How to Avoid Being Burnt out and how to Bounce Back

It’s been a long year — not to mention a wild ride in housing, so if you’re feeling burnt out (or just close to it), you’re definitely not alone.

Fortunately, there are many ways to stave off a burnout or, more importantly, bounce back from one if you’ve already hit that point.

Are you feeling like burnout is near? Here’s what you can do to avoid it:

Bring in reinforcements.

Talk to your colleagues. If you’re feeling the burn, they probably are, too. Are there duties you could shift around? Tasks you could take off each other’s plates to ease the pressure? You might also discuss bringing in a virtual assistant (even part-time) to take the load off of everyone.

You should also talk to your family. If they can help you with tasks you have at home, it could help lessen your stress and make this season a little easier. 

Reset your expectations.

Sometimes burnout is the result of expecting too much from yourself. You can’t do everything and be everywhere all at once. Sit down and really look at your workload, and start to parse things out. What is necessary, and what is just extra? What must be done right now, and what can wait a day, a week, or even a month? Improving time management can be a major relief from stress and burnout.

Set some boundaries.

If you’re nearing burnout at the office, it’s easy to bring it home with you. To prevent this, give your clients set increments of time when you’re available. Beyond those, unplug, turn off your notifications, and put your focus on your personal life.

You can always ask a colleague to step in for you when you’re taking those hours for yourself. (Just make sure to stagger your hours, so you can do the same for them).

Already hit burnout phase?

If you’re already feeling fully burnt out, there are some strategies for bouncing back and getting joy out of your career again. First, ask a colleague to step in for you for a few days, and make it a point to unplug — at least from work-related accounts.

Setting aside time for a much-loved hobby, exercising, and allotting more time for sleep can help inch you closer, too.

Finally, take some time to reflect — on how far you’ve come, on the clients you’ve helped, and on all the successes you’ve achieved in your career. You can also pick up a new real estate book to inspire you or connect with a new loan officer to grow your network as we head into the new year.