Hi ,
More and more people around me are burning out, needing medically-sanctioned breaks away from work. With greater demands from work and personal responsibilities these days, itâs crucial to address this head on before you're the next one to crash and burn.
Where do you begin?
Firstly - by noticing the signs youâre heading towards a burnout, and then by taking steps to prevent it from happening. Sounds simple, but simple isn't always easy.
Hint: itâs not just about going away on a vacay (that could help, but thatâs certainly not the long-term answer).
đ EARLY RECOGNITION:
When you start noticing these signs â exhaustion, lack of motivation, no more spark for the things you used to love or feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list â it's your cue to take a step back and assess whatâs going on.
These signs are a little alarm bell going off, telling you to slow down and check in with yourself.
So pay attention to how youâre feeling.
đŁď¸ SPEAK UP:
Itâs not a sign of weakness to take a breather or ask for help when youâre overwhelmed. In fact - it takes great courage and strength to put your hand up and say something about it. Perhaps even - gasp - ask for help.
In my 1:1 sessions with direct reports at work, itâs struck me how so many people feel like asking for help is a âsign of weaknessâ when actually the reverse is true.
BrenĂŠ Brown talks about how âvulnerability is not winning or losing; it's having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it's our greatest measure of courage.â
It takes great strength and courage to say âsomethingâs not right and I need help.â
When things were coming to a head for me at the end of last year, I worked with a coach (who's also my meditation teacher) who was instrumental in helping me take a step back, acknowledge where I was at, and take steps to make the necessary changes to an unsustainable pace of work and life.
Such an invaluable experience - and even coaches need coaches!
đ§ââď¸ CULTIVATING RESILIENCE:
Cultivating resilience is an ongoing learning for me, especially being in advertising production - where change is a constant, client demands are relentless but things still have to stay on time and in budget.
Going on a holiday or taking a long break from work can certainly help clear the mind, but what happens when you come back to face the same challenges and struggles at work?
Nothing changes if nothing changes.
The secret to cultivating resilience lies in your day-to-day approach.
- Where are you building in rest-and-recovery breaks throughout your day?
- What else can you do to make things more sustainable?
- What needs to change?
Rest and recovery are a core part of every pro-athleteâs training program as mind and body need that timeout. So why wouldnât you build in regular breaks throughout your 8-hour work day?
đď¸ REST & RECOVERY:
This is where youâll need to test little changes to see what works, or figure out "how can I make this approach work for me?
5 Good Things that have helped me:
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