Keeping Burnout at Bay

Burnout can affect anyone in an organization. There’s no magic formula that tells us who will experience burnout and when, but there are some signs you can look for within yourself and your team members that can clue you in to an impending burnout. Lack of interest in innovating work, frequent absences from meetings or trainings, and radio silence when you do try and communicate needs or concerns. Unfortunately, remote work can make it more difficult to see the signs and symptoms of burnout. No matter how or where we work, it’s always a part of our job to treat one another well, as we’d like to be treated, as friends and coworkers alike.

Here are three ways you can mitigate burnout and offer advice to those who may be troubled by it:

1. Stay organized

Of course, being organized is easier said than done, but you can liken it to an ever increasing load of dirty laundry. On Monday, that small pile of clothes and towels seems easy to tackle. But by Friday, it’s a huge mess with no signs of stopping, and you don’t really feel like doing laundry at the end of a long week. The easiest way to prevent this is to “clean as you go”, and set up a plan earlier in the week to get things done. A 30-60-90 plan can be a high level way to do this while putting long term tasks into better focus, and this is easy to do in a spreadsheet. That way, if you do need to take a day to focus on other tasks, you don’t feel entirely overwhelmed by the days and weeks to come. Some other tips:

• Keep a daily calendar as well as a list of goals or tasks you accomplished that day
• Block out time for recurring tasks, such as checking emails, Google chats, etc
• Sync your calendar reminders from your desktop computer to your work phone so you’re able to get notifications in a timely manner without having to check or remember

2. Plan your escape(s)

Of course, the primary reason you can be affected by burnout is a lack of work-life balance. This is crucial, especially in the hectic and busy nature of today’s world. The medical field, even something as innocuous as dental billing, can become a haven for burnout, as it means losing the face-to-face interaction we experienced in dental offices. However, instead of doom and gloom, think of the benefits (work in your PJs, outside of meetings, of course). As well as this:

• Plan for a vacation(s) you and your family can afford, whether that’s a staycation in your city or as far as the Bahamas
• Ensure that you aren’t pressured into working on religious holidays or observances, and let your team know in advance of any absences
• Take time each day to remove yourself from your workstation to take a walk, go to the gym, make yourself a great meal, or simply curl up with a book for an hour or two

3. Communicate

At eAssist, we take communication seriously, and it reflects in your ability to access someone who will listen and help you with whatever you may need. We are not simply a community of dental billers, but mothers, sisters, caregivers, and entrepreneurs who are taking advantage of dental billing from home. That means each day presents its own challenges, but also its own lessons and positive experiences. Sometimes, it just takes giving yourself a week or two of self care to “reboot” your system and feel ready to tackle the day again. Never be ashamed of burnout, rather help mitigate it by giving yourself peace of mind you deserve.