Recognising the early signs of burnout

Over the years, a small number of clients have come to me because they have felt simply burnt out. I suspect that physical and emotional burnout is not uncommon in Financial Services. Often, those professionals are highly ambitious and are working their way to the top of their field, but perhaps not without sacrifices. After a while, however, the work rate no longer becomes sustainable.

Knowing the early signs to look for and addressing the issue early on can avoid it compounding, and prompt a reset in a highly productive and sustainable way.? Realising and acknowledging that it’s time for a change is clearly the first vital step.? That’s where our Foundation coaching programme comes in. We work together with our clients? to build a sustainable and fulfilling career that better aligns with their vision, values and ambitions.

Just as you are navigating the markets, understanding these burn out signals is key to steering a healthy career trajectory with real longevity. Let’s look at what those signs might be.

Physical indicators

Listen to your body and don’t overlook early warning signs. Persistent and deep fatigue, frequent headaches, and sleep disturbances - such as early onset insomnia - are your body’s way of alerting you to the need for change. Your health isn’t separate from your career - the latter needs the former if it is to be successful and sustainable in the long-term.

Emotional exhaustion

Everyone knows that working in Financial Services is often intense, and at times, emotionally demanding. However, there is a fine line to tread here. Emotional red flags include irritability, apathy and detachment - whether these manifest themselves at work or at home. This can often segway into other cognitive challenges. Financial services is a sector where high-performing professionals need sharp decision making skills and the ability to perform under pressure. If you see yourself struggling to concentrate or make decisions when the stakes are high, this is a clear sign to act.

Reduced job performance

We all go through phases where we are more productive or successful in our career. However, a marked change - for the negative - can be a sign that you’re heading towards a burnout. Missed deadlines, a notable dip in productivity, or lacklustre performance reviews might signal that action is needed.

Stress

Escalating stress levels are a clear alarm bell. In Financial Services, stress is to be expected, to a greater or lesser extent. However, chronic stress can tip the scales. Signs of this include persistent anxiety, restlessness, and an unshakable pressure to perform. This should never be the norm, even for professionals at the highest levels.

Negative attitude shift

Much like market sentiment, your attitude at work can impact the outcomes you produce. If you’ve become disillusioned, despite little or nothing changing in reality…You might find yourself defaulting to always looking at the situations from a negative perspective. You start doing this in conversation with colleagues and inviting them to join you in your complaining indulgence, instead of looking at what could be better and focussing only 20% on the problem and 80% on finding the solution.

Closing thoughts

Balance and well-being is important in any career. Although turbulence is not always avoidable in your career, recognising the early signs of burnout is important. If you resonate with these signs or would benefit from a chat about how to make your career more sustainable, let’s chat.