Millennials may have a reputation for being lazy or entitled within the workplace, but in reality, this generation is working to their breaking points and burning out quickly. In fact, a new study shows that Millennial women are especially affected by this burnout rate and sometimes end up calling it quits by the age of 30! How can Millennials with big career goals avoid this seemingly inevitable burnout? Try following the tips below.
Give yourself time.
Millennials have become accustomed to instant gratification, so they sometimes are anxious to be promoted after putting in a little bit of time and effort at work. When the reward of a promotion or new job doesn’t come as quickly as expected, Millennials feel they slaved away for nothing, causing worn-down, unsatisfied workers. To avoid this burnout, give yourself the time you need to reach lofty goals. Look around at the managers or upper-level employees within the company and figure out where they started and how long it took to get there. Use this information to create realistic timelines for your goals, so you don’t become burned out faster in your career.
Turn off technology.
In today’s culture, some jobs expect Millennials to be on at all times, however this can cause a very rapid burnout. Millennials need to set limits with their bosses, co-workers, and clients by having a hard “turn-off” time for technology. If you don’t want to turn off the entire phone, at least use the do not disturb feature or turn off the notifications for new emails. Allow yourself to have a work-life balance, otherwise you will become resentful of the job and end up leaving disgruntled and burnt out.
Learn to say “no.”
Do you have dreams of making it to the corner office one day? You may think that to do so, you have to take on anything thrown your way with a smile on your face, but that’s not always the case. Learning how to say no is one of the biggest steps to take in order to avoid burnout. Is your boss asking you to pick up a co-worker’s slack and manage the team of wholesale distributors your company works with? If you have the time to do so, that’s great, but if not, don’t feel obligated to say yes to every request. Saying no will help you set boundaries with your co-workers so work doesn’t pile onto your plate. This will save you the stress of feeling overwhelmed and overworked.
Delegate.
Millennials can have a hard time letting go of the need for control and delegating work, thus leading to a pileup of deadlines, tasks, and most of all, stress. Having so many things to do at once leads to a constant feeling of pressure that can build up over time and lead to burnout. Avoid burning out in the office by learning how to delegate tasks that can be done by others. Millennials want to be challenged in their work, and delegating small tasks to others will help them tackle the more difficult and rewarding projects on their own.
Stop multitasking.
Millennials may feel that they’re being more efficient by multitasking, but actually all they’re doing is slowing themselves down and causing additional unneeded stress. In fact, it is estimated that a day spent multitasking can lead to up to a 40% loss in productivity for the average worker. The stress and confusion of switching back and forth between tasks causes frustration and can accelerate burnout with Millennials, so stick to one task at a time.
Do you have what it takes to avoid burnout and rise to the top of the corporate ladder? How do you avoid burnout in the workplace? Tell us in the comments below!
