The goal of delivering excellent work performance is a definitely not a one-time deal. It is a day-to-day task that you should deliver impressive job or service regardless of the circumstances. The huge pressure of this responsibility can be terribly stressful which may lead to exhaustion or burnout.

Sadly, poor work-life balance often puts the most motivated and talented people at risk for a breakdown. It is a must for everyone to take steps to avoid burnout because it can kill enthusiasm, decrease productivity, and prevent success. The good news is that with a few simple hacks, you can effortlessly excel at work and keep burnout at bay:

Listen To Your Body

Sometimes, common sense is all you need to survive in this world. If your body is already screaming with undeniable aches and pains, it means you need to give it a rest. Many highly-ambitious individuals would try to rise above expectations and do as much work as possible to the point of stretching their stamina to the limits. Do not forget that without enough rest and proper nutrients, your physical and mental faculties cannot function at its best as well.

Focus On Quality Rather Than Quantity

Overachievers may be tempted to work on several projects at once with the belief that they can accomplish a lot this way. However, multitaskers may find it hard to claim expertise in a specific area because it limits the time and attention they can devote to each task. Aside from that, they greatly increase the possibility of experiencing fatigue. On the other hand, if you solely dedicate your best efforts to a single project at a time, you get a chance to master a specific skill and considerably lessen the workload. This theory proposed by author and professor, Morten Hansen, in his book, “Great at Work: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More” is a must-try if you want to sustain your interests and satisfaction in your work.

Adopt Good Habits For Better Time-Management

Your day will be twice as hard without routines and habits that can guide you along the way. Useful habits such as planning your day, making to-do lists, and waking up early will go a long way to make your day as smooth and stress-free as possible. This also emphasized the need for discipline as you set out to deliver top-notch performance for every task at hand.

Insert Quick Breaks In Your Routine

You may equate a highly-productive day to longer working hours and fewer break times. Apparently, this concept is the culprit for many work-related health issues and may even result in poor job performance in the long run. To avoid this, you may want to try a time-management strategy called the Pomodoro Technique which was developed by entrepreneur Francesco Cirillo. In this method, you reward yourself with 5-10 minutes of break after working uninterruptedly on a task for 25 minutes. This technique lowers the chance of a burnout and also claims to effectively combat procrastination, increase productivity, and enhance focus.

Do Not Hesitate To Say No

If you say yes to every request or invitation, you may find yourself laden with more assignments than you can handle. This is unlikely to happen if you have a realistic perception of the number of tasks that you can take. So wisely assess your situation to know if you can still squeeze in a favor to your schedule or will it already cost you precious time.

As a conclusion, it pays to always be on the lookout for mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion as you challenge yourself to achieve great things and exceed expectations. You owe it to yourself to aim for a healthy work-life balance because your own well-being and happiness should always be your first priority.