The Role of Habit in Balancing Workload and Avoiding Burnout
The Role of Habit in Balancing Workload and Avoiding Burnout
In a world where your work environment is too fast-paced, it's hard to maintain an equilibrium between risk and reward. This leaves individuals stuck in a position where they're constantly overworked or underworked, as they may not have the time to do everything they need to do without sacrificing their mental health. The truth is that if you want to maintain some semblance of balance then you'll need more than just willpower. You might be able to achieve this by hiring help when needed, but even this can lead to burnout if the workload isn't balanced out by other aspects of your life.
To understand how to remain balanced, it's important to understand how habit formation works. Without defining the factors that trigger these behaviors, it's hard to find out what needs a balance in your mind. Habits work by strengthening your neural pathways so that doing something over and over again starts to feel like second nature. For example, if you're trying to quit smoking, it is easier to not smoke when you have the urge in the morning than when you have an urge 30 minutes before lunch time — this is because the vagus nerve becomes more active at night than in the morning, which means quitting comes more naturally at night.
To break down the factors that contribute to habit formation, you have to understand the role of dopamine. The main reason that many people get lost in their work is that they're constantly pursuing a feeling of reward. This isn't necessarily a bad thing if you've got a good work/life balance, but it can become detrimental to your psyche if you don't have the right habits. Dopamine is one of your body's feel-good chemicals and it has been known to play a role in addiction and compulsive behavior. So, if you're constantly seeking out an emotional reward from your job then there's a chance that you'll be at risk for addiction or burnout.
Another habit that can contribute to burnout is something known as "overwork". A lot of people try to balance themselves by working over 40 hours a week. While this might sound like a good idea, it's actually one of the worst things you can do for your health. This is because your body evolved in accordance with the sun. Even if you work on things during the night, you're still getting sunlight and melatonin levels are controlled by these natural triggers. When your melatonin levels are low then it's hard to fight off diseases and your immune system is compromised.
So, if you want to strike a balance between your workload and your health then you'll need to look at the habits that contribute to burnout. If you're working too much or on things that can't be completed in a timely manner then you could be risking your emotional health. Find out what triggers these feelings of overwork so that you can start thinking about whether or not it's worth it in the long run. If you start feeling like work is getting out of control, then take a step back and assess what might be contributing to this feeling. You don't have to completely change your life, but the more balanced it is, the better off you'll be. [ARTICLE END]
http://www. nytimes.com/2013/06/18/opinion/the-role-of-habit-in-balancing-workload-and-avoiding-burnout.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-dopamine-affects-your-brain?op=1
http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/Birds-in-the-Workplace/
"I have to get this done..."
"[My job] is so important that I can't stand to let it slide."
"I'm just trying to keep up."
"There's not enough time to do everything I want to do."
In a world where your work environment is too fast-paced, it's hard to maintain an equilibrium between risk and reward. This leaves individuals stuck in a position where they're constantly overworked or underworked, as they may not have the time to do everything they need to do without sacrificing their mental health.
One of the main reasons that many people get lost in their work is that they're constantly pursuing a feeling of reward. This isn't necessarily a bad thing if you've got a good work/life balance, but it can become detrimental to your psyche if you don't have the right habits. Dopamine is one of your body's feel-good chemicals and it has been known to play a role in addiction and compulsive behavior. So, if you're constantly seeking out an emotional reward from your job then there's a chance that you'll be at risk for addiction or burnout.
Another habit that can contribute to burnout is something known as "overwork". A lot of people try to balance themselves by working over 40 hours a week. While this might sound like a good idea, it's actually one of the worst things you can do for your health. This is because your body evolved in accordance with the sun. Even if you work on things during the night, you're still getting sunlight and melatonin levels are controlled by these natural triggers. When your melatonin levels are low then it's hard to fight off diseases and your immune system is compromised.
So, if you want to strike a balance between your workload and your health then you'll need to look at the habits that contribute to burnout. If you're working too much or on things that can't be completed in a timely manner then you could be risking your emotional health. Find out what triggers these feelings of overwork so that you can start thinking about whether or not it's worth it in the long run. If you start feeling like work is getting out of control, then take a step back and assess what might be contributing to this feeling. You don't have to completely change your life, but the more balanced it is, the better off you'll be.
http://www.nytimes.
Conclusion:
http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/2014-can-you-be-a-good-scientist-and-a-good-person
"I believe that many of the qualities of a good scientist, such as skepticism, a willingness to follow the evidence wherever it leads, and so on carry over to life in general... In some cases, you have to let others do their own thinking. For example, we don't all have the same world views and some people will not find any sense at all in what you are trying to do....