intending to each of the tasks. - Complete the tasks first that needs your immediate attention. - Take 5 minutes breaks ideally after 25-30 minutes of working and practice on your breath and after 4 hours of midful work take a long break. - Draw boundaries and learn to say no when required. - Listen to your body and mind, it’s the best guide that you can have.

Set boundaries: Establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. Define specific work hours and avoid working outside of those hours whenever possible. Communicate your boundaries to colleagues and supervisors to ensure they are respected. Prioritize self-care: Make self-care a priority by engaging in activities that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This could include exercise, meditation, hobbies, spending time with loved ones, or pursuing interests outside of work. Manage your workload: Be proactive in managing your workload to prevent overwhelm and burnout. Prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency, delegate when possible, and learn to say no to additional responsibilities when necessary.

Preventing burnout and maintaining work-life balance involves setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care, and managing workload effectively. Schedule regular breaks, prioritize tasks, and delegate when possible. Establish clear boundaries between work and personal life, limiting overtime and unplugging from work during non-working hours. Engage in activities that rejuvenate you outside of work, such as hobbies, exercise, or spending time with loved ones. Regularly reassess your workload and adjust as needed to prevent overwhelm. Effective time management, self-care practices, and boundary-setting are essential for long-term career satisfaction and work-life balance.

Maintaining a good work life balance can be tricky. We live in a world where that glamorizes being busy. Things like multitasking, going the extra mile, have become true buzzwords which makes it hard for people to say no to tasks. It’s about getting everything done. For women there is an even harder task to combine being great at work alongside being a mother, a wife and family nurturer. So it’s really important to learn to delegate and prioritize in today’s workplace and world. Ensuring you prioritize what is important and delegate or defer what is not. Also learning to share tasks in your home life and ignoring the hype that you need to be perfect.

Building boundaries is so essential to avoid burnouts, don’t be a “Yes sir”, understand that like eveything else your job is part of your life and stop comprising on your health, family time, your hobbies and giving into the fear of failure.. Setting boundaries is difficult but it is the best gift you can give to yourself, And when you do that - - You send a clear message having people to respect and value your time - You create a balance that allows you to live a happy and healthy life Don’t be fooled by the idea of keep going until you can, OR fake it till you make it, be honest with your work and yourself. Please understand that considering an “urgent” task is ok, provided it doesn’t become a regular practice!!

Set work hours & stick to them! This helps train your brain to switch off & recharge after work, preventing burnout. #worklifebalance

Don’t wait for the Long Vacation breaks only!! Inculcate a habit of taking breaks everyday, How do you do that ? - allocate time to all your tasks - Take a 5 minutes break every 25-30 minutes and you can practice deep breathing, that really helps. - Take a long break 30-60 minutes after working for 4 hours and engage yourself in non work related activities that brings you joy. - If you are a leader, lead by example and let your team know thar it’s not a choice but a necessity to incorporate breaks !! - Move your body, walk, meditate, spend time in nature These things will help you be more productive than you ever have been.

Seek a mentor who you can have an open conversation with, Don’t let the frustration built up by ignoring your feelings, once you feel something is bothering you, reflect on it and seek help immediately, the faster you do it, the easier it will be for you to let go and find a solution. Also, be that confidant for someone else, unless you practice what you preach, you cannot set an example.. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness, It’s a sign of strength because it takes courage to open up, so don’t hesitate at all!!

I think this should be number 1! And how incredible if your workplace provided it! Our workplace started a book club and the author is actually an employee and shares her experience of how she navigated finding joy and her passion. Well her passion actually found her when she finally created space for it. But what stood out in her story was all of the support she had along the way. If you have a wellness program, coaches or counsellor available to you, dedicate some time for yourself to utilize their services. It can feel scary sharing your story and you may feel like it’s another thing to do, but the only way out is in and through. If you’re making yourself dizzy, working hard and morning feels like it’s changing, get some help!

Covering the 5th and the 6th point also here !! Managing stress and reflecting comes from living a mindful life, Yes, And the work starts from within… - Spend quality time with yourself - Reflect on your journey without any judgement. - No negative self talk. - embrace your flaws and work on them. - journal everyday. - Use positive affirmations. - While facing a setback, don’t neglect the feeling, Acknowledge it, accept it, understand it and understand where it’s coming from and then let it go for good. - Movement, Meditation, Writing will help you lead a happy life. - Be aware, Be mindful and take control of your life. Changing emotions are like seasons it will come and go, so stay firm and embrace everything with mindfulness 🧘

To prevent burnout and foster life-work harmony vs work-life balance, align your daily routine with natural rhythms, starting with the sunrise and winding down at sunset. Personalize your schedule to include passions and hobbies, and take regular, short breaks for activities like meditation or creative pursuits. Create an uplifting workspace with personal touches, and build a supportive network. Schedule solitude to reflect and recalibrate, recognizing when to increase or decrease your work intensity. This approach helps balance personal well-being with career demands, crafting a harmonious symphony of life and work.

Work-life integration would be more ideal than work-life balance because there can be life at work itself. Senior management and all employees can take ownership to drive that culture where there is Life and Purpose at work itself. Consider leveraging on csr or employee engagement teams to build a fun workplace and united teams. Hold cosy sessions for staff to share how they balance their work n family commitments.

It’s important to recognize how burnout is systemic. While we all play an active role, burnout manifests in individuals, yet originates in systems. Creating space to recognize this is critical to maintaining work/life balance/harmony.