7 Tips to Avoid Burnout

Tax season deadlines? I thrived in the collaborative energy and repetitive tasks.

Meditation? I would rather eat grass.

Long hours don’t always lead to burnout and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to self-care.

Burnout is complex, and it’s different for everyone. Luckily, there are some ways you can avoid it. As someone who has experienced burnout more than once, here’s what I’ve learned.

Contents

• Reasons I thought people burned out

• Reasons I burned out

• Research outlines six causes of burnout

• How to avoid burnout

Reasons I thought people burned out

• Too much work

• Unreasonable deadlines

• Never taking a day off

• Bosses who yelled

Reasons I burned out

• I hid my authentic self at work, especially my emotions

• I felt alone and isolated as the only CPA in industry roles

• My personal values were in conflict with the company’s

• I didn’t actually rest or relax on my days off

Research outlines six causes of burnout

• Workload

• Perceived lack of control

• Reward

• Community

• Fairness

• Values mismatch

Source: “Six areas of worklife: A model of the organizational context of burnout” by Michael Leiter and Christina Maslach

How to avoid burnout

1. Reflecting on what filled you up and what drained you on a daily or weekly basis dramatically improves your self-awareness and helps you make minor course corrections earlier if you find yourself on the path to burnout.

2. Exploring your personal values helps you articulate what’s important and guides career decisions. Check out James Clear’s list and see what resonates!

3. Setting boundaries is something I still struggle with sometimes, but it’s so important. There are bosses who will take everything you have to give, so you need to advocate for yourself. (Check out The Book of Boundaries by Melissa Urban—it even has sample scripts!)

4. Developing and maintaining your network helps you feel supported by your community. It’s so powerful to realize you’re not alone.

5. Finding your balance is key to sustainability. If you decide to push yourself for a deadline, a project, or a job, make sure it has a meaningful reward (like propelling your career forward). Figure out how long you can push yourself, and proactively rest before you break.

6. Being kind to yourself if you do find yourself burned out is integral to getting better. A large portion of us will experience it at some point in our careers, and beating yourself up will only prolong your suffering. Even if you were “doing everything right,” it can still sneak up on you, and that’s ok.

7. Connect with a mental health professional to figure out the kind of support you need. Your employer may offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that can help get you started or check out your local resources.

This article was written for CPA Alberta and originally appeared in the September 2023 issue of Capitalize. It was also published in the Fall 2023 Winter 2024 issue of Dividends. 

Disclaimer: I’m not a mental health professional. I’m posting my personal perspective and opinions to share what I’ve learned and normalize the struggle.