If you haven’t experienced work burnout yet consider yourself lucky. For the rest of us in the real world – burnout is a very real threat to our production levels. And that, ladies and gents, is the real danger… low productivity.
As an affiliate you’re only as good as your last good campaign or your number one rankings. When those things disappear you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you before you get back to where you once were. Let’s not sugar coat it either – just maintaining those good campaigns or those number one rankings take a lot of work too.
So how do you keep productivity levels at consistently high levels?
The answer is complex but one key aspect is avoiding burnout. Here are a few thoughts on how to do just that.
1 – Know the Difference Between Stress and Burnout
Stress may be a hard to distinguish from burnout. While the symptoms are different they may seem the same on the surface. Identifying burnout will be the first step to actually resolving it.
Here’s a comparison table to help you decide whether or not you’re stressed or burned out.
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|
|
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Stress |
Burnout |
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Characterized by over-engagement |
Characterized by disengagement |
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Emotions are over-reactive |
Emotions are blunted |
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Produces urgency and hyperactivity |
Produces helplessness and hopelessness |
|
Loss of energy |
Loss of motivation, ideals, and hope |
|
Leads to anxiety disorders |
Leads to detachment and depression |
|
Primary damage is physical |
Primary damage is emotional |
|
May kill you prematurely |
May make life seem not worth living |
2 – The Resentment Theory
One theory on why burnout happens is that working too hard for too long can create resentment. Here’s an example:
“Tuesday night dinners. My friends from college, we all get together every Tuesday night and do a potluck. If I miss it, the whole rest of the week I’m like, ‘I’m just not going to stay late tonight. I didn’t even get to do my Tuesday night dinner.’ ”
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While pot luck dinners may not be your thing, Monday Night Football, or date night with the wife might be more your speed. Whatever it is – make sure you do it. Choosing work over the events and people in your life will build up resentment fast. You owe it to yourself, your work, your family, and your income to do your best to avoid those scenarios.
Schedule events with friends and family and stick to them. You’ll be glad you did.
3 – Ask For Help
Dealing with overwhelming projects and feeling alone will only add to your burnout experience. Stop what you’re doing and ask for help. You’ll feel less alone and it’ll get you closer to a solution faster.
4 – Exercise
This is an oldy but a goody. Exercise reduces stress. Reduced stress can only help avoid burnout in the first place. While it’s not the sexiest of tips – it’s a very easy one to take advantage of. And who knows YOU might end up being sexy because of it.
5 – Reevaluate Your Goals
This is a big one. If you find yourself in a burnout situation it’s time to take a look at your life’s big picture. Is this what you want to be doing? Is this work going to get you where you need to go? It’s a sensitive topic and a bit intimidating. Take it seriously and be brutally honest with yourself.
Burnout is an undeniable sign that something important in your life is not working. Take time to think about your hopes, goals, and dreams. Are you neglecting something that is truly important to you? Burnout can be an opportunity to rediscover what really makes you happy and to change course accordingly.
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Do you have any tips for avoiding work burnout? Please share them in the comments below.
