What do you do if burnout is negatively impacting your career?

Take proactive steps to address burnout, such as setting boundaries, seeking support from colleagues or a therapist, prioritizing self-care activities, reassessing workload and responsibilities, and considering adjustments to work-life balance or career direction if necessary.

Acknowledge Burnout: The first step in addressing burnout negatively impacting your career is to acknowledge that it exists. This means recognizing the signs and symptoms such as feeling exhausted, unmotivated, or overwhelmed by work. It's important to be honest with yourself about your feelings and not dismiss them as just temporary stress. By acknowledging burnout, you can begin to take steps towards addressing it and preventing further negative impacts on your career.

Psychologist Herbert Freudenberger developed a great framework for the stages of work related burnout, and you may recognise yourself at any of these stages: 1. Compulsion to prove oneself (excessive ambition) 2. Working harder 3. Neglecting own needs 4. Displacement of conflicts and needs 5. No longer any time for non-work-related needs 6. Increasing denial of the problem, decreasing flexibility of thought/behaviour 7. Withdrawal, lack of direction, cynicism 8. Behavioural changes/psychological reactions 9. Depersonalisation: loss of contact with self and own needs 10. Inner emptiness, anxiety, addictive behaviour 11. Increasing feeling of meaninglessness and lack of interest 12. Physical exhaustion that can be life-threatening

Talk to whoever you report to. Ensure you are receiving the right support work related stress does not only have a mental impact but a physical impact also with both taking their toll on your body. Ensure to have the right tools to help you complete your job and even ask for tools that can help you automate some of those processes work smarter, not harder but seek advice from your peers and ensure you have a good support system around you.

Seek Support: It's essential to seek support when dealing with burnout. This can come from various sources such as friends, family, colleagues, or a therapist. Talking to someone about your feelings and experiences can help you gain perspective, receive advice, and feel less alone in your struggles. Additionally, seeking support from your employer or HR department can lead to accommodations or resources that can help alleviate the burden of burnout. Remember, it's okay to ask for help and not try to handle everything on your own.

Burnout will occur when we give too much of ourselves without adequately resourcing ourselves. The reality is that we can't give if we don't have. In other words, we can't pour from an empty cup, so we need to ensure we keep our cup full if we are to give our best self to others and our work. It might seem overwhelming to try and incorporate a bunch of wellbeing practices all at once. The key is to start small and build little practices into our daily regime that will compound over time. For example, if you want to meditate for 30 minutes before work each day, that could seem like a lot. Start with 5 minutes, 2 minutes or even just sitting down a taking a few deep breaths. We want to make it easy enough to do and develop it into a habit.

Recognise the signs, speak to someone (many workplaces offer EAP services) Take time out to recover and reflect then focus and raising awareness and breaking the stigma so others don’t fall foul of burnout!

Prioritize Health: Prioritizing your health is crucial when burnout is affecting your career. This includes taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Make sure to get enough sleep, eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly, and engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. It's also important to set boundaries at work to prevent overworking yourself and to prioritize self-care activities. Taking care of your health can help you build resilience against burnout and improve your overall well-being, ultimately benefiting your career in the long run. Remember that your health should always come first, and it's okay to take a step back from work to focus on yourself when needed.