Being a manager is a huge job with a lot of responsibility. It may seem like you’re permanently tasked with managing competing priorities, interpersonal conflicts and a heavy workload. Whether you’ve had this position for years or were recently promoted, it’s important to figure out how to handle the pressure now – or you could quickly burn out.

5 Ways to Avoid Burnout

Feel like you’re heading towards burnout? Implement these four techniques to fight back:

1. Learn to Delegate: It can be difficult to let go of projects you feel attached to, but you can’t do it all yourself. You hired smart, hardworking people to join your team, so trust them to take on some of your workload. They’ll enjoy the opportunity to expand their responsibilities and grow their skill sets, giving you time to focus on more pressing priorities.
2. Use Your Vacation Days: How many vacations have you canceled in the past year because of a workplace crisis? Stop putting your personal life on hold and get away from the office for a while. You need to relax your mind, body and soul, so you can come back refreshed and ready to take on new challenges. Put your best team member in charge and go on vacation already!
3. Hire Temporary Workers: If your entire team is swamped, but you don’t have the budget or the need to hire another employee on a permanent basis, take on a temporary worker (or two). Temporary employees can help out as long as you need them, without any obligation to keep them on when things slow down.
4. Find Positive Ways to Manage Stress: You may think that chaining yourself to your desk is the most efficient way to get work done, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. If you don’t find a way to manage stress, you’ll burn out in no time. Join a yoga class, take up painting or even simply block out your lunch time every day to go for an hour-long walk — whatever works for you.
5. Talk to Your Manager: Don’t be afraid to ask your manager for help if your workload has become unmanageable. Have this discussion sooner, rather than later, to combat burnout before it happens. Ask them to work with you to devise an effective solution. It could be something as simple as allowing you to turn off your company smartphone during non-working hours.

Searching for a few extra hands to join your team? Contact Barrington Staffing. We offer temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire services for clients in the San Fernando Valley, Burbank, Thousand Oaks, the Santa Clarita Valley, West Los Angeles and the surrounding areas.