Your job may be difficult and stressful. Co-workers and management may make your situation better or worse. You don’t have much control over them, but there are ways to improve how you handle your job and challenges.If the stress you face is not due to an overwhelming workload or unrealistic management but something illegal, like you’re asked to break the law or co-workers or your supervisor harasses you, the MJB employment law firm is here to help. Consulting an employment law firm in Tustin can provide the guidance and support you need in such situations. We represent employees who are the victims of illegal employment practices. If you think that’s your situation, call our team of employment attorneys in Tustin today at (949) 266-0880. Speaking with an employment lawyer can ensure your rights are protected and you receive the justice you deserve.What is Burnout?It’s the state of mental, emotional, and sometimes physical exhaustion due to prolonged or repeated stress. It’s often caused by work and the issues that come with it, though it could also arise from taking care of a family member, parenting, or relationships, reports Psychology Today.What Causes Job Burnout? It can be cynicism, depression, and exhaustion if you are not in control of how your job is accomplished, you’re facing unresolved and contradictory objectives, or you must complete tasks that conflict with your sense of self. A heavy workload and unsupportive co-workers can be factors. If your job is causing you chronic stress, it can impact your health and relationships and lead to substance abuse and eating disorders as a way of coping.How Can I Recharge to Help Me Cope With Work Stress and Prevent Burnout?Recovery, according to the Harvard Business Review, involves restoring work stress symptoms to pre-stress levels. This is a skill because it requires a level of knowledge (what’s effective for you) and practice (by doing it). This doesn’t happen if you’re feeling depleted or burned out. Recovery is something you have to do daily, not on a Sunday when you’re dreading going back to work.Recovery involves a paradox. When we feel most stressed and need recovery, we’re least likely to do something about it. We may take fewer breaks, work longer hours, eat junk food, and not take physical or mental breaks. We lack the energy and motivation to make an effort to relax, get away (physically and mentally), and exercise. Many follow this same pattern for weeks, months, or years, and they can end up in a mental and physical health dead end.Find out what works best for you and create a recovery plan. Here are four options. 

1. Detach psychologically from work

Give your brain a break. Dedicate a fixed time every day to devote your attention to a non-work-related activity. You need to let go and disconnect from work. You could focus on a video game, cooking, exercise, or a hobby, so you’ll have mental isolation from work-related thoughts, concerns, and fears. Riding a bike or gardening won’t do you much good if your mind is still on work issues. Just thinking about work will interfere with recovery. 

1. Take breaks during the workday

Recovery isn’t just something you do after you stop working. Regularly get away from your workspace to walk around, stretch, talk to someone (about something not work-related), and drink some water. Close your eyes and meditate. Short breaks during the workday can be highly effective in coping with stress and work better than plowing through the day and hoping to recover after work.

1. What would you like to do?

Choose the activity or focus that works best for you. You can copy what others do or suggest, but ultimately, doing something you don’t want to do adds more stress. Walking may be a great de-stressor, but depending on your preferences, it may be more or less effective if you do it alone or in a group.

1. The greater the effort, the higher the reward

   Woman in seated meditation in the water at a lakeshore; image by Audrey Hope, via Reshot.com.

As long as you’re physically well enough to do so and won’t risk injury, high-effort activities may help your recovery more than passive approaches. Sitting for hours to watch a movie may be beneficial, but something with more physical effort could help you more mentally and physically. If you are unable or unwilling to join a gym, exercise at home. Exercise isn’t just running or lifting weights. You can work up a sweat with landscaping or yard work. “Spring clean” your home monthly or quarterly. If you enjoy a team sport, find a local league to join.If you are dealing with stress or harassment at work that impacts your ability to engage in these activities, consulting a Tustin employment law lawyer could provide the assistance you need. Effort can be more than just physical. You could learn a new language or how to play a musical instrument. Take a martial arts class. Volunteering to help others can take your focus off work and give you a new perspective. You have challenges, but you may help those facing greater problems.Contact Our Employment Attorney in Tustin Today!The Tustin employment lawyers at the MJB Law Group help employees across Orange County and Southern California. If you are facing stress not just because of your work obligations but due to harassment, discrimination, illegal activities, or demands you work without pay, fight back. We can hold your employer accountable.Contact us for a FREE case evaluation and consultation. Call us today at (949) 266-0880 or fill out our confidential contact form.