Author Robin S. Baker pulled no punches when she wrote, ‘I hate burnout, but we have to listen to our body when it is pleading for us to relax more. We’re so trained to constantly be on the hamster wheel. Take a break, rest, and do something enjoyable for yourself.’
Burnout is defined by the World Health Organization as ‘a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.’
Burnout from workplace stress is at an all-time high according to 2023 research from Future Forum Pulse Winter Snapshot - Future Forum. 40% of full-time workers polled in six countries said they were burned out, with women and workers under 30 at a greater risk.
I have personal experience of being constantly on the hamster wheel for over two decades of my working life. Some pressure was due to the demands of my work as a senior executive director. Some was due to the challenges of being a working woman, wife and mother. Some was self-imposed - a result of being the first or the only across many roles, and wanting to make sure I offered no excuse for anyone to slam the door in the face of the next person like me who showed up.
I’m not alone. Many of my wonderful clients have been constantly running on the hamster wheel for years. Across 2023, I saw many continue to operate from a point of extreme physical, mental and emotional exhaustion and figuratively limp towards the end of the year to grab some much badly needed rest. They were the lucky ones – sadly a few succumbed to the inevitable burnout just like I did many years ago.
How does burnout manifest?
Well, it differs for everyone. Burnout - Mental Health UK (mentalhealth-uk.org) describes the common signs as including:
· Feeling exhausted or drained most of the time;
· Feeling helpless, trapped, defeated or overwhelmed;
· Feeling detached/alone in the world;
· Feelings of negativity, cynicism or self-doubt.
I would add reduced efficiency and/or effectiveness. Imagine making important decisions, engaging with important stakeholders, running a successful project, team or organisation whilst experiencing even a few of the above signs.
Isioma (not her real name) encountered burnout in mid-2023. She says that it had been brewing for at least two years since she took charge of leading a merger of two organisations with heavy demands from two Boards plus staff and stakeholders. In addition, her 14-year old twin sons were experiencing severe depression and anxiety which required her to attend several doctor appointments as well as simply being there for her boys.
Isioma was completely exhausted with no time for rest or exercise. She found herself missing important work meetings and working late every night and weekends just to stay on top of things. ‘Then my body gave up on me. I developed migraines and experienced a crippling series of flu-like illnesses one after the other leading to me taking time off sick for the first time in my career. My performance plummeted.’ First her work was very supportive then one day just after the merger was completed, her boss called her in for a meeting. She has been quietly added to the list of redundancies.
This is of course not the only outcome of burnout. Many people recover from burnout and return to work. My argument is that we need not get to this point before we act. We can and must back away from burnout for our sake and the sake of the people around us.
So what can we do?
Here’s an idea that works for me – sit down at the start of every year (that is now!), look at your commitments and plan your holidays around them across the year. Don’t forget to include a few long weekends. Put them in your diary and treat them as a priority.
Here are some other ideas:
Unplug from your phone, get seven to nine hours of sleep each night, eat breakfast every morning. (Ariana Huffington)
Follow a strict daily routine that includes exercise and breaks. (Dan Brown)
Remember that caring for yourself is ‘not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation’ (Audre Lorde)
You don’t have anything to give that you don’t have. So you have to keep your own self full. (Oprah Winfrey)
What does keeping your own self full mean to you? Your solutions will be unique to you, make some time to find how you can keep your own batteries charged and add them to your list of priorities.
Change doesn’t come overnight, it will require work – one day at a time. As the great Lemn Sissay says in ‘Let the light pour in’:
Employers also have a role to play in preventing burnout. If you don’t have a well-being programme for all your staff, this is the time to invest in a great one to keep your most important assets on top form.
‘We know companies are under tremendous financial pressure … but helping their teams avoid burnout and illness needs to be a priority … that is how they’ll get the best out of their employees…’ Sheryl Sandberg and Rachel Thomas
So, how can you beware of burnout so you can enjoy a healthy and fulfilling 2024 no matter how busy it gets? Happy New Year!
Comentários