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Burnout and How To Handle It

We have all heard of mail workers that have gone ‘postal’ for one reason or another. Yes, this the extreme type of burnout. Burnout can happen to almost anyone in pretty much every business known to man. The trick is to know the signs of burnout before they get that serious and how to deal with both the symptoms and the burnout itself.

Let’s define burnout. It is a feeling of overwhelming fatigue, restlessness, hopelessness, powerlessness, cynicism, resentment and failure. Burnout comes from feeling unappreciated, overworked, concern about job security, resentful and feeling over committed at work.

The signs of burnout are pretty easy to spot. Do you dread Monday mornings? Do you feel physically sick on Sunday evenings at the thought of returning to work on Monday? Do you feel easily annoyed by your boss or your co-workers? Do you find yourself snapping at people that are not work related? Have you become bitter about your job, boss, co-workers or the organization? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you are burned out.

How do you cure burnout? Take some time each day to figure out what energizes you, what depletes your energy. Take a break from your job, ask for a new assignment, and switch to a new department. How about taking up a new hobby? If all else fails, you can start looking for a new job also.

How to avoid burnout takes some thinking. Most of us heard that laughter is the best medicine, and in this case it is a preventative measure to stop burnout from growing. Find things to laugh at on a daily basis. The more you laugh, the more you find yourself able to deal with life’s’ little situations,

Try to become more of a social person. If you are connected to co-workers both in and away from work, you are less likely to feel stressed out.

If you have a break or lunch room, consider posting jokes on it (work friendly ones, please) or how about running monthly contests? One month, you can have everyone bring in baby pictures and have everyone guess who they are. Another month, you can get a large mason jar and fill it with jelly beans and have the staff guess the number of beans in the jar. Have a paperback exchange in your lunch room or bring in old magazines when you are through with them.

If you are feeling stressed, visualize a mini vacation – somewhere you have always wanted to go to, maybe a tropical island somewhere?

You can’t control every situation, but you can control your reactions to them.

Company Security - Internet

The Internet has become the mainstay of the business world. Almost every business has a computer with Internet access. Whether your business is large or small, most businesses would be lost if not for their Internet connection. It is important for your business to have some sort of security device, not only on your computer but on your business sight as well. 

Internet security is paramount with any business. Hackers can play around and get into your system pretty easy and pretty every business want their files to be safe. How can you keep you and your computer safe from hackers, viruses and other nasties?

Even if your business is on the smaller side, they can still be a target. First, you will need to guard against viruses, have a fire wall in place and keep your software up to date on each pc that is in your possession. Using encryptions and backing up your data on a daily or weekly basis, will keep your data safe. Pop-ups can be not only annoying but can cause damage as well as can certain Internet sites. Put in place rules to where and what your staff can do as to Internet usage. 

IBM and Microsoft have online tool kits that you can install. Talk to an expert, call a business supply store that also sells computers and ask them what they suggest for you to buy.

Whatever you do, get some security for you computer. Think of it is as a proactive measure.

How To Talk To Just About Anyone

You have been invited to a party or a work function and you don’t know many people. And with Christmas parties just around the corner, you will want to know how to enjoy your time, get to know people and possibly even network with people?

If you are at a party and don’t know anyone, you can go to the area where the food is. Mention how ___ (whatever food there is available) on the table looks tasty. Or how the traffic was coming over, or something that always works for me is compliment them for something they are wearing. I tend to notice unusual jewelry and usually comment on it. Sometimes it is a conversation starter, sometimes not.

If you are having problems remembering names, you can either make a joke about it (my brain just froze temporarily, sorry what’s your name again?) or you can ask the hostess.

What if you said the wrong thing? If you comment about the ugly dress that a particular lady is wearing or about the awful toupee that a particular guy is wearing and you find that you are talking to their spouse…ooops, what you need to do is poke fun at yourself by saying something like ‘open mouth, insert foot’ or something similar, apologize and then move on.

Good parties require conversation. If you are at a loss for something to say to fellow party goers, rather than talk about the weather, ask them what they do for a living. If you ask people questions about themselves, most are more than willing to share. Ask how the person knows the host or hostess. Grab headlines from the paper, tell people unusual things that you have heard. “Did you hear about the family that mailed their loved one’s remains through the mail? Guess what? Canada Post lost them!” (Yes, this really happened, it was on the news several months ago) Truth is usually stranger than fiction, so read the daily headlines or listen to the radio, most radio stations offer odd happenings to their listeners. 

No matter what you do, try to have a good time. If it is a work function, stay for as long as you have to, then claim another obligation or an illness then leave (if you are not enjoying yourself, that is). If it is a party, the same rule applies, thank the host/hostess profusely, claim another obligation or illness then leave. But try your best, and enjoy. Who knows, you might met a great friend or maybe even a love interest at a party, so what have you got to lose?

Volunteering

It almost Thanksgiving and along with that, time to think of what we are thankful for, both in the material and non-material realm. It should be a normal reaction to want to give back to the community perhaps or the less fortunate than you. Whether you go out of your way help an organization that has helped you in the past either by donations or perhaps by having a golf tournament for them or maybe you can help out some worthy cause that you believe in by donating your time in a soup kitchen or a battered women’s shelter. 

Many people feel a sense of satisfaction when they volunteer. It is easy to write a check, but giving back physically can be a little tougher in the way of time management. But it can definitely be even more rewarding! Giving back to the community is not a mandatory requirement of living a good life, but it can benefit both you and the organization that you are giving your services to in so many ways! It can also add a new dimension to your life that will richly reward you as a person.

The many ways volunteering can benefit you can include such things as: giving you experience in a field that may not be your own, a sense of being needed and belonging and volunteering can introduce you to new people. Not to mention the benefits you can offer the place where you are volunteering. You might have the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life and what better feeling would there be besides that?