“Busy” is the word we often use to describe our lives. From meetings, to-do lists, assignments and deadlines – it fills up our day and time flies by. Some of us even pride ourselves for being busy. For many of us, working comes easily — we’re always on the go, multitasking and doing something that makes us feel productive.
Unsurprisingly, the overwork culture is thriving; we think that long hours and constant exhaustion are symbols of success. Our default instinct is to hustle harder – staying up all night to chiong assignments or replying to work emails at 11 pm, which eventually leaves us burned out and stressed.
Therefore, we need to rethink our relationship between work and rest. They are not mutually exclusive or competitors. In fact, rest and work complement and complete each other. I had to learn this while working in a media agency, where long hours and late nights are inseparable.
If you can identify with some of these practices, let me share 3 pieces of advice on how to prevent and manage burnout.
1. Determine your non-negotiables and priorities in life
To avoid running on empty, we need to slow down and spend some time reflecting on what is most important to us.
As a student or working adult, you’ll have to juggle multiple responsibilities. However, figuring out your non-negotiables in life and work can help guide you to prioritise and decide how to spend your time in this fast-paced society.
Naturally, this would differ between individuals. An ideal place to start would be to look at the top three areas of your life that matter to you. It could be in the areas of school, career, finances, family, friends, health, relationships or personal growth.
Take time to ponder these questions: What is most important to you? What aspects of life you cannot compromise on? What do I need to start, stop and continue doing? What can I do more of, do less of or do differently?
Rank how you feel you are doing in each area, from 1 to 10 (poor to excellent) and look at where you can make practical changes. Your aim isn’t necessarily jumping from a 3 to 10, but making small improvements, like progressing from a 3 to a 5.
2. Prioritise self-care
Even as school and work fills up a large part of our lives, it is also important to schedule time for your renewal. Achieving and producing feels rewarding, but rest is just as essential. Being able to disconnect from school and work responsibilities can help you de-stress and replenish your physical and emotional energy.
Getting rest means making time for activities you enjoy that aren’t work-related. That could be something active and outdoors, like going for a hike or attending an exercise class, or it could be passive and chill, like sitting down with a good book or watching Netflix.
I learned more about myself by answering these questions, “What helps me relax and unwind? When do I feel at rest? What gives me energy?” For me, it’s exploring lesser-known neighbourhoods with my film camera. It’s going for an evening swim. It’s watching B99 and The Office to unwind after a long day of work.
Now, it’s your turn. Find what gives you energy and make space for restful, positive time away from work.
3. Learning to say ‘no’
Saying ‘no’ can feel hard in any situation. You feel bad for turning down others, fear letting people down, or disappointing others who rely on you. On the contrary, when you say ‘yes’ too often, you run the risk of overworking yourself.
Hence, having a clear understanding of your workload and what you can handle is important in justifying your reasons for saying ‘no’ and rejecting tasks. Learning to say ‘no’ constructively is to be polite yet straightforward. However, don’t just say no and run away! The other party will appreciate when you offer alternatives and explain clearly why you are unable to take on more work.
For example, ‘I don’t have the capacity to take this on right now, but maybe I could assist after my project deadline’ or ‘I appreciate the opportunity given to me, but I want to prioritise my current workload as I've still got A B and C to complete and would like to give this my full attention.' This will help your leaders be aware of all the tasks on your plate and that you’re not saying ‘no’ just to avoid more work.
Remember that nothing is worth sacrificing your mental health for. You can’t please everyone, but you can place self-care at the heart of what you do. Studies and school responsibilities are important, but so are our mental and physical states.
Rest to Work, Not Work to Rest
There’s no one-size-fits-all method to prevent and manage burnout or reduce stress. Being hardworking and passionate is a good thing, but certainly not at the expense of your physical, mental or emotional health. Instead of neglecting rest, we need to proactively integrate it into our daily life.
Most importantly, if you are experiencing burnout and have been feeling overwhelmed, do reach out to your friends and don’t be afraid to seek help from professionals if you feel the need to do so.
Healing and recovering from burnout take time, so be patient, keep the changes small, and do them consistently. I hope that these three pieces of advice will be a starting point for you to find ways to navigate work, life and personal care.
