5 Ways to Avoid Federal Burnout

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” – Audrey Hepburn

5 Ways to Avoid Federal Burnout:

Take on new projects…for instance, if you are interested in social media and you want to learn more about it, ask your boss if you can work on optimizing your company’s social media presence. That’s what I did. In addition to take some classes at night to learn more about how social media will play a role in our federal agency. Try it, you never know.

Become more active in your own field…sometimes, decades of working in the same profession can cause you to lose your sense of wonder and intellectual engagement. The cure may be right in front of your eyes. Why don’t you dive right back in with renewed vigor. Have you ever thought about becoming involved in the local chapter of your professional association or writing an article for your industry trade publication or how about giving a speech at the professional organization. The possibilities are endless.

Find intellectual stimulation outside of work…especially for federal workaholics, hobbies can be a godsend for burnout. You can take up chess, study a foreign language, paint, sculpt, ski, learn to swim, or learn to play a new instrument. I was reading a study just this past week and it said that if a person learned a new language, it helped stave off dementia longer than those who didn’t. So not only are hobbies good for you, they can help you keep your sanity well into the future.

Update your federal resume. Even if you don’t actually make a move, just knowing that you are valuable and wanted can make you feel revived and renewed. Spring classes at local community colleges will be opening up soon, why not swing by one near you and grab a catalog of classes and sign up. This can help you increase your skill set, bring value to your company and help you put something extra on your resume.

Revert to the passions of your youth…doing something you did when you were younger but don’t do now—whether playing basketball or just going for a run. Reflecting on what you did as a child, can re-introduce those feelings you had when you were younger and surprisingly, it has a great psychological effect. When I was younger, I used to love to paint. I think I’ll go out and buy some brushes today. What about you?