What is burnout?
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association:
“Burnout is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Burnout in the course of employment can make one feel emotionally drained and unable to function in the context of work and other aspects of life. Burnout can reduce productivity and can lower your motivation and cause you to feel helpless, hopeless and resentful.”
Basically, burnout is the result of high stress or a heavy workload which takes a toll on the mind, body and spirit.
For me I know I'm burned out or approaching burnout when I’m unable to sleep, feeling overwhelmed, my anxiety is high and I have no energy. It’s definitely a thing. And it could very easily trickle over into other areas of my life if I'm not careful.
Burnout can happen at any point in your career and several times throughout. It could be a result of a job or career that's not in alignment with your value system or spirit or it could be a situational thing. Let's hope its the latter. You may need to do some work on this and figure out the root cause. And I encourage you to take the steps necessary to get in alignment.
But in the meantime here's how I get back on track if burnout is showing up in my life.
I reclaim my power and stop leaking energy. I stop being reactive and operate from a place within my control. I stop wishing things will change. I remind myself I am only one person and that I can say ‘no’ (Tip! “No” is a complete sentence). Here are the top power drainers: perfectionism, procrastination, prioritization, people pleasing and pouting (also known as complaining, wishing, hoping and waiting...).
I check in with my belief & value system. This one is hard for me and sometimes I have to do some reflection. Here are a few things I ask myself to make sure I have this in check and to know I’m not fighting against fear (fear of pissing people off, fear of messing up, fear of changing anything). Is this situation touching on any limiting beliefs I have? Does this align with overall personal objectives and career objectives? Do I need to do work in this area to become unstuck? What do I need to do to remove the beliefs that no longer serve me?
I get curious. Meaning I take on new tasks with a spirit of interest and engagement. This leaves the fear and frustration in the rear view mirror.
I embrace strategic laziness. ;) No really. This is less about time and more about energy. I need rest, my body and brain need rest. Rest and laziness allows me to shift from being busy to being productive. I am a better person and a more creative person when I rest.
I get expert help. You all know I do this in my personal life, but I do this in my professional life too. The skills I learn actually transfer to all areas of life really. Remember your brain hates change. Life is short and my ability to provide an income for my family shouldn’t cause stress in other areas of my life. Afterall, the goal is not to prepare to live, but to live.
