Balanced vs. Burned Out
Being Burned Out is such a significant issue that authoring a 60-second article just is not possible therefore this edition is intentionally longer.
If I had a dollar for every time, I have heard the words “burned out” over the last few years I would be pretty darn well off. It really is unfortunate that we feel the need to continue to function in a manner that is driving individuals and workplaces to be so burned out. For me to touch on the subject, I had to see what I could find, and boy did I learn a thing of two about myself in the process. I am in no way an expert on burnout and therefore share information from those who are.
As Sophy Banks writes, in The Commons, Social Change Library, “Burnout is a state of severe exhaustion where recovery takes a long time. It is helpful to distinguish it from times of stress and tiredness, which may be intense for a short time, but from which recovery is quick. For individuals this often means that the person’s health has been compromised – mentally or physically. Often the immune system, the natural healer of short-term issues, is damaged. The naturally self-restoring web of life has broken.”
Sophy continues to share that we all have a choice between balance and burnout. Here are some of her suggestions to consider:
Receiving vs Giving: become open to appreciation, connection, warmth, money, care vs giving time, energy, money, commitment, attention.
Allow yourself downtime, silence, solitude, socials vs constant meetings, projects, building, growing, doing.
Being vs Doing: letting go into the flow, surrender vs constantly pushing to get things to happen.
Focus on relationships, care, and connection vs. focusing on work, using will to make things happen.
Oh, my goodness, I am putting more thought into my “if there is a will there is a way” motto – wow!
Vulnerability vs strength.
Listening vs. talking.
I often share, with my clients, the reason we have two ears, and one mouth is so that we can listen twice as much as we talk.
I shared parts of Sophy’s article because she does an excellent job of defining burnout and her suggestions really hit home for me. I am raising my hand to state, I have suffered from burnout. I have been successful in life by doing all the things that lead to burnout. Thank you Sophy for opening my eyes to where and how I can make changes towards a more balance life.
We all need to stop and rethink how we are going about our days.
Per Better-up's, Sr. Insights Manager Erin Eatough, PhD, here are the stages of burnout recovery:
Stage 1: Admit the problem - You cannot start your recovery process until you recognize that there is a need for one. To start, it is worth sitting down and considering the causes and extent to which burnout is affecting you. From that point on, you can move forward.
Stage 2: Take a break - Taking a break from work is not always possible. But it will help alleviate the strain and give your body and mind the time it desperately needs to relax and gather energy again.
Stage 3: Focus on well-being - If you are experiencing burnout, it may be time to shift your focus from work-related productivity to your general well-being. Anyone who wants to know how to recover from burnout can benefit from placing new importance on personal health and happiness.
Stage 4: Reflect on personal values - When we immerse ourselves in work, we often forget why we started or what we want out of life. Reflecting on personal values can remind us of who we really are and what parts of life deserve our full attention.
Stage 5: Explore new opportunities - There is more than one way to make money. If your current roles and responsibilities are proving more draining than fulfilling, it is time to explore new opportunities and find a career path that better suits your lifestyle and ideals.
Stage 6: Make a change - Although change can sometimes be scary, it is better than sacrificing your personal health. If you are experiencing burnout, chances are something needs to change to get your mental and physical health back on track.
Wow, it is eye opening when you stop and think about the behavior that has gotten us to where we are today.
Recovery does not happen on its own. You may need to make some lifestyle or job changes before you can find relief. I have had a realization; it is clear what I need to do to have better balance and avoid burnout and I hope the same for you.
For Weekly Challenges, Videos, and Wisdom Quotes follow Jeannie