How to avoid burnout with some simple Dropbox tips

[Amy]

It’s not news that work has changed since the beginning of 2020, and we’re getting used to some of the changes by now, but it wasn't always smooth sailing. As Culture Study founder Anne Helen Petersen reminds us: We weren’t just working from home, we were working from home during a pandemic. That can lead to burnout, which you might have heard about. If you want to learn all about it you can read this interview with Anne Helen Petersen and our own Drew Pearce. To help you to avoid it, we have some tips on how Dropbox can help you below.

When her 2019 essay on millennial burnout went viral, the concept of work flexibility was still somewhat rare. Freelancers and early adopters had been proving the viability of remote work for a while, but most employers weren’t prepared, technically or culturally, to make the shift when the pandemic hit. But with the 2020 publication of her book, Can’t Even: How Millennials Became The Burnout Generation, Petersen’s insights hit home in a new way—not only for her peers, but for Zoomers, Boomers, and Gen-Xers as well.

So, while we’ve all been working from home during a pandemic, we were just trying to get the job done but maybe now is the time to make sure the new way of working is really working for you. Some of the causes of burnout can include work life imbalance, lack of control, lack of clear work roles, and team dynamic issues, so here are some tips to keep your work moving without burning you out. 

Clear communication: 

If you like face to face conversations, and Zoom is as close as you can get to that, make sure you’re making the most of your meetings, with the Dropbox and Zoom integration. Now you can save your video recordings, add notes and tasks all while you chat, so you never leave a meeting thinking ‘wait, what do I need to do now?’ 

Feedback: 

It can be easy to just put your head down and work without getting the feedback we were used to in person, but it’s vital to avoid burnout or additional stress for you and your team. Knowing whether your work is performing well or not gets rid of a lot of wondering, worrying and imposter syndrome stress, so check out these tips on how to give good feedback regularly. 

Clear responsibilities: 

If you’re not sure where your role ends and another person’s role begins, it can lead to frustration for both of you. Using Spaces and Paper docs to clearly assign tasks to everyone, you can ensure there is no confusion, and keep on track with your own to-dos. 

Finding balance: 

We have talked about how work has changed, and maybe we don’t need to do the classic 9-5 at exactly 9-5, how to think outside the screen, and how to let your mind wander without forgetting about what needs to get done. All of these tips can help you to manage your time a little better, but it’s important to remember that work is just work, and life has to happen too. Whether it’s as simple as blocking off your diary at a certain time, or moving your work hours to when you’re most productive, it can all help to make your work feel more effective so you don’t feel guilty logging off. 

How do you manage your workday to prevent burnout?