15 Tips to Prevent Executive Burnout

Burnout occurs in people who have chronic workplace stress. Leadership burnout can affect the productivity of the whole team, especially those of startups and quickly growing companies. As a C-level employee or HR representative, it’s important to learn how to handle stress to maintain a healthy workflow and protect the health and safety of every worker.

Even though burnout looks different for everyone, it has similar symptoms to anxiety or depression, which are detrimental to your well-being. Check out the top 15 tips to prevent VP burnout and boost morale and camaraderie in the office.

What Does Burnout Look Like?

Burnout can take on physical symptoms, such as irritability, chronic headaches, insomnia or anxiety. It can reveal itself through any of these signs:

Cynicism: One of the first signs of burnout in the workplace is the demonstration of distrust. You may believe a project will never get done or isn’t worth the effort. Cynicism is often the result of a breakdown of trust after feeling excluded from decisions or being undermined.
Negativity: A burned-out employee often loses their optimism for their job. Like cynicism, negativity stems from a lack of trust and a loss of work-life balance. A pessimistic attitude can affect an employee’s effort at work and how they interact with their co-workers and clients.
Depleted energy: Burnout results in a decrease in enthusiasm and energy. Symptoms include being less social at work or showing up late often. You may also be more fatigued, even after getting enough sleep at night.
Reduced productivity: An employee with burnout doesn’t work as hard as usual. You may think that you’re not productive enough, and you take on fewer tasks and feel overwhelmed.

15 Tips for Preventing CEO Burnout

While executive burnout recovery is possible, it’s even better to prevent this experience before it affects your health and productivity. Try the following 15 tips yourself or with your team to help avoid burning out.

1. Plan Your Meetings Strategically

Preventing burnout involves being intentional about how you conduct meetings. Too many meetings can cram up a schedule, and when they’re not productive, they can wear down team members. Instead, meeting organizers should only plan necessary gatherings and share their agenda beforehand to save time and energy.

You may also want to hand out a survey to attendees to find out how productive the meeting was and what they would like to know more about next time. Promoting a feeling of efficacy, ownership and influence in your workplace through intentional meetings can help prevent burnout among your team leaders and staff.

2. Show Appreciation for Your Team

Since burnout can contribute to a negative attitude in the office, it’s helpful to combat this feeling through appreciation and gratitude. Complaining is usually draining and distracting in the workplace. Employees experiencing burnout need encouragement, support and recognition to focus on their jobs again. Reverse or prevent burnout by letting your team and colleagues know you appreciate them as often as possible.

Whenever you’re one on one with any employee, don’t hesitate to thank them for a specific character trait or success you’ve noticed. It’s also helpful to practice an attitude of gratitude for your job. Write a list of reasons detailing why you’re thankful to be in your position to stay motivated when you’re stressed.

3. Hire the Right People for the Job

Sometimes, executive burnout comes from hiring people who aren’t the right fit for your team. Decide who you’ll hire based on personality, skills and qualifications. Consider which applicants would mesh well with your existing team members, and who would promote a better work environment. The right staff allows workday tasks such as managing projects and delegating assignments to run more smoothly.

Your employees need to get along with each other to perform well and feel comfortable as part of the team. They should all understand their unique role while having the bigger picture of your company’s vision in mind. By hiring the right people, you can prevent burnout by increasing overall productivity and morale.

4. Practice Open Communication With Your Team

Challenges and setbacks may arise every once in a while, and it’s important to have a time or place where you and your team can voice concerns. Keeping negative feelings inside or complaining to one another behind closed doors is not a healthy way to solve issues. You need the opportunity to express your feelings toward a situation or policy in place. By resolving problems, you can prevent stress and be more productive.

Let your employees tell you their frustration about an irritated customer or not landing a contract with a big client so they can express themselves instead of bottling up their feelings and experiencing burnout. Allow this opportunity for all your team members, from the executives to the interns, so everyone can feel like an important part of your staff. You should also confide in a mentor or colleague about your own challenges throughout the day.

5. Limit After-Hours Tasks

Thanks to modern technology, it’s easy to bring work home with you. As a result, many executives now spend their evenings catching up on emails and tying up loose ends on projects. Even if you love your job, you still need a break from it every once in a while. Create a policy for yourself and your employees where you limit the amount of after-hours work to increase workplace satisfaction and productivity.

It’s important to know your limits and when it’s time to take a break. While some projects may need to carry work over into the evening, you’ll want to make that practice the exception and not the rule.

6. Assess Your Workload

No one should expect you to work at superhuman proportions for long periods. Even if you have skills that boost your team’s productivity and a positive attitude most of the time, you need a break like everyone else. Look over your to-do list and determine if any tasks seem overwhelming to you.

You may have busy seasons every once in a while, but it’s important to take some time to assess your workload when you’re feeling burnout symptoms. If you’re having trouble concentrating, or you’re experiencing overwhelming stress, delegate your tasks to someone else on your team and learn to say no if new projects arise.

7. Establish a Work-Life Balance

You may enjoy your job, and it may play into a lot of your strengths and passions, but you also have a life outside of the workplace. Brainstorm ways for you to recover or prevent burnout, and start implementing them into your daily habits. Make time for family, friends, physical fitness and other values that are important to you in your personal life.

Think about what social and supplemental activities would help you recharge after a busy, stressful day to give you a sense of ownership over your feelings and schedule. Making time for the hobbies you enjoy helps you remain resilient against burnout, whether you’re naturally good at establishing a work-life balance or you have to learn new tricks along the way.

8. Remember Your Meaning and Purpose at Your Job

Burnout often happens when you lose sight of your purpose at work and believe what you do doesn’t matter. Take some time to reconnect with your passions and goals to renew your motivation for your job. Change your perspective to remember what you first enjoyed about your position to bypass anger, stress and frustration.

Align your work with goals to give yourself a clear sense of why your contribution matters. Creating objectives allows you to delegate and prioritize more essential tasks over others when you find yourself in another busy season.

9. Practice Healthy Sleep Habits

Sleep is essential for your physical, mental and emotional health. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep to perform well at work and have a positive attitude. Prevent burnout by establishing a regular bedtime routine to relax and recharge for the next day.

Consider making your bedroom a no-screens zone, since TVs and other electronic devices can negatively impact your sleep quality. You should also follow a consistent bedtime routine, even on the weekends, so your body develops a rhythm over time. Finally, invest in a comfortable mattress and ensure the temperature in your home is optimal for sleep.

10. Write Your Feelings and Tasks in a Journal

Help yourself settle down after a stressful day at work by writing your thoughts and feelings in a journal. If your mind tends to keep you up at night, do a mental dump and write all your responsibilities and concerns for the next day. Having your tasks and thoughts on paper can give you peace of mind that you won’t forget about them.

It’s also helpful to put your feelings on paper, especially if you feel like you can’t resolve them. Reading your frustrations and concerns back to yourself can help you have a new perspective for what you’re going through and may even provide solutions to move forward.

11. Include Healthy Foods in Your Diet

While it’s tempting to grab a quick candy bar or order takeout when you’re pressed for time, this food will not assist with burnout. Proper nutrition can help you stay in the right frame of mind and keep your body nourished at all times, especially when you’re stressed and nearing burnout. Focus on your vitamin intake and choose foods rich in iron, vitamin C, fiber and Omega-3s to fight fatigue, boost your mood and stay healthy.

You may want to consider planning your meals and giving yourself the time you need to prepare each dish. Have a couple of healthy meals in the freezer to store in case you have a busy season and can’t cook as often as you’d like.

12. Take Regular Breaks Throughout the Day

A common cause of burnout is when you work for too long and don’t take any breaks. Even during busy periods, avoid making a habit of working straight through lunch. Increase your efficiency by delegating tasks and streamlining processes to prevent stress in the workplace. Consider blocking out designated time for checking emails or working on projects that require extra attention.

It also helps to take breaks at the same time every day to develop a rhythm and a sense of anticipation as you work on your projects. You may even want to take short breaks throughout the day, like a five-minute run to the break room for coffee or a quick walk around the block.

13. Unplug From Your Electronics

It’s a good idea to take a break from your electronics every once in a while, especially if you use a computer, phone or tablet often for your job. Notifications bombard you all day, and they can make you feel overwhelmed. Making an intentional decision to unplug from your devices for one night each week can help you recuperate.

Taking a break from your electronics can also make you excited about going to work in the morning and feel more fulfilled at your job.

14. Get to Know Your Executive Team Better

Another cause of burnout is isolation in the workplace, especially when you feel like you’re under a lot of pressure. Focus on getting to know your team better to build resilience against future burnout. As an executive employee or an HR representative, you may want to consider organizing a team-building retreat or a group vacation to make time for everyone to connect in a casual, intimate setting.

Your team can encourage and support you when you feel like the pressure is building during a specific project or busy season. A cup of coffee and a nice chat go a long way in helping you navigate your frustrations and stresses. Build relationships through retreats or time away to gain a support group in the workplace.

15. Go on a Vacation

A vacation may be just the pick-me-up you need to recharge yourself after a stressful period and prevent burnout in the workplace. Look ahead at your schedule and figure out the best time to take a week or two off from work. Give your team enough notice so you can all plan future projects around your schedule.

While it’s fun to go by yourself, you may also want to invite your whole executive team along for the ride to build work relationships and prepare yourselves mentally for the next business quarter. Consider where your team can go together and try new food, explore beautiful sights and have fun.

Take a Retreat With Windstar Cruise to Prevent Executive Burnout

An executive burnout recovery cruise is an excellent way to connect with your team and recharge from a period of prolonged stress. Windstar Cruise goes to many different destinations, and we make you feel like a VIP throughout the whole journey.

Our ships are small and intimate, allowing you to connect with your team on a one-on-one basis and take a step away from the crowds. When you’re ready to book a vacation with Windstar Cruise, reach out to us online to speak with our representatives, who will help you plan your trip every step of the way.

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15 Tips to Prevent Executive Burnout

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What Does Burnout Look Like?