Burnout is everyone's problem
Right now it’s exhausting for our brains. We are reminded that these are unprecedented times, there is no clear end in sight, that things will never be the same again.
Our brains don’t like uncertainty and having to let go of the what made us comfortable. Things beyond our control cause us stress, make us anxious and if consistent over a period of time can lead to burnout.
I had a time in my career where thought if I did more, worked longer hours, took more responsibility, provided more solutions, I could work my way out of any problem or pressure. Instead the opposite was true and I became consistently exhausted and lost meaning. It finally led me to quitting my job and taking three months off to sleep.
As a strengths-based coach what I have learned is that we use our talents in order to get things done. We amp these up when we are under pressure. Instead, the trick is to slow down and do the following two things.
Firstly, identify what you need. Gallup research has identified 5 elements to wellbeing that make a life worthwhile.
Career Do you like what you do every day? With thriving Career Wellbeing, you will have something to look forward to every day and twice the odds of thriving in your life overall.
Social Do you have strong relationships and love in your life? Your Social Wellbeing is strongly influenced by your closest relationships and social connections.
Community Do you take pride in your community? The positive outcomes of thriving Community Wellbeing might be the difference between having a good life and a great one.
Physical Do you have good health and enough energy to do what you want to do every day? With thriving Physical Wellbeing, you will look better, feel better and live longer.
Financial Do you have enough money to do the things you want to do in life? Financial security has much more influence on your overall wellbeing than your income alone.
Secondly, take back control. Organisational Psychologist Adam Grant identified three simple techniques in a recent podcast
Burnout is not in your head. It’s in your circumstances. Since our work and workplaces are the biggest influence on wellbeing, how can they take responsibility for the cures.
You can reduce burnout with demand-control-support. decrease the demands of the job, give people more control to manage them, and provide more support to help them cope.
Being fired up depends less on big triumphs than small wins. The strongest buffer against burnout seems to be a sense of daily progress. We feel rejuvenated when we move forward on our goals and help others achieve theirs.