Expert explained ways to prevent burnout for representatives of creative professions 05:00

Professional burnout is a state of lack of motivation and inspiration, emotional and physical exhaustion, persistent fatigue and overstrain in the process of daily work activities. Burnout is expressed differently for everyone – from complete apathy and indifference to what is happening, to the manifestation of aggression towards others. Digital producer Kirill Didenok, founder of the communication agency DIDENOK TEAM, told socialbites.ca about the possible causes of burnout and gave advice on how to avoid it.

According to him, representatives of creative professions – journalists, marketers, advertisers, PR and SMM specialists, creative directors, etc. – more prone to burnout.

“First of all, they need to constantly adapt to the realities of modern reality (the introduction of restrictions and new industry rules, the blocking of social networks, the emergence of new platforms, etc.). Working in a demanding industry increases stress and anxiety. Secondly, the digital world is a place of deadlines that require tasks to be completed in a very short time. In order to achieve your goals and be one step ahead of your competitors, everything needs to be done quickly and without any room for error. Third, the work of creators is usually not limited to an 8-hour workday. “Regularly checking work chats and mails, performing urgent tasks before and after work is what prevents you from maintaining the same balance between work/profession and other areas of your life,” he explained.

The expert shared tips to help prevent burnout.

“Add physical activity to your life. For creatives who use all their intellectual resources at work, it is very important to engage in regular physical activity. By “turning off” your brain and filling your body with endorphins, you get a charge of positive emotions, energy and inspiration. The gym, yoga, cycling, or even an hour-long walk with the dog after work will give you the opportunity to re-energize. “Choose places on holiday where you can not only think and think, but also combine this with sports, swimming and walking,” he advised.

Also make time for quality rest and sleep. The importance of these two aspects is relevant for absolutely everyone. However, it is precisely for representatives of creative professions that their schedules are greatly interrupted due to the specific nature of their activities. And even on vacation, many people cannot completely isolate themselves from work. Learn to take breaks, allow yourself to fully relax and not worry about your work processes. By getting quality rest and sleep, you will be much more efficient, productive and motivated.

“If you think burnout is approaching, try to temporarily change the vector of activity in your profession. Take on another project, switch from creative to administrative functions. Determine your motivation. It is important to regularly compare your goals with real tasks and, if necessary, adjust your development vector. For example, if you dream of becoming a PR director and the tasks and projects you are involved in do not achieve this goal in any way, this will almost certainly lead you to burnout. Analyze what can help you; show more initiative, change the team, talk to your manager and HR,” added the expert.

The most important thing is that you do not tolerate dissatisfaction with your job for a long time. It is much easier to solve any difficulties in a team, so do not hesitate to contact your company’s management or HR, he concluded.

Russians before named Common reasons for job search delays.