By Sonia Jhas

We hear the word “burnout” so often that it seems meaningless, like “blessed” or “grateful.” But, the feeling of burnout—the palpable exhaustion and dread from extended emotional, physical, and mental stress—is very real. Many of us are feeling disconnected from our jobs. The digital overload is relentless. We’re overwhelmed and running on fumes.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
over 47 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs in 2021. And this “Great Resignation” isn’t an isolated event. Within the workforce, there has been a rise in quiet quitting: meeting the minimum requirements at work in terms of enthusiasm, time, and effort. Gallup found that at least 50% of Americans fit the definition of quiet quitting. People are detaching from the negative aspects of emotionally investing in their jobs, but also from feeling proud of their work and contributions.

These trends are showing no sign of slowing down, and they also don’t seem to be providing a real solution. According to a Microsoft survey of people across eleven countries,
almost 50% of employees and 53% of managers said they were experiencing burnout at work. Neither quiet quitting nor not-so-quiet quitting appear to be solving the root of the problem.

So, what is at the root of this exhaustion and dread that so many are feeling when it comes to their careers? Here’s a secret: burnout is not caused by overwork, too much stress, or not enough sleep. Those are symptoms, but they’re not the cause. It’s the forces underlying those symptoms that are burning you out. At the end of the day, burnout results from living out of alignment with your values.

What are your personal values?

Our values are the things that are most important to us. They dictate how we interpret the big picture, and influence our attitudes, priorities, goals, decisions, development, and success. They impact every aspect of your career, determining what kind of roles you go after, the hours you put in, how you prioritize tasks, and what kind of measures you do, or don’t, take to get the results you’re after. Living according to our values allows us to structure our day-to-day lives in ways that don’t feel so soul sucking.

When you’re evaluating your values when it comes to work, as yourself these three questions:

• What does success mean to me?
• Where do I want to focus my energy?
• Where do I feel aligned, and where do I feel misaligned?

Once you’ve started to formulate a clear idea of the values that are propelling you, visualize yourself in your ideal state of success. How will you feel as your best “work” self? What changes can you make today to move you in that direction?

When you start working and living by your core values, you experience a greater sense of flow and control. Setting boundaries, making decisions, setting priorities, and caring for yourself becomes more straightforward when you have a guiding set of principles. Infusing your values into your work (and your life!) will help establish an overarching sense of momentum and purpose. And, you’ll also be able to better address the symptoms of burnout once you’re clear on your values.

You can alleviate burnout at work by clarifying your values

\u00a9Anatoliy Karlyuk-Adobe Stock

Some key areas to address when it comes to workplace burnout include:

1. Find connections

Good, old human connection. Forming meaningful relationships should be an equal, if not greater, priority than productivity, as these will help alleviate feelings of disconnection, cynicism, or inefficacy in your job. To foster connections in the workplace, find a mentor or ask someone for advice, volunteer to train or mentor others, or even just send a chatty “water cooler” message to a coworker.

How clarifying your values helps: You’ll know what kind of connection you’re searching for, which will guide where and how you seek out connections. Do you value keeping your work and personal life separate? Form work-focused connections. Do you value expanding your personal social circle and becoming friends with your coworkers? Ask a colleague to join you for a meal or drink after work.

2. Prioritize rest and rejuvenation

You need sleep, proper nutrition, regular movement, and a chance to decelerate. Block off time in your schedule to replenish your emotional and physical selves. This might mean waking up an hour earlier than you need to so that you can work out before you clock in. Or maybe get ahead of deadlines so you’re not working overtime and cutting into your sleep. Creating space for the things that make you feel energized and happy will serve you in all areas of your life.

How clarifying your values helps: You’ll be clear on what non-work things you need to do to feel your best—at work and in your personal life. This takes the guesswork out of planning your schedule and setting boundaries. What things in your life are non-negotiable because they make you feel your best?

3. Set realistic goals

Goals are great, but unrealistic goals lead to decreased motivation, increased dissatisfaction, and an overall sense of disappointment. Setting specific, achievable, and measurable goals will set you up for greater fulfillment and heightened self-esteem. You’ll no longer be chasing impossible ideals and overcommitting to a million things as you try to measure up to your own unrealistic expectations.

How clarifying your values helps: You’ll be able to use your time intentionally, working toward things that actually matter to you instead of chasing abstract or external goals that have been dictated to you by other people. You’ll also find that you’re much less easily swayed to chase the things that everyone else is chasing because you’ll have clarity on what you want.

4. Celebrate yourself

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of checking an accomplishment off a list and moving on to the next one without pausing for a moment to acknowledge it. But it’s so important to give yourself a moment to truly acknowledge an accomplishment, take in the extent of your progress, and celebrate yourself. Find a form of self-celebration that works for you, whether it’s affirmations, a progress-tracking app, or positive reinforcement in the form of a treat.

How clarifying your values helps: You’ll have a clear view of the big picture and be able to see how all of your small accomplishments are adding up to fill it out. You won’t have to guess that you’re moving in the direction that’s right for you—you’ll know it.

5. Embrace imperfection

Beating burnout is a constant work in progress. There will be ups and downs; the key is accepting this truth and committing to the ride. Each twist and turn will teach you more about who you are and what you want, allowing you to course correct, refine what isn’t working, and double down on the things that are going right. When you prioritize progress over perfection, you free yourself from unnecessary pressure.

How clarifying your values helps: You’ll learn to approach imperfection as data, rather than a sign of failure. You’re collecting data to tell you what’s going right and what’s going wrong as you work towards aligning with your values.

Knowing your “why” leads to greater self-worth and fulfillment

At the end of the day, clarifying your values will allow you to reallocate your energy towards your authentic purpose: your “why.” It’s how you create meaning around what you’re doing, and it’s a touchstone for how you show up at work. When you get clear on your values, you shine a light on what you care about and how you want to live. You’ll be able to assess each area of your life, determining what’s working and what isn’t, and say “yes” and “no” with clarity.

It’s a daily work in progress, but clarifying my values has created a domino effect of goodness in my world. It has led to more confident and aligned decision-making, increased satisfaction in my work and my life, and greater self-worth and fulfillment.

It’s time for us ALL to reevaluate our values with clarity so that we can begin living in alignment with who we really are.

FAQs about workplace burnout

About the Author

Post by: Sonia Jhas

Sonia Jhas gave up her skyrocketing corporate career to help people live their best lives through online talks, speaking engagements, television appearances, and coaching. She has accumulated an impressive 80+ million media impressions and continues to spread inspiration all over the globe. The TEDx speaker and award-winning mindset and wellness expert’s enthusiasm, sense of humor, and openness has earned her a reputation as an unstoppable force in the wellness arena. She is the author of I’ll Start Again Tomorrow (And Other Lies I’ve Told Myself).

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