4 Steps for Overcoming Burnout
Lisa Earle McLeod
Author of Selling with Noble Purpose | Keynote Speaker | HBR Contributor | Executive Advisor & Member of Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches
90 days ago, we were filled with adrenaline. The world was changing overnight. Faced with urgent challenges of transitioning to working from home, serving customers in new ways, and worrying about family and friends, we rallied. It was high stakes, it was challenging, and it warranted unprecedented levels of focus.
Now, the adrenaline is wearing off, and for many of us, burnout has ensued. As one looks out at the world, it’s challenging to wake up inspired.
At work, we tend to put Band-Aids on our burnout. Mid-day coffees become more frequent. You schedule fewer afternoon meetings because you’re just so tired. You bribe yourself to finish tasks that used to feel easy or even enjoyable.
Over time, these short-term solutions are less and less effective. Coffees and bribes address the symptoms of burnout (tiredness, inability to focus, cynicism) but they fail to tackle the root cause.
When you’re feeling burnout at work, instead of reaching for a second (or, third) latte, try a few of the tips below.
Get off your computer. And, screens in general.
Netflix may have been your former respite. Now, work days are full of video conferences. “Zoom happy hour” has become the norm. We’re even going to church on WebEx. What used to be distinctly different activities now all happen at the same place….your laptop. The repetition is exhausting for your body and your mind. You have to shut it down.
Even if it’s taking a phone call from your porch or cutting off screen time an hour before you go to sleep; small reductions in screen time can make a huge difference in your energy.
Find your impact.
The reason the rinse and repeat of the same activities is so draining is because over time, it becomes meaningless. Humans crave significance, we are hard-wired to be meaning makers. Without meaning, we burn out. To create more meaning, search beyond your tasks for the impact of your work. Look at your client testimonials, or your organization’s stated ‘purpose’, ask your colleagues for help. Trace the ripple effect of your actions and tease out why they matter.
Whether it’s imagining that your new hires are future CEOs or envisioning your clients creating the next technology breakthrough, when you frame your efforts in the context of a bigger purpose, your own work has more meaning.
Visit voices of the past.
Call your old boss. Reach out to a favorite college professor on LinkedIn. Send a past customer a text.
Connecting with these people sends a few messages to your brain:
· You have adapted to a lot of change over the course of your life.
· Your support system is bigger than the 3 people you ‘Zoom’ every day.
· It’s a big, big world out there. Even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.
Chances are, these people will be thrilled to hear from you. Repetitiveness and loneliness are challenges the majority of us are facing. An impromptu re-connection benefits both parties.
Give up. (Temporarily).
Not forever and not completely, but it’s ok to step away. The last 90 days have required more emotional labor than many of us are accustomed to. It’s valid to feel like you can’t push through; you likely need deep rest.
When the world is falling apart, it’s easy to believe that you simply cannot press the pause button. But in many roles, performance is about quality, not quantity. If you’re dragging yourself to your makeshift kitchen table desk for 10 hours a day 5 days a week, barely able to keep your eyes open, you’re probably not thinking strategically or producing work at the caliber you’re used to.
Four days being fully engaged is much better than five days of sluggishness. Take a rest, even if it’s just for an afternoon. Spending time outside, talking to a friend, or doing something creative can help your brain and your body reset.
The coming months will require continued resilience, focus, and innovation. Those are not possible when you’re experiencing burnout. It would be easy to make a case that you owe it to your peers to be engaged. That your customers, boss, and company deserve your best. That others are depending on you.
But here’s an even more important reason: you deserve it. You deserve to experience fulfillment, meaning, and purpose. You were not destined to feel depleted.
When your work life is better, your whole life is better. We cannot control many of our circumstances but we can control how we respond. Choosing to see the purpose in your work, to put in the effort to stay engaged when it’s hard, is one of the most courageous life choices you can make.
P.S. An important element of a fulfilling workplace (and a fulfilling life in general) is trust. If you missed my #LinkedInLive last week with trust expert Charlie Green, author of Trusted Advisor, watch it HERE. It was fascinating to learn why some people are trusted and others are not.
Programme Manager | Engineering | Chartered Financial Planner MCSI
4 年Tais Laureano you can definitely share you experience here. Great article - I think you will enjoy reading as it seems in line with your work.
Medical Device Executive
4 年Your timing is impeccable! Your articles always seem to meet me where I am! Thank you for sharing your expertise so generously!
Director, PMO Fiserv
4 年Great article with simple but often ignored techniques. Personally I’ve had to re-engineer routines for the sake of my mental and physical well-being.
Engineering Technician
4 年Great article. Most people went into this thinking that it would be easier if they were able to work form home. What many have found out is that they never get to leave work. Many times it seems that laptops, internet, and smart phones may be as much of curse as a blessing if you do not manage your time. These technologies make you more available and even harder to step away from your work and decompress.