Prepare for Work During Leisure
No, that doesn’t mean you should actually be working during your time off. On the contrary, it’s important to maintain a firm distinction between your work and your personal life (as the next step outlines in detail).
However, it can be helpful to tailor your leisure time to focus on things that subtly support and bolster your work performance. For example, exercising creativity through writing and reading, or the simple act of exercising can be excellent ways to keep yourself recharged and ready to go on a regular basis.
Define Work and Personal Life
In an era where remote work is increasingly more common, it’s critical that professionals practice strict discipline in the oft-underappreciated art of striking a good work-life balance.
If you find yourself constantly checking your phone for emails, taking calls in the middle of personal time, or working around the clock, chances are you’re not separating yourself from work properly.
On the other hand, if you work from home and there is no time of the day that is specifically set aside to get your work done, it can have the opposite effect. If you find that distractions are too hard to avoid in your home, consider finding a coffee shop where the hum and buzz — along with a cuppa by your elbow — can help stimulate your creativity and allow you to focus.
Either way, it’s important to create structure as it will avoid a “continually working” mindset, which can severely exacerbate burnout symptoms.
Don’t Be Formulaic
It’s easy to feel that there’s only one way to do something. There’s only one way to work your job, a preset way to use your free time, or only one option to take care of the myriad responsibilities that seem to always be on the verge of taking you down. But the truth is, you don’t have to be formulaic about how you approach your life.