7 Critical Steps to Beating Burnout When it Matters Most

There are many reasons you may start to feel burned out, particularly during highly volatile times. Whether it is work, personal stress, an economic crisis, or family crisis (or a pandemic): there are unfortunately a multitude of reasons why you or someone you know may start to feel burned out. The challenge is spotting the signs of burnout before you become burned out!

Unfortunately for many of us, we don’t realize what is wrong until we are deep in the tar pit of burnout. I have experienced burnout enough times to know exactly when I had better back off and give myself some breathing room. Burnout is not a badge of honor or something you want to experience. It’s not productive and it can be life-altering if the experience is traumatic enough.

As a very driven and goal-oriented person: I can be my own worst enemy. I have worked myself into the ground multiple times simply because I took on too much and wanted to accomplish everything. I’m a ‘do-everything-now’ person. As we all know – that’s not feasible or even reasonable. Sometimes it takes a few knocks before you wake up to realize what you are doing to yourself is damaging.

Instead of letting these lessons go to waste, I’m sharing with you some tell-tale signs that you might be headed for trouble and how to avoid burnout in your everyday life (and in unprecedented times).

Tell-Tale Signs of Impending Burnout

I have waded through at least 3 burnout phases in my life that forced me to unplug and recharge. If you want to avoid the downtime that burnout inevitably brings – here are a few signs that you or someone you know is approaching a mental/physical cliff.

Unusually emotionally ‘on edge’. Emotions might include anger, sadness, depression, or even suicidal thoughts. Unfortunately, burnout doesn’t come along with feelings of happiness and joy. If it did, people would welcome it! Sometimes these negative emotions might be an extension of your normal proclivity or completely new. Often, they are unusually strong and out of your ‘norm’.

Feelings of panic or anxiety. This might happen particularly when faced with certain situations or interacting with certain people that are causing or contributing to your impending burnout. This is typically our brain's way of trying to make us avoid what-ever-it-is that is causing us harm. In other situations, it’s a prevailing feeling that we cannot shake or pinpoint, which can be frustrating.

Unusual cravings or actions. You may find that you suddenly want to escape into a book, binge watch shows, or play online games for hours on end. If this is not your norm, it could be another way that your brain and body are attempting to force you to focus on something other than the stress that is draining you. A friend reported feeling suddenly compelled to play video games during a particularly stressful segment in her life when she’s never played video games before in her life!

Mental lethargy or fogginess. If you are struggling to plow through work tasks, find that you are unusually forgetful, or the quality of what you do is suffering; this is a clear indicator of stress and/or burnout. Tasks and even things you enjoyed doing before suddenly become difficult. Fatigue can also translate to the physical body and result in frequent illness and/or more significant health-related concerns.

I know I’m playing with burnout when I have this feeling of wanting to ‘run away’. Whenever I desperately crave escaping to the wilderness of the West, turning off my phone, and going for really long hikes it’s time for me to carve out some ‘me’ time and unplug or risk larger repercussions.

When Burnout Bites You

What if you are already burned out? What then? You will know because most full-fledged burnout experiences include some sort of mental or physical breakdown. You can only push yourself so far before something gives.

• You feel neutral to negative all the time, even about things that used to excite you.
• You cannot drum up the energy to complete basic tasks, you may feel sick and drained.
•  You may have extreme anxiety, panic, depression, or suicidal thoughts.
• You feel like you almost cannot face the day and anything is just too much.

If you are experiencing extreme emotional distress – please connect with the federal hotline: 1-800-273-8255.

Burnout is not a joke. If extensive emotional distress is combined with an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, you could be also facing the serious effects of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). PTSD isn’t reserved for just those who have served this country in the military and can even happen in the hallways of corporate America.

How to Combat Burn-Out

In order to avoid any of this unpleasantness altogether – all it takes is some self-care. Sadly, we don’t give ourselves enough love. Before you yuck-out on the fact that I used the ‘L’ word … consider for a moment if you are actually being your own best friend. Or, are you more likely to keep pushing yourself because:

1.      That’s what it takes to really get ahead in life.

2.      People with ‘grit’ don’t give in, they keep pushing.

3.      It’s just a temporary phase and you just need to fight through it.

4.      Tough people don’t give themselves breaks – that’s for wimps.

5.      You don’t want to feel weaker or ‘less-than’ someone else.

6.      You feel like you can’t give yourself a break because other people are counting on you.

Does any of this ring a bell? I can say that 1-3 are definitely something my inner critic tells me. As a coach and entrepreneur, there is a big myth that only those who have ‘true grit’ survive. Actually, it’s more complex than that. ‘True grit’ doesn’t mean that you will actually get where you want to be. After all, you may not arrive in a position to enjoy whatever-it-is you just achieved.

If you are experience upheaval in your life, the same mindset holds true. Many times, we are more likely to either ignore it and push through it with ‘grit’, or catastrophize and let it consume our minds which brings us to a complete mental standstill.

First, reprogram your mind. Let go of all the drivel and fancy slogans telling you to ‘just keep pushing’. When you are no longer productive and you are causing harm – that’s self-sabotage – not the signs of success! The most successful people in this world know about the power of reflection and recharging. It’s like building muscle. You don’t build strength when you are working the muscle. You build muscle when you are refueling and resting.

Second, become ‘ok’ with being kind to yourself. You may think to yourself: “But, I’ve got so much to do!” I have news for you … You will always have things to do. If you get caught up on one thing, another thing will need to be done. It’s an endless cycle that I highly encourage you to (1) accept and (2) develop the ability to unplug from. The best thing you can do right now is give yourself balance in your life to include positive self-care and productive rest.

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7 Best Practices to Beat Burnout

1.      Identify what is causing the burnout. While this might be obvious, in some cases, it is more complex and/or buried in feelings of obligation. I have worked with clients who have burned out in the course of their job because it was drastically misaligned with their natural work style and strengths. In these cases, you may feel the symptoms but might not register that is not ‘normal’.

2.      Pinpoint all contributing burnout factors. In cases of socio-economic, familial, or personal stress – there may be more than one contributing factor. Be sure to pinpoint all of them. Pay attention to your body in situations and while watching/listen to certain people or inputs. How does it make you feel? For example: during the COVID-19 pandemic, I have unplugged from the Media and Facebook. Both were causing me anxiety and didn’t add any value to my day.

3.      Replace negative with positives. When you are introducing extensive stress to your mental and physical environment, it’s a great idea to mitigate your negative inputs and replace as many as you can with positive influences. For example, you may typically drive to work while listening to news talk radio. When you are under a heavy load of stress – try switching that input to a more positive one, like a comedy channel.

4.      Give yourself an outlet. Depending on what type of burnout you are experiencing – you may need an outlet for pent up energy. This is not always the case. However, if you are feeling confined, restricted, or isolated – you need to get out and release some energy. Physical exercise is great in these situations. If you are feeling frustrated by lack of action, then get active in a healthy way.

• Go for a walk, run, bike ride, or whatever gets you outside. Being outside is therapeutic as long as the temperatures are reasonable and you can enjoy the experience.
• Do yard work, housework, organize something you’ve been putting off or tackle a home project. Having a focus for your energy that is healthy and productive will counteract any frustrations and feelings of being ‘confined’ or ‘inhibited’.
• Focus on a hobby that gives you energy, takes your mind off your troubles, and allows your mind and body to recharge.

5.      Give yourself plenty of rest. Most burnout victims report being completely exhausted. If you don't have enough energy to work out or do much - be sure to give yourself plenty of good rest. Sleep is not only healing but also necessary! Too many people are shorting themselves on sleep. Lack of sleep is a major contributor to low-grade burnout and can be easily avoided (unless you have a medical condition).

6.      Take ‘brain breaks’ daily. A major lesson I learned the hard way is – your brain requires you to take a break every 1.5-2 hours when you are doing task-intensive work. Your Task-Positive Network (TPN) can only pump out so much cognitive energy before it needs to refresh. I take 10-15 minute breaks throughout the day. I take one at mid-morning, lunch, and mid-afternoon. Research has proven that you will remain at a higher peak-productivity for longer if you practice this method.

• Daydream – Yes, that’s right, you can just let your mind wander. It’s like unchaining your brain to do whatever it wants. If you start to drift towards negative thoughts, however, I recommend refocusing and doing something to distract your mind.
• Mediate – Giving your mind a complete rest from thinking is an excellent idea. Stilling your mind does take practice and there are plenty of apps available to help you become more adept at finding space to pause.
• Doodle – Almost a cross between meditation and daydreaming, doodling is aimless and very constructive. Similar to daydreaming, you are unchaining your Task-Positive-Network (TPN) and allowing your mind to wander.
• Limit Video Conferencing – More research is proving that too many video calls can be extremely taxing on your TPN. Because your brain is constantly searching for visual cues that aren’t there plus rapidly switching between tasks, video calls can be draining.
• Basic Physical Activity - When you do something physical, you are also allowing your brain to rest. The increase in blood flow is also healing to your brain and increases cognitive function. The physical activity can be simple, like going to get a glass of water or putting away laundry.

7.      Do something uplifting. Right up there with replacing negatives with positives – doing something you enjoy is very important. If you cannot drum up the energy to enjoy anything: you are burned out and you need a complete reboot. If you are flirting with burnout, you can help avoid it by doing things that give you energy. Carve out time and recharge by refocusing on happier things.

Other great practices include: mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and journaling. You can find more information on my journaling tips to keep a positive mindset through cogitative reframing here. If you are struggling with why meditation, for example, might help: it’s like hitting the ‘reboot’ button on your computer. You have a thousand thoughts buzzing around your brain and by allowing your mind to move towards stillness (with practice), you can exert more control and find more peace.

Notes on Burnout

As a coach, I help professionals avoid serious burnout more times than I like to consider. This is largely because our work culture only pays lip service to ‘work/life balance’. Most corporations will only take it seriously if they have the luxury time to do so. When it comes crunch time or in an economic down-turn; all those great corporate slogans go out the window in favor of ‘getting things done’.

You might have your head in the sand if you haven’t noticed that companies are running leaner these days. It’s quite common to expect one person to do several different roles. Burnout is very real and more prevalent than ever. In times of economic distress: people are more likely to work longer hours and take on more because they feel ‘lucky to have a job’. This isn’t a great excuse to kill yourself!

If you feel that having a daily routine sounds rather boring, some boredom isn’t a bad thing. Our brains and bodies need a certain amount of routine to relax against. Living in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) conditions is very stressful. Rest assured there is enough variety available in most daily routines to make life pleasantly interesting (we hope)!

The most important concept here is to include self-care into your daily/weekly routine! Self-care doesn’t happen by itself, you have to make it happen. It doesn’t make you a weak person. If anything it indicates that you are pretty smart and are looking to be as successful as you can be. Self-care isn’t about being selfish either. That’s a whole different mindset altogether!

When it comes to becoming the best human you can be: create the outcome you want – not the one you don’t!

Access my FREE Mindset Reset Boot Camp materials here

Curious about your work style and how to establish a success routine that is unique to your Zone of Genius? Let’s chat!

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