Burnout: Quick Solutions to Avoid Getting Stuck in Discomfort

Burnout is a condition of chronic stress and emotional exhaustion caused by an excessive workload, both physical and mental. Workload refers to the condition in which business or personal choices, including those of the worker, impact how and in what time a particular activity must be carried out. Think of the economic recession, which led many entrepreneurs to cut staff (increasing the workload for those remaining), or to reduce working hours while maintaining the same workload. Professionals returning to work after the pandemic also faced emotional and sometimes physical challenges, alongside the restructuring of in-person operations. The demanded performances are increasing because companies need to secure their position in the market or because workers feel pressured to demonstrate speed and competence to avoid job-related risks. When added to a stressful and sometimes dysfunctional work environment, burnout becomes a lurking threat.

How to recognize burnout?

From an emotional perspective:

• Sunday night panic, dreading the return to work the next day.
• Feeling guilty for leaving on time because the assigned tasks were not completed.
• Continuous dissatisfaction or inadequacy, accompanied by worry.
• A tense work environment, strained relationships with colleagues, and the potential for heated disagreements.
• Preferring isolation from others in an attempt to find peace and quiet.

From a physical perspective:

• Insomnia, restlessness, difficulty following and participating in conversations.
• Difficulty concentrating, eating disorders (loss of appetite or nervous eating), digestive issues often associated with work events.
• Agitation, raised voice, difficulties in the emotional and/or sexual sphere.

It's essential to note that burnout issues don't stay confined to the workplace; unfortunately, its repercussions extend to the home environment, affecting relationships with partners, children, or parents.

Coaching can play a significant role in managing and overcoming this complex situation. Let's explore how by first understanding what coaching exactly entails.

Coaching is not therapy but rather a process focusing on achieving specific goals and personal and professional development. It works on fundamental aspects to maximize performance, reducing external (environmental) or internal (self) interferences. It becomes crucial to strengthen empowering beliefs over limiting ones, allowing individuals to achieve what is essential for their well-being and balance.

Let's explore the aspects on which you can work, improving the quality of life for those experiencing this complex situation. Some you may be able to implement independently, while others may require more complex solutions, where a good coach can offer support.

1. Awareness: Coaching can help develop greater awareness of stress signals and factors contributing to burnout. A professional coach can help recognize thought and behavior patterns leading to exhaustion.

How to do it:

• Keep a journal to note daily experiences related to stress and burnout. Include physical symptoms, negative thoughts, triggering situations, and associated emotions. This exercise helps identify recurring patterns and raises awareness of factors contributing to burnout.
• Meditation helps develop mindful attention to stress signals in the body and mind. It encourages observing thoughts without judgment and becoming aware of thought patterns fueling burnout. Initially challenging, regular practice enhances focus.
• List daily work activities and evaluate their stress levels. Examine the most stressful ones and find ways to reduce or better manage the stress (seek a coach's help if needed).
• Be aware of your feelings during different work situations. Tracking moments of heightened stress or exhaustion, along with specific circumstances, helps identify triggers and develop effective coping strategies.
• Ask yourself: "What physical signs do I notice when stressed?" or "What recurring thoughts lead to exhaustion?" These questions help explore and become aware of thought and behavioral patterns.

1. Goals and priorities: Through coaching, you can define clear and realistically achievable goals aligned with your values. A coach can assist in identifying priorities and adopting a more balanced perspective between work and personal life.

How to do it:

• Reflect on fundamental life values (family, career, health, hobbies). Rank these values based on importance to understand your fundamental priorities (if health is a priority, dedicate the necessary time to it).
• List various roles you play in life (parent, partner, employee, friend). Reflect on responsibilities associated with each role, evaluating their importance. Identify priorities based on different roles and responsibilities.
• Track your time for a week. Record how you spend your time and evaluate the importance of each activity. Check if there are discrepancies between your stated priorities and actual time use.
• Envision your ideal life and describe how you want it in terms of work, relationships, and health. Identify priorities based on this future vision and set goals consistent with these priorities.
• Ask yourself: "What is truly important to me in my life?" or "Which activities bring me the most satisfaction?" These questions help develop awareness of priorities and establish goals accordingly.

1. Skill development: Coaching can help develop skills and strategies to manage stress and enhance resilience. A coach can teach time management techniques, stress management, and self-care practices.

How to do it:

• List your skills and abilities. Reflect on which skills can be shared or delegated to others. Recognize your capabilities and identify tasks that can be assigned to others.
• Track activities and responsibilities for a specific period, assessing the importance and urgency of each. Determine tasks that can be delegated based on this analysis.
• Identify available resources both within and outside the workplace. Consider if there are people who can assist with your tasks. This exercise helps identify delegation opportunities and expand support possibilities.
• Evaluate priorities: Understand the importance and urgency of activities based on your priorities and goals. Identify less critical tasks or those that can be handled by others.
• Ask yourself: "Which activities or goals excite me the most? What makes me feel fulfilled or satisfied?" These questions aid in identifying personal motivation sources and integrating them into your daily workload management.

1. Support: Having a coach as a support partner can make you feel less alone and more motivated in overcoming burnout. A coach can offer active listening, empathetic support, and personalized guidance. Additionally, the coach can hold you accountable for actions committed to addressing burnout.

How to do it:

• With a coach's assistance, create a detailed action plan to address burnout, including specific achievable actions to improve the situation. For example, establishing a routine, planning recreational activities, or setting clear boundaries between work and personal life.
• Track progress in addressing burnout! Use a journal or checklist to note actions taken, results achieved, and challenges encountered. Staying focused will show improvements over time.
• Schedule regular coaching sessions to maintain focus on overcoming burnout. During these sessions, the coach can provide continuous support, actively listen to the client's challenges, and help them find solutions through self-discovery (a good coach guides through questions rather than giving direct advice).
• Mindfulness practices: As mentioned earlier, meditation and proper breathing can help reduce stress and increase awareness of the present moment. These practices promote mental well-being and focus.
• Exploration of internal resources: A coach can assist in exploring your internal resources, such as skills, talents, and values, useful for addressing burnout and restoring balance. This exercise fosters confidence in your ability to overcome challenges, even seemingly daunting ones.

1. Reflection and reorientation: Coaching can help you reflect on your motivations, values, and ambitions. You can explore if your current job aligns with your true passions and find ways to redirect your career or make positive changes in your current work situation.

How to do it:

• Values map creation: Reflect on fundamental values in your life and work. Write a list of values important to you, such as personal growth, community contribution, creativity, or work-life balance. Organize these values on a map, assigning importance and identifying those central to your professional life.
• Analysis of motivations: Make a list of motivations driving your current job. Ask yourself, "What motivates me the most (e.g., challenge, societal contribution, self-realization, or financial security)?" Consider whether these motivations are fulfilled in your current job or if they could be better realized in a different professional direction.
• Imagine your ideal career! Envision your ideal career without limiting yourself to current circumstances. Write a detailed description, including the type of work, work environment, responsibilities, relationships with colleagues, and personal fulfillment. This exercise helps explore ambitions and identify changes you might want to make to align with that vision.
• Search for development opportunities: List development opportunities that could help you redirect your career or make positive changes in your current work situation. These opportunities may include training courses, networking with professionals in your field, volunteering, or finding mentors (people who have succeeded and can inspire you with strategies and solutions). Identify available resources and create an action plan to make the most of them.
• Experimentation and feedback: Experiment, try new things! Are there new activities or roles that could bring you closer to your ideal career? This might involve additional projects at your current job, freelance work, or internships. Sometimes shaking things up, finding new stimuli is necessary! During these experiences, seek feedback from colleagues, supervisors, or a coach to assess if you're on the right path and receive suggestions on how to progress further. You'll feel less alone. Remember that a positive, motivating environment with people who share your enthusiasm and celebrate your successes generates positive energy, providing significant support when the going gets tough!

I would like to emphasize that if you are experiencing severe burnout or a more serious mental health condition, it may be appropriate to seek the help of a health professional, such as a psychologist or psychotherapist. Remember: Seeking help is never a defeat; it means recognizing the need for specific support, and that is the first step – ALWAYS – to overcoming complex situations that we cannot handle on our own and that create distress.