Suffering burnout? Try these 5 steps to revitalize yourself

Burnout is more than just overwork; it’s become a peril to our well-being.

The World Health Organization has classified it as a contributing factor to significant health problems, defining it as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

There are recourses, though. Here are easy-to-implement actions to reduce burnout:

1. Work normal hours whenever possible. Not everyone works a 9-to-5 schedule, but we should all strive to maintain an eight- to nine-hour workday when possible. Sure, workflow and extenuating circumstances will change that from time to time, but 10- to 12-hour days should not be the norm. A Gallup study shows that Americans work 47 hours each week on average, with 40% clocking 50+ hours. Alarmingly, 25% of salaried workers report working an average of 60+ hours each week. Some might argue that their job requires excessive hours, but consider this: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos works a healthy schedule. He wraps up most important meetings by noon, and he calls it a day by 5 p.m. If he can adhere to traditional work hours, so should the rest of us.