Top tips on stepping back and taking care of yourself

Here are our top tips based on our Five Ways to Happiness at Work framework for when fatigue and burnout feel like they're on the horizon and you need to take care of yourself.

Learn something new

Connect – Relationship building is work

A virtual coffee with a colleague may not lead to an immediate work output. But the connections we build bring us energy and can help future projects. Check out Noah Askin’s Office Hours approach to staying connected through the pandemic.

Be Fair – Mark your boundaries

Mark your work boundaries – set some rules to create space between work and life – and stick to them. Instead of immediately saying yes, consult your rules before booking yourself into another meeting. Hold yourself accountable and you will do better work.

Empower – Find your energy

What gives you energy? What drains you? It’s inevitable that we don’t love every part of our job. So, organise your to-do list so that you work on the stuff you don’t like first. And enjoy the rest of your day!

Challenge – Learn something new

Look out for opportunities to learn a new skill or process – especially one that will make your life easier. Make learning social – use the book club model where you read, listen or watch something you’re interested in and come together to talk about it.

Inspire – Look out for others

Caring for others is a vital part of relationships. We’re notoriously bad at noticing the signs of stress and burnout in ourselves. But we’re quicker to notice when someone feels “off”. If you notice someone is struggling, reach out and offer to help. Being a good friend means a lot – not only to the other person but also to you.