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Of course you’re exhausted, but there are ways to make 2024 a little less of a burden.
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End-of-year burnout? 5 ways to turn down the heat
08 December 2023
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14 minute read
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As we near the end of yet another busy year, phrases like “I need a break”, “I can't wait until this year is over”, or “I'm exhausted” are all too common. It’s our mind and body’s way of telling us that we've hit the wall or exceeded our capacity to take on more, anything more.
Each year seems to go faster than the last and with that, more responsibilities and tasks creep in, whether at work, home, or both. There are more staffing issues, deadlines, projects and stakeholders to manage, and that's before we add in the home and personal stuff, where there's another raft of additional responsibilities and stresses.
So, it's no wonder that things we collectively advocate for, like work-life balance and self-care, seem to take a back seat. Most of us talk the talk, but really need help to walk the walk effectively. If we could effectively manage everything in our lives and look after our wellbeing at the same, then would we be experiencing that all too familiar end-of-year burnout? Maybe, but then again, maybe not.
Is there a quick fix on how to avoid end-of-year burnout? Not really, but what we can do is introduce small things into our work lives that could make things a little bit easier so that at the end of the year, the level of mental and physical exhaustion is slightly less – with the idea that in the years to come, it's a lot less.
What are these “small things”? Minor to some, big to others potentially, but slowly introducing a few little things into your work life will make a difference over time.
Here are a few ideas to introduce so that you'll be ready to kick off 2024 with the right tools in place.
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Say “no”!
There are a lot of people-pleasers or control freaks in the world who take on more responsibility, a lot more sometimes, because they can't say no or don't want to, as it could mean a lack of control.
It's not about saying no to everything; it's about safeguarding your time, money, or emotional wellbeing. It is, of course, an easy thing to say but very hard to do, especially for the people-pleasers out there, but it can be very liberating and freeing when you say no to something you'd typically instinctively say yes to. So, the next time someone asks you to do something that you know is not the best use of your time or something that doesn't require your input, reply with, “Unfortunately, I don't have the time at the moment to help, but I will make some suggestions on how you can get the task done.”
Giving the little extra, “I can make some suggestions” will appease those who cannot help themselves and aren't ready to let go entirely. The more you safeguard your time and use the word “no”, the better off you’ll be at the end of the year.
Delegate more
You don't have to do everything yourself. While it can be initially scary, delegating tasks to your staff can be very empowering, as it's a great learning opportunity for them and a teaching opportunity for you.
Your team's strength and ability to complete tasks should reflect how they've been mentored and taught by their managers. Teams should be able to work effectively and efficiently without supervision if they've been taught well.
So, when it comes time to complete specific tasks, consider who you can delegate at least a few of those tasks to. Show them what to do and encourage them to reach out if they need help, but don't micro-manage. If you need someone to delegate to and are working too hard on things that take you away from core business and billing, hire a part-time virtual assistant who can take on administrative tasks to free up your time. It's money well spent when you've got the right resources.
Manage expectations better
Workplace stress is often associated with poor communication and mismanaged expectations, especially when it comes to the understanding of projects (mainly if there's a lot of assumed knowledge or even language barriers) and allocation of tasks and deadlines.
If you are not the best communicator, recognise that and allocate a pseudo “project manager” with the communication and organisational skills needed to assign and monitor projects or larger tasks. If you do not have such a person, it is time to upskill yourself and face the reality of your weaknesses. Many professional development courses can assist with improving your communication skills, or you may consider a coach who can guide you through the various techniques you can incorporate into your life to improve your communication skills.
Mandate annual leave
All permanent employees, whether full-time or part-time, will accrue annual leave as part of their entitlements. For the health and wellbeing of staff and the company, staff should be encouraged to use their allocated leave each year. Mandating leave reinforces the importance of taking a break, but also reduces the liability and risk for the company when it comes to having tired staff at work and, of course, it reduces the financial liabilities in terms of annual leave payouts when staff leave the organisation.
Introduce “wellness”
If Covid taught us anything, it’s that we can work anywhere from an office perspective. With that in mind, it's easy to introduce “walking meetings” in some cases. If you're on the phone or online and don't need to be in front of a computer, don't be. Go outside and conduct your meetings differently to encourage fresh air and an element of exercise.
There's also a lot to be said for introducing things like office yoga at lunchtime, whereby staff can go to a boardroom or meeting room and do yoga online with either an instructor or via YouTube.
For new initiatives to take off, they should be led by example. So, managers should join and encourage their staff to do the same; it's great for wellness, camaraderie, and culture.
If you can introduce just one or two of the ideas above, it could make a big difference in the way you feel at the end of the year; you may still be tired but potentially not as mentally drained that you usually would be.
It's not easy to change your working habits, but some things will benefit you and others in the long run, especially if you empower and build happy and high-performing teams.
Barbara Selmer Hansen is the director of Impact Business Consulting.
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