Have you been feeling high stress, helplessness, disillusionment, and extreme fatigue lately? Chances are, you might be suffering from what is called ‘burnout.’ The trucking industry can be a rewarding field of work, but it comes with its own set of real challenges that you must address without serious delays. If you are constantly feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted to high levels of stress in relation to your work, then you are suffering from burnout.
Burnout builds over time, and there can be different kinds of causes for burnout, such as poor eating habits, haphazard sleep schedules, lack of vacation or time off, and lack of physical exercise. It is important to address stress and other causes of burnout, as burnout can lead to feelings of inadequacy and unproductiveness. You might experience a reduced sense of accomplishment and start questioning your abilities as a truck driver. It is important to address the actual causes of burnout, practice techniques to deal with work-related stress and make healthy lifestyle choices to prevent burnout. The following tips will help you in avoiding burnout during your job as a long-haul truck driver.
1. Get adequate sleep
Trucking life can often pose challenges and lead to haphazard sleep schedules, especially if you need to drive long hours during the night. It is very important to keep proper track of your sleep so that you need to stop driving during the night and rest for some time. There might be such times when you feel tired or exhausted during the day. In such cases, do not hesitate to pull over for a while and take a short nap. It is very important while working to always ensure that you are always getting an adequate amount of quality sleep during your long journey, not just to prevent over-exhaustion but also to prevent road accidents of different kinds and ensure the safety of your own self and others on the road. Sleep deprivation also contributes to increased levels of stress and anxiety, so in order to prevent the accumulation of stress in your body, make sure you are getting enough sleep to have an enjoyable experience on your journey.
2. Take regular breaks and vacations.
Long-haul journeys with few breaks can cause physical and mental exhaustion. Regardless of how stressed or relaxed you are, if you do not take the important regular breaks, your productivity and focus will decrease, and you will end up feeling more exhausted. It is important to make a work routine for your journey and plan regular breaks to stretch, nap, or meditate. You should take advantage of unexpected situations where you get to take breaks and use such opportunities to de-stress and relax. Further, do not miss your vacations, no matter how energized or relaxed you are feeling. There is a reason why vacation days are accounted for in your employment terms. Make use of your vacation days so that you can return to your job with extra enthusiasm and energy to get you through the challenges of long-haul trucking.
3. Eat healthily and exercise regularly
Poor lifestyle choices can also contribute to stress and exhaustion. Just like it is important for your trucks to get enough fuel to complete their journey, your body also needs enough fuel to function optimally without getting exhausted. Eating a balanced diet consisting of essential nutrients your body needs is the first step towards replenishing your body. Physical exercise is also an important practice. While it might be difficult to inculcate these practices in your schedules during a long-haul journey, make use of small breaks to walk and stretch your body. During the food breaks, try to pick the healthiest option available on the menu instead of opting for junk food every time to stop eating. Starting with small steps and practices will help you build this lifestyle practice into your work routine. If you ensure that your body is well-fed and well-stretched, you will experience much less stress on the job, along with increased levels of energy.
4. Adopt relaxation techniques
While a long-haul journey comes with its own set of unpredictable, stressful challenges, it is important to ensure that you practice a few relaxation techniques which can help you to de-stress. Whenever an unexpected incident occurs, take a few deep breaths to calm yourself and handle the situation with ease. You can also practice meditation or use sound therapy and listen to relaxing music, like waterfalls or forest sounds. These techniques will help you in managing stressful situations during long-haul journeys. You also need to create a reliable support system of good friends and family so that you can stay in touch with them during the road and no not experience loneliness. Becoming a part of a support group of truck drivers can also help you in exchanging tips and advice to manage stress and work efficiently during your long-haul journey.
Conclusion
Trucking life can be stressful as it comes with its own set of unique challenges. Long-haul journeys can exacerbate stress and loneliness, contribute to prolonged exhaustion, and lead to burnout. It is critical for you to practice the above-mentioned tips to ensure you don’t feel burnout during your journey as a long-haul truck driver.