Wise & Witty Solutions For Stress & BurnOUt

1. Wise & Witty Solutions For Stress & BurnOUt Jana Bruner Health and Wellness Coach

2. Overwhelmed • We have all experienced that appalling sense of having far too much work to do and too little time to do it in! We can choose to ignore this and work unreasonably long hours to stay on top of our workload. The alternative is to work more intelligently by focusing on the things that are important for job success and reducing the time we spend on low priority tasks.

3. Session Objectives This is a guide to managing your work load in order to avoid and/or correct burnout. We Will: • Define burnout • Symptoms of burnout • Causes of burnout • Solutions to overcome and avoid burnout • How to make positive improvements on your current work environment

4. What’s the difference between stress and burnout?

5. Stress • A feeling experienced when a person perceives that “demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.” • Stress is often relatively short-term • What we feel when we think we’ve lost control of events

6. Burnout • “ A state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by long term involvement in emotionally demanding situations.” • - Ayala Pines and Elliot Aronson • “A state of fatigue or frustration brought about by devotion to a cause, way of life, or relationship that failed to produce the expected reward.” – Herbert J. Freudenberger

7. Burnout strikes people who are highly committed to their work! You can only “burnout” if you have been “alight” in the first place!

8. “Personality traits”contribute to burnout • Perfectionistic tendencies; nothing is ever good enough • The need to be in control; reluctance to delegate to others • Pessimistic view of yourself and the world • High-achieving, Type A personality

9. WarningSigns and Symptoms of Burnout Physical signs and symptoms: • Feeling tired and drained most of the time • Lowered immunity, feeling sick a lot • Frequent headaches, back pain, muscle aches • Change in appetite or sleep habits Emotional signs and symptoms: • Sense of failure and self-doubt • Feeling helpless, trapped and defeated • Detachment, feeling alone in the world • Loss of motivation • Increasingly cynical and negative outlook • Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment

10. Warning Signs and Symptoms of Burnout Behavioral signs and symptoms: • Withdrawing from responsibility • Isolating yourself from others • Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done • Using food, drugs or alcohol to cope • Taking out your frustrations on others • Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early

11. Causes of Burnout • Having unclear goals or job expectations • Working in a dysfunctional team or organization • Excessive workload • Lack of autonomy • Never enough time to finish tasks or projects • Having little or no support from your boss or organization • Lacking recognition for your work • Having tedious or low-stimulation work • When your values don’t align with the actions, behaviors or values of your organization

12. Burnout Self-Test Instructions: • For each statement, check the column that best describes you. Please answer questions as you actually are (Rather than how you think you should be). When you finish answering all questions add up your points and total them at the bottom of the page.

13. Burnout Prevention Tips Start the day with a relaxing ritual • Meditation/Breathing • Writing in your journal • Yoga • Reading something inspiring Adopt healthy eating, exercising and sleep habits • This gives you the energy and resilience to deal with life’s hassles and demands. Set Boundaries • Don’t overextend yourself • Learn to say “no” to requests of your time

14. Burnout Prevention Tips Take a daily break from technology • Set a time each day when you completely disconnect • Put away your laptop • Turn off your phone • Stop checking email Nourish your creative side • Creativity is a powerful antidote to burnout • Try something new • Resume a favorite hobby • Choose activities that have nothing to do with work

15. Burnout Prevention Tips Take control • Create more autonomy by talking to your boss • Manage your time effectively • Prioritize • Set goals Create Opportunities to Laugh • Watch a funny movie or TV show • Go to a comedy club • Read the funny pages • Seek out funny people • Share a good joke or a funny story • Check out your bookstore’s humor section • Host game night with friends • Play with a pet • Dance • Make time for fun activities (e.g. Paintball, Ultimate frisbee, bocce)

16. Ways to help yourself see the lighter side of life: • Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take yourself less seriously is to talk about times when you took yourself too seriously. • Attempt to laugh at situations rather than bemoan them. Look for the humor in a bad situation, and uncover the irony and absurdity of life. This will help improve your mood and the mood of those around you. • Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh. Frame photos of you and your family or friends having fun. • Keep things in perspective. Many things in life are beyond your control—particularly the behavior of other people. While you might think taking the weight of the world on your shoulders is admirable, in the long run it’s unrealistic, unproductive, unhealthy, and even egotistical. • Deal with your stress. Stress is a major impediment to humor and laughter. • Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing.

17. Benefits of Laughter Physical Health Benefits: • Boosts immunity • Lowers stress hormones • Decreases pain • Relaxes your muscles • Prevents heart disease Mental Health Benefits: • Adds joy and zest to life • Eases anxiety and fear • Relieves stress • Improves mood • Enhances resilience “Laughter gives us distance.  It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on”- Unknown

18. Make Positive Improvements To Your Current Situation andWorkplace Group Share

19. Balance Exercise

20. Dealing with Burnout: The 3-R’s Approach Recognize: Watch for the warning signs of burnout Reverse: Undo the damage by managing stress and seeking support Resilience: Build your resilience to stress by taking care of your physical and emotional health

21. Question & Answers Thank you for attending!