Tools to Prevent Burnout

Front cover drawing and interior drawings by Zuzana Mažonasová.  A versatile professional with a background in both web and graphic design currently designing and managing merchandise for the popular Slovakian podcast Vražedné Psyché, Mažonasová collaborated with Katarína Gaborova on V!VA Tools for Well-being (Slovak version), as well as managing the SeeBeeTee (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) products. More at www.mdgroup.sk.

Greetings

To anyone who has felt the heavy weight of burnout, whether it has impacted your professional life, your relationships, or your personal well-being, this book is dedicated to you and your loved ones.

The following statistics may surprise you, but they are shared not to alarm, but to highlight the urgent need for change in our work environments. It's time to slow down and prioritize the overall well-being of all employees. Happy and healthy employees are efficient, productive, and can drive your workplaces to heights you haven't even imagined.

In January 2020, before the pandemic, burnout statistics among U.S. employees were already alarming, with rates ranging from 24% to 53%. A year later, in February 2021, these numbers had risen significantly across all generations: 58% of Generation Z, 59% of Millennials, 54% of Generation X, and 31% of Baby Boomers experiencing burnout (Statista Research Department, 2021), clearly show the increasing prevalence of burnout.

I hope this book acknowledges your experiences, validates your challenges, while offering support and practical suggestions to help you achieve a much better work-life balance and overall well-being.

K.G.

Testimonials

Louiza:

"Burnout challenged me, a 26 year old female, in a way I had never experienced before. My financial stress, 6-day work schedule, and no sense of fulfillment in professional/personal matters were major factors causing my burnout. Working harder over a long period of time resulted in a psychological meltdown. My energy levels so decreased that simple tasks became very hard. I did not feel like myself anymore, and my physical and mental health became very poor. I sought professional advice. Katarina and I met on a weekly basis, and throughout our sessions I learned a lot about how burnout works and what to do to combat it.

Therapy helped me to articulate the issue and discuss new perspectives and methods of handling the complexity of the issue. I practiced meditation and breathing exercises. I forced myself to take breaks throughout the day; I turned to journaling and wrote down my thoughts when I felt overwhelmed; I had a lot of I should thoughts, I started challenging them, and things got a bit easier. Letting go of my ego and high self-expectations was tough but necessary. I also started paying more attention to what I was eating and taking vitamin supplements, which boosted my energy levels. I had some weeks off which allowed me the time to step