Avoid Burnout in 2025

Are you constantly feeling overworked, stressed, or burdened by your escalating to-do list? There is a good chance that you are well on your way to burnout. Burnout syndrome, or job burnout, is a state of complete exhaustion. Your mental and physical health starts to decline, and you may become disinterested in activities you once enjoyed doing.

Unfortunately, burnout is all too common in today’s culture: In 2024, half of employees said they were burned out because of their jobs. This staggering statistic shows a real need to address this issue.

One step you can take today is implementing certain Calendar tricks. The five calendar improvements will not fix your current mood but can help alleviate future stress and workplace woes.

1. Leverage Shared Calendars

Shared calendars are one of the easiest ways to help with burnout. Having visibility into others’ schedules can promote better time management for you and your team. If your boss sees that your day is jammed with client meetings, they are less likely to add another thing to your plate. Or, if you see that a colleague you need to meet with is just returning from vacation on Monday morning, you may find a time later in the week to catch up instead. This gives them a chance to dig out of their inbox so they can truly focus on your meeting with them.

Other benefits of shared calendars include improved communication, more precise workload expectations, and better boundary setting. And instead of pointless back-and-forth emails to find a suitable time to meet with everyone, you can book by looking at everyone’s calendar. This frees up your time and others, allowing you to focus on what you need to get done.

Many of today’s top digital calendars, including Calendar, Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Microsoft Outlook Calendar, allow you to share calendars. Before sharing your calendar with anyone, make sure you’ve set your time zone. Also, choose the level of access that makes sense. You can select “view-only” for those who just need to know when you’re booked or to give your assistant access to edit and alter your calendar. Sharing your calendar is a small step, but it can alleviate stress and change how each workday goes for you!

2. Set Working Hours

Another tip is to set your working hours. Doing so will set expectations and clearly define when you log off online each day. With set working hours, you may find that your productivity increases. When you know you’re closing your laptop at 5:30 p.m., your brain may go into power mode to complete more in the allotted time.

Setting working hours also shows your team that you’re setting work-life boundaries. Many individuals felt tied to their computers during the pandemic because there was nothing else to do. And with the increase in hybrid and remote workforces, many employees struggle to balance their professional and personal lives. If you’re a leader, setting working hours shows that you are taking care of your personal needs and encouraging others to do the same.

For some, the challenge with set working hours is actually sticking to them. If you get a meeting invite for 8:00 a.m. but are not set to start work until 9:00 a.m., you may feel conflicted. However, you practice what you preach by letting the scheduler know you are unavailable but free later in the day. It may not be easy at first, but the more you do it, the easier it will become. And remember, each “no” is essentially protecting you from burnout.

3. Prioritize Self-Care

Some weeks will indeed feel more stressful than others. You may be bleary-eyed after a long day with numerous Zoom calls. Or you may be completely exhausted after gearing up and giving a company-wide presentation. While work stress is unavoidable, there is a way to avoid it.

By prioritizing self-care, you are setting yourself up for success. At the beginning of each month, take a look at your calendar. Are there weeks that you already know are going to be a doozy? Do you have multiple crack-of-dawn meeting days? Or maybe activities outside of work are causing you alarm. During these particularly hectic days, try to book time for self-care activities.

You prioritize your health needs by booking self-care time in your Calendar, like any other event or meeting. Now, self-care doesn’t necessarily have to look like a 90-minute massage (although if that sounds luxurious and is within reason, go for it!). Adding a 30-minute walk around the neighborhood or office before a big meeting can help reset your mind. Or scheduling a dinner with friends on a weekend after a long week may be motivating.

Focusing on getting good sleep and eating nutritious foods are also examples of self-care practices. If you know you’ll be too busy to pack a healthy lunch one week, invest in a wholesome meal delivery service. Having food ready to go that you’ll feel good about can alleviate stress in your life. The same goes for pre-booking a workout class before heading into the office or after work. When it’s on your calendar, be sure to honor it.

4. Avoid Booking Back-to-Back Meetings

This tip is for you if you’re stressed by looking at your filled calendar. Back-to-back meetings may seem productive but can actually turn into the opposite. While watching the clock for the next meeting, you’re not genuinely focusing on the present one. Hopping from one Zoom or Microsoft Teams meeting to the next means you don’t have time to jot down your thoughts in between either. And at the end of the day, you’ll less likely remember what you said you would do during the 10:00 a.m. call.

To avoid an overbooked schedule filled with back-to-back meetings, intentionally leave a buffer time between meetings. Most digital calendars will allow you to create 25-minute or 55-minute meetings instead of the pre-selected 30 or 60-minute ones. You can set up your calendar to automatically shorten the duration of all future scheduled meetings.

Also, be sure to block time when you don’t want any meetings to occur. If your most productive power hours are in the morning, focus on what you need to get done that day. Being interrupted by a meeting that someone else schedules may throw you off course. Communicating your needs to your boss or team can help alleviate an overcrowded schedule.

5. Dedicate Time to Family and Friends

If you’re on the brink of burnout, the only thing that may make you feel better is spending time with those you love. Having fun with family and friends can recharge you, either preventing burnout from occurring or minimizing its effects. At the same time, speaking to those in your inner circle about what is stressing you out can be helpful, too. You may find that sharing your concerns with others helps put everything into perspective.

Book things with your partner, kids, or friend that you truly enjoy doing. Perhaps you’ve wanted to see a movie but haven’t followed through with it. Make a date and buy the tickets, making you less likely to cancel. Or maybe you’ve wanted to try the new restaurant that opened in your neighborhood. Book a reservation for you and your significant other, and ask a family member to watch the kids.

This is also a great chance to practice healthful habits. If you have a group of girlfriends who always meet up for cocktails after work, suggest attending a Saturday morning yoga class instead. Or maybe instead of watching television after dinner, you ask your partner to walk around the neighborhood. Find activities you enjoy and invite family members or friends you think will enjoy them as well.

Takeaways

Your life is more than your job. While these calendar tips are designed to help, sometimes extra assistance is needed. If you’re feeling overly stressed or burdened, talk to a professional. Let your manager know what you’re facing, and seek expert help from a therapist. Getting ahead of the problem and finding workable solutions for you is much better.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Tara Winstead; Pexels

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