It seems the term “burnout” although being around for a couple of decades has become the official diagnosis of 2019. In fact, last month the World Health Organization has recognized burnout for the first time. I recognized an eerily similar phenomena on occasion when I took on too many commitments. Some say burnout is only a temporary crisis but I know that an exercise program or humming mantras for hours will not make it go away.
However, I might have hit upon a solution and not just a temporary one. The idea came to me from my experience in Material Control. In a way it is a self-help technique that admittedly will never overhaul society to the degree that the discontinued usage of plastics and oil may be but it should help reduce mental exhaustion. Even while giving cooperation to solve global problems, we still have to tackle our to-do-lists.
I have always used to-do-lists whether for personal or work reasons and fundamentally can never complete them, always having to start a brand new one and add the undone tasks to it. It has been a perpetual problem and no amount of colour coding for prioritizing the items make much of a dent.
Thankfully I found a simple idea more useful than any other. That’s where material control comes in, which recognizes the value in a Japanese scheduling system known as “Kanban”. This system of just-in-time deliveries to car manufacturing plants means minimal inventory. To begin, limit the to-do-list (column 1) to four items. Don’t add another until you complete one. Now you move an item from the second list (WIP) to the first list. This column is also limited to four items. The third column is all the outstanding items you have to do. Moving each item from it into the second column to an opening and finally into the to-do-list for an opening. Now by restricting the to-do-list in this manner, a sense of accomplishment rather than frustration is the reward. Cleverly someone said, “Linearly finishing one task before embarking on the next commitment becomes addictive, a pattern, and eventually a habit.”
When was the last time you had a good belly laugh? That you laughed so hard your stomach hurt? A good laugh can be compared to a mild workout, as it exercises the muscles, gets the blood flowing, decreases blood pressure and boosts the immune system. In fact, a study by the John Hopkins University Medical School in the US showed that humour and laughter can also improve memory and mental performance.
One time I got up during the night and accidentally stubbed my big toe on something left lying around. It hurt so bad that I was moaning and groaning, even throwing in a few cuss-words for good measure. My clamour woke Sheila up. Upon realizing what happened she went into this boisterous uncontrollable laughter. Realizing her humour regarding the situation, I began laughing along with her – and it did reduce the pain.
Yes, there are situations that are certainly not a laughing matter but there are ones that have an ironic or even ludicrous side to them. The next time you feel the stress levels rising, take a minute to think about the irony of the situation and allow yourself to laugh over the things you can’t control. I was in a long line-up in a pharmacy once and was becoming impatient. Near an aisle that stored Kleenex and paper towels, I observed the cost and the number of sheets in each. I calculated the cost per sheet for both for a comparison and totally forgot about the long wait until I was at the counter. I also forget which sheet was more economical.
Another occasion at a family gathering was a sombre one, the mood was restless and uncomfortable. Afterwards in the kitchen and spotting a bowl of bananas, I instinctively wrote “Smile!” on each one with a Sharpie. Soon someone spotted the bananas, picked one up to show others what was written. They realized the irony in the message and soon everyone was chuckling and the seriousness dispelled.
Hopefully we all know the risks of burnout before it happens and take measures to reverse its harm. Each probably has a different solution. It may mean a complete break from the problem or dividing your time along with something more pleasant to distract somewhat from the stressful one.
