How do you prevent burnout?

Tip #1: Self-knowledge increases your joy of living.

Burnout can be a result of prolonged negative stress and a lack of joy in life. However, joie de vivre and satisfaction offer protection from this negative stress. When you feel happy, zones in our brain are developed that are responsible for positive thoughts and feelings. You can compare it to muscle training: the more muscles you train, the better you can use them. The more things you do that you enjoy, the more positive you become. In other words, joie de vivre comes from living the way you want. Achieving the feeling of joy in life requires self-insight on 3 levels:

I Understanding your talents and behaviors

Understanding what energizes you largely determines your behavior. What makes you happy? What makes you shine? How does that affect your behavior? When you know yourself and why you behave the way you do, it helps you keep your energy levels up.

II Be aware of your norms, values and beliefs

Most of the beliefs you unconsciously adopt from your environment. By regularly checking whether you live according to your own norms and values, you get to know your behavior better. Do you make choices based on what you find important or are you influenced by your environment? By having your own values clear and behaving according to them, you show what you stand for. Values form your intrinsic motivation and have a self-reinforcing effect.

III Get clear on why you make certain choices

Drives are what drive your behavior. They are the reason why you make certain choices. For example, if you enjoy helping others (social drive) and you are asked to do something for someone, you may say "yes" without asking yourself if you have time for it and what it will get you (practical drive). This may mean that your behavior is satisfying in the short term, but costs you too much energy in the long term. When you know which drives are important to you and which provide long-term energy, you will know how to take good care of yourself mentally.

Tip 2: Choose a form of exercise that suits you

Exercise reorganizes the brain, allowing your body to respond better to stress. The so-called neurotransmitters produced during exercise reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body and regulate moods and emotions. This is why after physical exercise you are less nervous, hyperactive, and more relaxed. Self-esteem grows, which has a positive impact on your mindset and stress level.

Tip 3: Increase your resistance with adequate sleep

Sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night prevents physical and mental exhaustion. Your body is better able to handle stressful situations after a good night's sleep. If you find that you have trouble falling asleep, make sure before you go to bed you are exposed to fewer stimuli. For example, don't look at a screen for an hour before bed, don't drink caffeinated beverages, go easy on alcohol and do things that relax you.

Tip 4: Lower the stress hormone with healthy eating

A regular and healthy diet helps your body cope better with stress. However, the composition is different for everyone. Some respond well to carbohydrates, while others need more healthy fats. Some feel better with 3 healthy meals a day, while others prefer to spread this out over 5 times during the day. In any case, make sure you get enough fresh vegetables (250 grams per day) and fresh fruit (2 pieces per day). Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins, fiber and minerals that lower cortisol in the body.

What is your stress level, are you suffering from burnout?

Of course, there are more solutions for experiencing less stress and increasing your resilience. Which solution works for you depends, among other things, on the bottlenecks in your life. Simple Check helps you on your way to a life where you can enjoy the things you do more. Through our Health Check we provide insight into the way you deal with stress at work and how you can possibly lower your stress levels and get more energy from your work. Curious about what we can do for you? Our Simple Check Team will gladly tell you more.

Burnout is a growing problem in the Netherlands. By 2022, 20% of workers aged 15-74 had burnout symptoms, up from 13.4% in 2015.

RIVM

Interestingly, burnout complaints are more common among women (20.8%) than men (17.3%). In addition, younger workers between the ages of 25 and 34 have the highest rate of burnout complaints (25.8%), while among workers between the ages of 65 and 74 it is only 8.6%.

RIVM

It is important to monitor these trends and take measures to improve workers' mental health. For more information and current figures, visit RIVM.

RIVM