Here are three strategies for avoiding burnout by staying connected to work, both as an employee and as a person.
1. Connect the dots between the Home You and the Office You.
One cliché that still holds very true: Finding what you love is central to being your best at work. Within your industry and organization, be sure that your talents and abilities in “real life” (the things that are important to you in your day-to-day life at home) are in line with your tasks at work. In the best scenario, the talents that make you who you are in your family life, your social life, your hobbies, etc. are also put to use in your job (think meticulous attention to detail, compassionate understanding in social situations, drive to creatively problem solve, etc.).
Not there yet? Even some small changes–like taking on pieces of projects that you feel connected to–can help give you a more personal relationship to your work and company.
Some of the best decisions I’ve made for Blu have involved helping employees find where they are best suited and where their passions within the business truly lie. Productivity goes up, of course, but so do morale, fresh ideas, and a host of other invaluable and highly contagious effects.
2. Keep the big picture easily within reach–literally.
Getting caught up in the minutiae is so easy, especially when your job is high stress, involves managing others, or demands intense attention to detail.
There’s much research to support the idea that visual reminders can be powerful motivators. So find one and keep it in plain sight. Hokey? Maybe.
But I remember one day when I stopped by my local pizza place for a slice, I was struck by, of all things, the box: The ambitious little pizza company had designed its box to incorporate the words that evoke its mission and message. It depicted visually the ideals at the core of the business. That stuck with me. I cut out the box top and still have it to this day at my desk.
Reconnecting to the reasons you were inspired in the first place is crucial to keeping your own work exciting–and, if you are the boss, provides the fuel for continuing to inspire others.
Read full article via Inc
