{"id":6143,"date":"2019-08-30T09:52:32","date_gmt":"2019-08-30T14:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/5bd4f92546.nxcli.net\/?p=6143"},"modified":"2019-08-30T09:52:36","modified_gmt":"2019-08-30T14:52:36","slug":"how-being-actively-lazy-helps-stave-off-burnout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bluecotton.com\/blog\/career\/how-being-actively-lazy-helps-stave-off-burnout\/","title":{"rendered":"How Being Actively Lazy Helps Stave Off Burnout"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It used to be so easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You threw yourself into your work with laser focus and unimpeachable direction. You loved your job and everything it entailed, and your passion was obvious to everybody around you. Lately, though? <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Something\u2019s changed – and not for the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re having trouble staying focused. You find yourself getting distracted for hours at a time, your mind wandering to everything except<\/em> what it should be focused on. Try as you might, you can\u2019t motivate yourself to accomplish anything<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s started to get to you. You\u2019re more irritable than you\u2019ve ever been, and you\u2019re constantly stressed, even though you aren\u2019t quite certain about what. You\u2019re exhausted no matter how much sleep you get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re suffering from something called burnout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBurnout,\u201d explains health & wellness publication Healthguide<\/a>, \u201cis a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBurnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful,\u201d it continues. \u201cEventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might seem a bit counterintuitive, but the first step to recovering from – and staving off – burnout is to be lazy. Actively <\/em>lazy. Take a vacation. Maybe it lasts for a day, maybe it lasts for a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During that time, turn off your brain. Do things that require minimal thought and effort. Seek out activities that leave you feeling relaxed and energized. In short, take some time to just be, <\/em>without worrying too much about how much you\u2019re getting done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBurnout happens as a result of too much,\u201d explains executive coach Dushka Zapata<\/a>. \u201cToo much work, too much intensity, too much stress. You do so much without recharging or resting that you become consumed…You have to take time to recover.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That recovery can take many forms, of course.  And every person will have a different approach to recovery. But ultimately, the first step lies in learning to relax. In setting boundaries that allow for a healthy work-life balance and learning how to occasionally be lazy without feeling guilty about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond that, let\u2019s wrap up with a few other steps you can take for a healthier, happier approach to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n