As much as you may try to have a solid work-life balance or not think about work after you go home for the day, that’s not always realistic. Every type of professional career can cause overwhelming stress that can impact your quality of life, even when you’re not working. When you feel exhausted from the ongoing mental, emotional and physical strain of your professional life, it can lead to burnout.

Burnout can affect anyone, but it’s usually associated with workplace stress. In a 2024 study of 1,405 U.S. employees, approximately 45% of the participants felt emotionally drained from their job. Busy professionals can develop burnout from many different challenges, such as a high-stress workload, lack of relaxation, and difficulty finding time and effort for other parts of their life, such as their family. If these challenges are persistent or worsening, you may experience burnout. 

It’s nearly impossible to get rid of work stress completely, but with certain strategies, you can learn to manage the stress to reduce its impact on your mental health and prevent burnout. 

Here are five burnout prevention strategies worth trying:

• Set boundaries

It can sometimes feel like the only way to succeed in your career and reach your goals is to devote every minute possible to your job, say yes to everything and take on more than you know you can handle. By setting boundaries or limits with your superiors, co-workers and possibly even clients, you can reduce being overwhelmed by stress that can cause burnout. 

Examples of boundaries that you can set and maintain include:

• Not answering emails or calls after a certain time
• Saying no to tasks that you’re not responsible for when you don’t have the time
• Refusing to skip breaks or scheduled days off
• Delegate when possible

It’s possible to feel overloaded by your work responsibilities when things just keep piling up. You may have certain tasks that are required of your role, but it’s also important that you don’t have so much on your plate that your quality of work will suffer or that you can’t meet deadlines. 

Never be scared to ask for help from others if you’re unable to handle your workload alone. Try to delegate your tasks when possible to other people who have the bandwidth to handle them.

• Block off time for personal priorities

Making time for self-care is easier said than done, but it can play a pivotal role in preventing burnout. When you’re feeling overwhelmed by work, it can be difficult to escape those negative thoughts and feelings. But when you prioritize your mental health with the things you enjoy in your personal time, you’re able to remember that your life is about much more than work.

Personal priorities can differ for everyone, but they may include:

• Hobbies
• Spending time with loved ones
• Exercising regularly
• Practice stress management techniques

Improving your mental health to prevent burnout often means focusing only on what you can control. Even if the stress from your job feels unavoidable, you can control how you react to it. That’s where stress management comes in.

Learning how to manage your stress helps you prevent burnout by not feeding into the negativity. Techniques that help you manage your stress can help your body and mind feel prepared to handle the challenges you’re facing. A few examples include:

• Mindfulness and meditation
• Writing down what you’re grateful for
• Reframing a negative situation with positive thoughts
• Be fully engaged during quality time with others

Knowing how important it is to spend time with your loved ones and actively being engaged in that time are two separate things. If your job is persistently overwhelming you during work hours, it’s likely still on your mind after those hours are done, including when you’re trying to connect with others.

You can prevent burnout by trying to live in the moment to enjoy the quality time you’re spending with your loved ones. This can help you focus on the positive feelings of being surrounded by those you care about, while also having a support system when you’re struggling.

Having a busy professional life that never slows down can increase your risk of burnout. Being burned out will affect your mindset and productivity at work as well as your attitude toward your loved ones and even how you feel about yourself.

Burnout prevention strategies can help you continue to prioritize your own well-being without sacrificing your goals. 

Burnout is strongly associated with higher odds of anxiety symptoms, and anxiety can in turn predict future burnout. Talking to a therapist can help you find the strategies that can help address your anxiety for long-term results. If you need more intensive support than regular outpatient therapy appointments, Lightfully’s four levels of care can help:

• Residential Treatment
• Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
• Virtual Services (vPHP/vIOP)

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.