Ways to Save Yourself From Burning out. Tip#1: Find Your Stress “Sweet Spot”
We need stress in our lives, says Davis-Laack. It motivates us and helps us avoid danger. At the same time, too much is counterproductive and damaging. Finding our stress “sweet spot”—the point where we feel like we have the resources to handle stress in a good way—is one of the keys to avoiding burnout. When you’re in that spot, you get the benefits that stress offers without the havoc it can wreak.
That sweet spot is different for everyone. Davis-Laack helps people plot out where they feel best along the stress continuum, as well as the various demands on them, and which aspects fall outside of that comfort zone in three categories:
Job demands. The tasks and responsibilities that require consistent effort and energy in their work.
Job resources. The resources they have to get their work done.
Recovery. What they do every day to recharge and recover from the demands placed on them.
This analysis helps people understand stress levels they can best manage, as well as what aspects of their jobs and actions are contributing to their burnout. Such insight can help them see areas they need to address to stay in their “sweet spot,” Davis-Laack says.
