Avoiding Burnout: A Healthy Personal Life Can Ensure Emotional Longevity at Work

Family mealtime at homeSometimes our home lives can be at odds with our work lives. And, though it may seem no matter how hard we try, the stress and struggles of daily life can still seep into the office and affect our work. According to a study by Bensinger, DuPont & Associates, 47% of workers say problems and stress experienced in their personal lives impact their work performance. Moreover, the study found the impact of personal issues caused difficulty concentrating in nearly half of workers. The next two most common issues experienced in survey participants were absenteeism and poor work quality. As the saying goes, “If you aren’t dealing with the storms of life now, you’ve either just come out of one or about to go into one.” Yet, just because the winds of uncertainty may blow, it doesn’t mean your two lives need to be at odds. By focusing on ways your personal life can make your work life better, you can avoid burnout and ensure emotional longevity in your career.

Health and Wellness

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle goes a long way in supporting creativity and productivity in the office. Though many companies have put an emphasis on wellness programs, the term itself pertains to a wide variety of areas that can affect your work life. Eating healthy, exercising regularly, and getting plenty of sleep all go a long way in providing your brain with the energy and vitality needed to excel in your career. In a Neilson study, 80% of employees said they are stressed out at work, yet according to the Mayo Clinic, a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise helps reduce stress.

Strong Friendship/Family Core

Having a strong support group is imperative to avoiding burnout at work. The people you surround yourself with—whether your immediate family members or your chosen family of friends—can be the determining factor in how you handle your work day. Spending time with those closest to you and nurturing those relationships can have a positive impact on how you overcome adversity in life and work. According to the American Psychological Association, adversity is a “flood of strong emotions and a sense of uncertainty.” However, when faced with a challenge or issue at work, the encouragement of a loved one can help turn that adversity into opportunity.

Work/Life Balance

Though it may seem like an elusive idea, maintaining a healthy balance between your professional and personal lives can actually help you be more successful at work. A study by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found 22% of those surveyed are either working or engaged in work-related activities on weekends and holidays, spending 5.8 hours per day working on their days off. But, do added hours contribute to a more productive workweek? Studies have shown the positive impact leisure has on a person’s well-being and quality of life. Longer hours in the office mean less hours spent recharging. As Jack Nicholson’s character in The Shining put it, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

Improving Work Outside the Office

What you do outside the 8-to-5 impacts your productivity, engagement, and creativity in the office. By spending more energy on your health, family, and leisure outside the office, you will reciprocally gain more energy to hit the ground running when you’re at work and avoid burnout. Though struggles in life may have a negative effect on your professional life, focusing on building a more well-rounded personal life can actually improve your time in the daily grind.

What do you do to ensure your personal and professional lives are in harmony? How has your home life positively affected your work life? Let us know in the comments section below!

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