Staying Ahead of the Game
Avoiding job burn out is finding a balance between life at home and life at work and in many professions is a hard balancing act, because of loyalty and care. I have been very near to burn out because of my passion for work, and the way forward really is to look within yourself at areas that you can improve upon, such as :
1) Time that is home time and keeping it for family2) Switching off being available 24 hours a day3) Learning how to delegate and share responsibility4) Learning when it is wise to say "no".5) Keeping a little time aside for exercise and fresh air
Your family matters, and although you may feel your work matters more, no one within a work environment is irreplaceable, although in a home environment they are. When you recognize the neglect of home life, quality of life becomes better, and instead of using work as an escape from bad home life, look at excessive work as destroying something that has the potential to work better, if you just let it.
Switching off the phone, and dividing home from work is reasonable. If you really do feel you must be on call, define the hours you are prepared to be contacted and stick to them, switching the phone off at set times.
Sometimes, enthusiastic people like myself love the challenge of work, though need to look at the wider picture. By delegating and teaching, spreading the workload, not only do you avoid job burnout, but you enhance the lives of those around you both at work and at home.
Learning when to say "no" is important. You will actually surprise yourself when you learn this skill. No one should be asked to push beyond the bounds of possibility and saying no actually gets those demanding too much to seek alternative methods, and improve as a boss. Be firm.
Keeping time aside for exercise and fresh air lightens the load and makes you more alert and fit. Fit and alert people achieve more without burn out. Just a small walk in the park can get you smelling the roses of life instead of drowning in a self-imposed mire.
