With Americans working more hours amidst an on-edge economy, workplace burnout is also becoming increasingly common.
Only half of employed Americans work the traditional 40-hour workweek or less,
according to a 2014 Gallup poll. While some workers may choose to work more hours for the sake of their personal work ethic, others may be trying to make up for their minimum wage salary.
"It gets to the point where ... it's a drudgery just to get to work," Richard Chaifetz, CEO of
ComPsych Corporation, an employee assistance company, told USA Today. “They have to push themselves just to show up. What we watch is trends and that trend is up.”
Urgent: Do You Think the Minimum Wage Should Be Raised?
The drudgery Chaiftz described is an outcome of workplace burnout, the feelings of stress and disinterest many Americans feel about their jobs. To stay on you’re A game at work, it is essential to avoid workplace burnout.
Below are five steps for avoiding burnout at work:
1. Evaluate Your Work Habits
Certain habits make work harder and thus make individuals burn out faster. Procrastinators, for example, may tire faster of deadlines than do people who finish projects right away. Also evaluate your work itself. Evaluating your work environment is also important. Working with distractions like phones, social media, or other platforms open may make work more difficult to concentrate on.
2. Challenge Yourself
If you find yourself doing the same old thing at work every day, find new ways to challenge yourself to keep work interesting. Create new projects, take on leadership positions in your office, or ask your boss for new projects, if appropriate.
3. Ask for Help
If you fear work burnout because your job is too challenging, do not be afraid to ask for help. Asking for help can often assure that the job is done right, rather than just done quickly.
Vote Now: How Do You Feel About the Minimum Wage?
4. Relax
As important as work is, relaxation can be just as important. Working through your lunch break instead of taking a well-deserved 30 minutes to relax may actually make you less productive studies show, according to Live Science. For your own well-being, let yourself relax at home rather than working around the clock.
http://www.livescience.com/22291-what-happened-lunch-break.html
5. Take Care of Yourself – Mentally and Physically
As tempting as it may be to scarf down snacks at your desk throughout the day, keeping a balanced diet and regular exercise schedule will help you focus, manage stress, and prevent burnout. Keeping in good mental health can also help foster a positive attitude, which will ultimately help workers enjoy their job.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.