Here's how you can prevent long-term consequences of burnout in a training career.

Remember you are doing the side of people management that is the easiest and most fun. Colleagues working in development are in a very privileged position as you can be ‘surgeons of the mind’ - make sure your ‘tools’ are high quality therefore as long-lasting damage can also be caused by poor development.

Burnout shows up in many ways: Physical signs: -Increased fatigue -Aches in your body -Changes in sleep and appetite Emotional signs: -Increased irritability -Helplessness -Nervousness Mental signs: -Lack of motivation -Becoming more cynical -Feeling detached to the world around you Behavioral signs: -Isolating from others -Not being able to engage with work as before -Increased use of alcohol, nicotine, or other substances to cope It's super important to catch the warning signs of burnout as early as you can, to be able to course correct!

Here's how you can prevent long-term consequences of burnout in a training career. I would like to leave behind a thought. "More important than staying in touch with the world outside, is staying in TOUCH with OURSLEVES". Inspired by SI - the most important intelligence we need as a TRAINER. Thank you, Archana Vijayan

Engaging with a group and leading a learning session are moments I cherish; seeing a group engage with the content, with each other, and feeling the energy in the room are so rewarding. But there have been moments in my career where I've dreaded getting onto the plane, or walking into the room. In a few (rare) instances the reason was lack of preparation or had something to do with the assignment. But more often than not it was an early sign of burn-out; I'd been on the road too long, had given up my exercise routine, not slept enough, or not been able to engage with friends and family. These were the moments I then knew I need to review my workload and calendar.

There is some general stuff to look after. Your health, fitness and diet are good things to keep a watch on. Recognise when you are refuelling and when you are stressing. These are not really training specific. Specifics to training would be: * Take care of your CPD. Have new stuff to work in to your training in both content and method. * Utilise active learning for the groups. get them to use their knowledge and analysis skills to a loose framework you present. * Get really good at planning. Mind maps and connections are great at focusing on what is important. It is also much more efficient. * Share with other trainers. Not just when directed to do but all the time. Trainers are really interesting people who love to help. Learn to type.

Everyone is instructed during a flight that, if the oxygen masks are deployed, you put your mask on first before helping the person next to you. Self-care is critical in preventing burn-out, and learning to say no is the first step towards caring for oneself.

Seeking support is often hard, because as trainer/facilitator I fly solo, most of the time. That said, I've been fortunate in that colleagues with whom I've worked with in the past on a project/in a company have continued to stay in touch. We do that via informal dinners on a more or less regular basis. In addition, when I travel to a city where one of my former colleagues lives, I try to meet up for coffee or ideally dinner. There's nothing like sharing with someone who's gone through and experienced what I've lived.

I find that it's most exciting and exhilarating to learn in a group setting. That's probably no surprise, because of who we are: trainers/facilitators :). Therefore, finding high quality events, ideally live, in topic areas that further my know-how are my go-to to (re-) ignite my passion for my work. These events can be to develop the craft of teaching/facilitating, or develop a topical skillset. Additionally, I find that my quality as a trainer/facilitator benefits from looking outside of my field; incorporating history, sports, or events from other fields is a fantastic way to deepen the well and improve how memorable the stories are that anchor the lessons in a learners mind.