Here are a few strategies that others have found to be effective in either overcoming or avoiding burnout.
S. T. O. P.
S. T. O. P. is an acronym for a powerful strategy that can be used in
stressful situations, and that can help you prevent or recover from burnout.
The steps are:
S – Step Back
T – Think
O – Organize your thoughts
P – Proceed
Taking such STOPS on a regular basis gives you the opportunity to recover
from the stresses that build up at work. Unfortunately, as Jim Loehr and
Tony Schwartz point out in their book, The Power of Full Engagement:
Managing Energy Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal
Renewal, (Free Press, 2003), most of us approach our work and lives like a
marathon runner rather than a sprinter, so it’s small wonder that so many of
us burnout before we reach the finish line.
Short STOPs of 10-15 minutes sprinkled every couple of hours throughout the
day are a good place to start. Then, add in longer periodic STOPs such as
regular organizational meetings to look at the larger picture of where
everyone is. Consider also the occasional company picnic or other ways for
the entire team to recharge and be rejuvenated. One of the most important
types of STOPs often missing in a busy professional’s schedule is vacation
time that is truly time away from work for rest and rejuvenation.
Tomorrow's Topic: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
STOP Sign photographed by: Ernest von Rosen, www.amgmedia.com
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