As jobs become more demanding, for many people a burnout seems inevitable. Most of the professions are arduous and need constant attention and involvement. Lawyers definitely belong to that category. One of the best ways to defeat burnout is to make your job more enjoyable. “That’s impossible,” you say. Not necessarily. Sometimes you just have to change how you think.
No matter how difficult your job may be at times, you have to find chances to laugh. Laughter breaks the tension of difficult situations. It helps cut the stress you feel and the tension you may be under. The more you laugh, the better you will deal with work, and the less burned out you’ll be. Many people aren’t aware that laughter suppresses stress-related hormones — so you know what you have to do.
Try to become more social outside your law circle. Talk to people. Find activities to do with friends and family members. Feeling connected to others is a great way to reduce stress and burnout.
Many people opine that by the time they get done working for the day, they are often so exhausted that they just want to go home and be left alone. However, a number of studies indicate that adults who have the fewest friendships and are least active socially are most likely to die prematurely. So plan your social calendar accordingly. It need not be everyday but try to accommodate it at least once in a week.
Listen to conversations in your workplace. You might notice that a good percentage of discussions are negative. Work on training yourself to see the positive in situations — see the humor and knock out negative thoughts and conversation.
Adding fun to your day will help decrease burnout. Keep time aside for casual conversations with colleagues or just go for a walk to distress. Playing games also is an effective remedial to stress.
You can’t control everything, but you can control what you are able to and forget the rest. You can beat burnout before it beats you. You just have to try.
