5 Ways to Manage Professional Burnout

by Tiffany Rogers, MA, LPC, NCC 

Psychotherapist at Sejdaras Psy.D. & Associates 

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives” - Annie Dillard 

Most of us spend our days working. The average American will spend 90,000 working throughout their lifetime. We’re fortunate if we can take a few weeks off each year for vacation. Our work lives inevitably spill into our personal lives often influencing our thoughts, conversations, decisions and our overall wellbeing.

Career satisfaction influences our quality of life, even outside the workplace. Feeling stressed or tense at work is a common experience caused by things like a heavy workload and long hours, unrealistic demands, organizational changes, feeling undervalued and unrecognized, and difficulty connecting with colleagues.

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High stress levels are shown to impact physical and mental health over time, and when the stress is chronic and unmanageable, it can often lead to burnout. Burnout is characterized by feelings of exhaustion, decreased motivation and zeal for work, and reduced productivity and enjoyment. 

it’s important to continually evaluate how our relationship with work impacts our mental health and overall wellbeing. Managing burnout requires our intentional attunement to ourselves and our needs. If you’re noticing signs of burnout, here are some ways to increase your self-care and find a greater sense of balance and satisfaction. 

Prioritize your own needs. 

When we're busy and overwhelmed with work, it’s easy to rush into the day, eager to get to unanswered emails and looming deadlines. In doing that, we neglect ourselves and the opportunity to notice and tend to our own needs as we start and finish the day. Consider practicing brief morning and evening rituals that offer joy and compassionate care before diving into your professional and personal to-do lists. These rituals don’t need to be complicated; keep it simple with things like stretching or exercise, journaling, dancing to your favorite playlist, taking a walk, or eating a nourishing meal. 

Schedule breaks. 

When struggling with stress or burnout it can be difficult to maintain focus on important tasks. Instead of trying to simply power through the brain fog, break overwhelming tasks into more manageable pieces and schedule breaks into your workflow. Regular breaks are shown to yield greater productivity and motivation, and even stave off procrastination. The Pomodoro technique is a time management strategy that encourages working without distractions for 25 minutes followed by a 5-10 minute break. After 4 cycles, take a longer break of 25-30 minutes. Apps like Flow and Focus Booster simplify the process by keeping time for you. 

Make time for connection.

Burnout often leads to feelings of loneliness and isolation. For many, seeking connection falls to the bottom of the list while juggling the demands of an overwhelming workload. Connection and support in the workplace, however, are shown to mitigate the risk of burnout and increase work satisfaction and productivity. Instead of leaving connection to chance, consider ways to carve out time for connection each week. 

Maintain healthy boundaries. 

Without healthy boundaries, burnout is inevitable. One of the best ways to preserve your career longevity is to set limits that honor your capacity and your needs. Be realistic about your workload and advocate for yourself by speaking up when you need support or adjustments to your responsibilities. Setting boundaries will likely be uncomfortable at first, but the more you practice the more confidence you’ll gain in speaking up for yourself. 

Align your work with your values. 

When our work seems meaningless or is misaligned with the things we deem important we may feel miserable despite our best efforts. To find a greater sense of fulfillment and career satisfaction, consider ways to align your work with your core values. Values offer a sense of purpose and lead to more authentic engagement. 

Managing stress and burnout takes time and consistency. Start small and don't hesitate to seek support when you need it. 

Tiffany Rogersis a psychotherapist that specializes in working with high-performing professionals. With a prior career in corporate America, Tiffany understands the challenges of maintaining a demanding career and the internal struggles one may deal with behind the scenes. If you need support, contact Tiffany at tiffanyr@chicagopsych.org for a free phone consultation.

If you’d like to work with one of our Therapists we are currently accepting clients and you can reach us at Our Office. We provide a free 15 phone consultation to determine if we are a good match for one another. For more information on anxiety and depression treatment check out our website at www.chicagopsych.org