The Burnout Angel - Issue 1 - January 2023

National Mentoring Month

January is #NationalMentoringMonth in the USA, so what better way for me to acknowledge this than to share my wisdom with you as we head into a new year.

It's great to be back after a couple of weeks off with my family over Christmas.

I love my job, but it's so important to have boundaries and step-away from time to time, to keep the fire burning in the right way.

It was great to be back talking with clients this week about their anxieties and problems that often people face at this time of year.

We've talked about overwhelm, relationships, boundaries, loneliness, goals and more.

It has been great to help them reflect on the last year and how far they have come.

It is equally as good to help them prepare for the year ahead.

Having a great #Coach by your side is invaluable.

Someone who has walked the walk, but is also highly experienced and trained, who gets you, and can listen without judgement.

Helping you to build resilience and to love yourself.

Enabling you to gain deeper levels of self-awareness and confidence.

A sounding board, someone to give you a kick up the backside from time to time and to keep you accountable.

Creating a new mindset, helping you to thrive and not just barely survive.

Helping you to understand the cause of why you feel burnt out and understanding the 10 phases of burnout.

Identify ways to cope and manage burnout

Want to feel like this?

Want me by your side in 2023? Click the link below on how I can support you in 2023.

Top 3 Tips for getting back into 'Work Mode' after the festive break

You've had a couple of weeks off. This probably means you're out of your normal routine.

If you're dreading that first week or two back in the office, give these 3 #toptips a try and see how quickly it makes a diffence to how you feel.

1. Own Your Morning - This is particularly important if you work from home. Even if it's cloudy outside, the best way to start your day is to get outside into natural daylight. Treat this as your 'fake commute'. It also gets you into the mindset of leaving the house to come back to the office. Science journalist, Linda Geddes speaks a lot about the importance of having natural light in your workspace, and getting out for a walk in the day. Just a 20 minute walk in the morning can help your body to wake up, raise your energy and help you to be more creative.
2. Cut down the To-do list - If you're heading into your first week back with a to-list as long as your shopping list, you are likely to end up running around with your hair on fire, which will have a negative impact on your mood and performance. It is also likely to impact your sleep. Instead, think of it as an 'Achievement List' and focus on the tasks that absolutely must-be done, what could be delegated, and what could wait? My top tip is to include 5 must-do work related tasks and 5 must-do tasks for yourself and schedule them into your calendar. You can add in more if you achieve the first lot. My calling it an Achievement List, you are more likely to appreciate all the work you've completed.
3. Take your breaks - I bang on about this all the time, but Scientific data, provided by Microsoft proves that taking just short breaks between meetings can have a huge benefit to how you focus, how productive you are and how this affects your mood. You may not think you have time to take a break, because you're so 'busy', but not taking breaks will slow you down, so if you're going to change one thing about the way you work this year, slow down in order to speed up. When you take these short breaks, make sure they are breaks away from the work that you were doing. For example, if you have been staring at a computer screen for hours, come away and do something else, preferably that involves moving and having some fun. Whilst boiling the kettle, you could set your timer for 3 minutes and do a total body workout. Do 12 wall presses, 12 squats and 12 crunches, and repeat. On the next break, you could add in 3 different exercises. Believe me, your heart rate will go up and you will feel so much more energised going back into your work.

The 10 Phases of Burnout

We've all heard of burnout these days, but how do we know when to spot the warning signs?

How do we know how to change the habits?

Who can help me?

Below are the 10 phases of #burnout .

??The compulsion to prove yourself

??Working harder

??Neglecting their needs

??Conflict with others, but unable to find the cause

??Denial

??Withdrawal

??Obvious behavioural changes

??Feeling of emptiness

??Depression

??Complete breakdown

You may think you can spot the signs, but having been there myself, often you can't until it's too late. It can completely destroy you and all those around you.

I hit burnout twice during my career as a #lawyer . The first time, I had no boundaries, I was my own worst critic and I got to level 10. By this time, I had no self-worth, no confidence and I felt like a failure.

A break down, forced me to slow down for a short time, but in 2013 when it happened, no-one told me that I needed to change my life-style. Despite numerous tests, scans etc, I kept being told that there was nothing wrong with me. I knew my own body, but it kept shutting down on me. I would have daily panic attacks and tingling in my feet, usually coupled with paralysis in my hands.

I had some therapy and did start to make some changes to my life-style. I also changed my job and definitely had a better work/life balance. However, I went from burnt out to bored out within a few months.

I was offered another high profile legal job and thought I was ready. My confidence was there, but I still hadn't learned how to manage my boundaries, take breaks and say no.

A few months in and it felt like a broken record, because the same things were happening to me again, but this time they turned out to be catastrophic when I had a life-changing accident, whilst cycling to work. which left me in an induced coma for 2 weeks, followed by major facial-reconstructive surgery and almost a year off work.

I remember my Consultant telling me that I would need a lot more surgery to restore my hearing that I had lost in my left ear, and my sight in my right eye. He told me that my survival chance was slim and there would be certain things I'd never do again.

I went to some pretty dark places during my recovery, but then I started to talk to someone I could trust and she told me to start setting myself some goals. I knew that I wasn't ready to give up on my dreams, so I decided to give the whole #goals thing a go.

My first goal was to prove my doctor's wrong and go on a skiing trip I had booked for 11 months after my accident. I was told that the flight would kill me, so I looked at alternative ways to get to the resort. 14 hours on the Eurostar and we were at the resort. I had the best time and although I had to be relatively careful, I came out of it unscathed.

My second goal

Following my accident I hadn't been able to get back on a bike, because of a fear I had developed. I needed something big to aim for, so I decided to enter a half iron-man event. This involved 56 miles riding a bike.

I won't lie, I didn't enjoy it and I was in a considerable amount of pain, but I knew I had to do it and I also raised a significant amount of money for Team True Spirit, who had helped my husband and I through some pretty rough times.

When I completed the half iron-man, I hurt like hell, but I felt so proud of myself. I knew nothing was going to stop me from achieving what I want to achieve. I believed in myself for the first time in many years and I was seeing amazing results.

I've since done two more half-iron man events, smashing my times each time and I actually enjoy them now.

My next big goal

I'll be turning 50 in less than 2 years, so I've set myself a goal to do 50 things I've not done before, before I'm 50. I'm currently doing two per month to keep me on target.

They don't all have to be big goals, but if I don't feel challenged, then it doesn't change me, so all of them will push me out of my comfort zone to some extent.

The biggest one that I'm training for is to climb Mount Kiliminjaro. I'm working hard in the gym and climbing a different mountain in the UK every weekend.

Don't wait until something bad happens, recognise the signs and nip it in the bud now. Get yourself a good Coach.

Festival of Sleep Day 2023

A lack of sleep can have a huge impact on your mood and performance. But, understanding what is keeping you awake at night is the first thing to resolving the problem.

The 3rd January is the #FestivalofSleepDay .

Are you struggling to get some 'shut eye', especially after a holiday?

Let's start by resetting your clock.

When you take a couple of weeks off from work, there often comes new routines and the autonomy to schedule your day more flexibly. It gives us more opportunity to live and work in alignment with our biorhythms. When we wake, where we eat, when we move and when we sleep impact on the other areas of your life.

This can be the same when you work from home.

It is important to know how to rseet our master clock - the one that sends messages from our brain to the other parts of our body.

It helps our bodies prepare for sleep, it helps our gut get ready for digestion, and even controls things such as blood pressure and body temperature.

So imagine if this were all a little out of synch. It wouldn’t take much for us to start feeling less than optimal.

Getting into healthy rhythms

Regardless of whether you’re a night owl, or early bird, getting your body into a healthy rhythm is what is important. When you're on holiday, or working from home, you can be more flexible and adjust your day to suit you and work to your energy levels.

It is however, important to get enough natural daylight. Stick to a sleep schedule that works for you. Aim to go to bed at the same time every night and wake at the same time. Don’t be tempted to use the snooze button on your alarm clock. Soon, your body will adjust and get into a natural synch. If you are always tired, perhaps you need to go to bed earlier and adjust some of your routines in the couple of hours before you go to bed.

Good quality sleep can be encouraged with adequate exercise, a good diet with not too much sugar, and no, or limited alcohol at night. You may think alcohol will help you sleep better, but it doesn’t, There are so many alcohol free options these days. Find one you like and stick to it as much as you can. So, if you're doing Dry January, make a log of how much your sleep has improved over the month.

Soak in the Vitamin D

One of the best ways to get your body in synch is to get outside and get some natural light. The morning light has more benefits than any other time of the day.

It is easy to schedule this in when you’re on a holiday, or working from home, but it is also very easy to neglect.

If you’re at home all day and feeling a bit restless by the time it comes to going to bed, this is likely to be the reason why, follow my 3 Top Tips above.

Cut down the blue light

The effects of short-term sleep loss can lead to poor performance, increased stress, memory issues, lack of concentration, and mood problems.

Longer-term, it can impact with more serious health conditions, reducing your immune system, and according to a Harvard study, could lead to a higher level of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, due to how the body processes glucose.

The tendency for many of us to use our phones at night while watching TV and before going to bed, means we are submitting our eyes to more blue light wavelengths. While these are fine during the day, because they can boost attention and mood, they are interfering with our circadian rhythm. They suppress our bodies’ secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Get some green into your working space

Your House Plants Can Reduce Your Stress At Work??

Before the pandemic I didn't really bother with house plants, mainly because I couldn't keep them alive.

I now have several around my workspace, plus more in other rooms and I've found that they really make a difference to how I feel.??

I'm calmer and it feels like bringing a bit of the outside in??. I'm also managing to keep them alive.

A recent Japanese study has found that the mere sight of an indoor plant can reduce stress at work.

When office workers intentionally gazed at the greenery on their desks, their levels of stress and fatigue fell significantly across the board.

?Do you notice a difference to your stress levels around plants??

10 Things to do to avoid that Blue Monday feeling??

There are number of reasons why it has been decided that the third Monday in January should be named ‘Blue Monday’.?

?? You may be dreading the arrival of that credit card statement any day

?? You may have already broken your New Year’s Resolution

?? You may be participating in dry January, or Veganuary, and although the end is in sight, it’s at this point that you’re finding it a struggle

?? The mornings and nights are dark, and it’s generally gloomy outside

?? The summer holiday seems so far away

If you feel like this, you may have fallen victim to #BlueMonday. Extensive research has revealed that the third Monday of January is supposedly the most depressing day of the year, mainly because of the above reasons.?

If you think you’re going to feel depressed, you probably will be, so instead, choose to be happy ?? It’s usually Blue Monday for me, because my favourite colour is blue. I choose for it to be a happy day.

What you can do if you're feeling Blue

If you’re feeling particularly anxious or stressed, why don’t you think about doing one or two of the following:

???Get up and get moving. Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment because it releases endorphins which relieve tension and stress, boost energy, and enhance your sense of well-being.

???Meditate.?Meditation works by switching your focus from worrying about the future or dwelling on the past to what’s happening right now.

???Practice progressive muscle relaxation.?This can help you break the endless loop of worrying by focusing your mind on your body instead of your thoughts. By alternately tensing and then releasing different muscle groups in your body, you release muscle tension in your body. And as your body relaxes, your mind will follow.

???Deep breathing.?When you worry, you become anxious and breathe faster, often leading to further anxiety. But by practicing deep breathing exercises, you can calm your mind and quiet negative thoughts.

???Watch some comedy. Laughing is great for positive mental health and releases the ‘happy hormones’ to keep you happy.

???Listen to uplifting music. This is likely to get you smiling, singing and moving. A favourite song can really lift your mood and reframe your mind.

???Speak to your negative thoughts. Being harsh on yourself won’t help you to achieve more. In fact, it can only make you feel worse.

???Keep a journal and jot down all the things that make you feel alive. You’d be amazed at how this simple act can switch your brain into feeling good.

???Limit your time listening to the news. News is full of negativity, so it’s no wonder you feel ‘blue’.

???Talk to someone. Just talking to someone you trust can really help to lift your mood.

Do you Need a Hug?

??The 21st of January is #NationalHuggingDay .??

Since the start of the Pandemic I've definately appreciated hugs more than ever.

These days I hug anything to make me feel good. I've grown particularly fond of hugging trees and when I'm on my morning walk through the woods I'll always give a tree a big hug. ??

Overall a big hug can make you feel safe. Sometimes, it can make everything feel OK.

In October 2022, I was lucky to travel to Denver to meet all the clients I'd been working with from Velocity Global, virtually for a year. I've never had so many big hugs. Sadly, my contract with Velocity Global has come to an end, but I have so many cherished memories that I will never forget.

And finally...

Meditation was one of the coping methods that helped me recover from burnout. So, I am leaving you with a simple tip to take your mind off anxious thoughts.

I have lots of other coping methods to help you avoid and recover from burnout, and I'll be revealing these in my future news letters and in my every day posts on Linkedin.

In February, I will share some important events that are coming up during the month, along with more helpful hints and tips to help you manage your work/life balance.

If you'd like to know how you can work with me in 2023, click on my link to see what's on offer. I have been working hard writing my new book Taking Remote Control, which is a survival guide for individuals and managers. I have just started rolling this out as one of my signature programmes, so if you're working longer hours whilst working from home, struggle to switch off from work mode to home mode within the same four walls.

Or, if you're a manager and find it difficult to engage with your team and staff retention is an issue, this is the programme for you. #technology #lawyers #management

Who are you appreciative of today and who are you going to hug?