Feeling “burnt out” is a pretty common phrase in daily parlance, but we’re starting to learn more about its longer-term destructive effects. Sufferers of 'burnout' often describe feeling exhausted and disconnected, and as though they’re “going through the motions” without motivation or meaning. So what can we do about it?
Australian mattress brand Sealy Posturepedic recently conducted a global sleep census and the results for Australia are concerning though not surprising. According to the survey, a whopping 75 per cent of Aussies struggle to fall or stay asleep at night and around one in five struggle with insomnia at least three times a week. This infographic looks at all the ways we are struggling to get to sleep. It also suggests some potential remedies.
You're constantly moving from morning to night but it feels like there aren't enough hours in the day. That feeling may come from your task list looking infinite. To combat that, focus on clearing up your "cognitive bandwidth", rather than getting more done.
They say that your eyes are a window of the soul -- so it's best not to frame them with the unsightly dark rings of a corpse. If you feel perennially exhausted and bleary-eyed, these tried-and-tested maintenance tips will help to keep your peepers looking fresh (even when you feel like death warmed up.)
After working on a demanding grant application for a charity for several weeks, I was exhausted. When my boss asked me to perform simple tasks it was all I could do not to snap at her. And when my colleagues and friends asked how the new job was going, I made cynical jokes about how it was a waste of time. I didn't know it then, but I was burnt out.
Perfectionism is often treated as a virtue -- especially in the workplace -- but research shows that the self-imposed pressure perform flawlessly just leads to eventual burnout. Perfection simply isn't how you should measure success.
