For Employees: Banish Burnout Without Getting Banished

As a first step, determine whether the workload you've been overwhelmed by is truly unreasonable. Review your job description, or solicit opinions from friends outside your organization who are familiar with your line of work. You may just need to brush up on your time management skills.
Have a few stress-busting techniques in your back pocket for the most overwhelming moments at work, like practicing breathing exercises or listening to a five-minute session on a meditation app. Also, try thinking about your work in small pieces. I used to struggle with managing stress at work when faced with numerous tasks at once because I would internalize the burden of every project in its entirety. Now, I remind myself that my brain doesn't need to solve everything at once – it only needs to wrap itself around one step at a time.
If you've concluded your workload truly is a problem and want to talk to your boss about it, do two things before walking into that meeting. First, prepare a detailed list of your current projects and deadlines, what each one entails and how long each will take to complete to prove that a lighter load is necessary. Second, be ready to present a few solutions, like using technology to streamline tasks or outsourcing items to an intern or freelancer. Then plan a check-in meeting a few weeks later to discuss how the new process is going.

For Employers: Give the Space and Recognition Your Team Deserves

Consistent, transparent communication with all of your team members is one key to preventing employee burnout. A 2017 Forbes article on the subject recommended that managers maintain an open-door policy, give employees regular feedback (including a full, in-person explanation if the company chooses not to use something they just worked hard on) and include employees in the decision-making process instead of just giving orders.
Clearly define what is expected of each employee. Forbes noted that when roles are not clearly defined, blame gets spread throughout the team, causing frustration and potentially burnout. It also emphasized managers should ensure employees have what they need to fulfill those expectations, whether it's training or an additional new hire.
Know the signs of burnout so it can be promptly addressed. According to Forbes, common signs to look for are exhaustion, disengagement from work, a drop in performance, and when an employee who is typically chatty during meetings becomes unusually quiet.
Create a compliment-heavy culture. When we're busy, it's easy to move from one project to the next without pausing to thank others for a job well done, but it's critical to take that pause. Feeling appreciated and valued at work is a major key to engagement, and ultimately, retention.

I'll end with an example of how one credit union put that last tip into action. The $12.6 billion, San Jose, Calif.-based First Tech Federal Credit Union partnered with Workhuman to launch a digital platform with two tools: Recognize, which allows employees to recognize each other for demonstrating the CU's core values, and Conversations, which enables managers to frequently check in with employees, provide feedback and set priorities.

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Let's All Set Fire to the Burnout Epidemic

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