What Does Burnout Look Like and How Can I Combat It?
I joke with my friends that in the era of Covid hygiene has gone out the window, and that sleep is but a distant memory. My kids make me want to pull my hair out, and I’ve found myself dreaming of getting a high quality snow suit, a tent and portable stove with a week’s worth of Ramen to keep me fed. I’ve never dreamed of camping before, in fact I’ve actively avoided it, but the thought of being alone, just to grab a few hours of quiet because everyone is driving me CRAZY! sounds like heaven. When I get to this delusional state of believing that sleeping on rocks and with snakes and bears is better than my current situation, it’s a pretty good sign that I am experiencing Burnout.
Let’s be real people, 2020 has been hard! We’ve been asked to adjust the way we work, live and connect. Not to mention the political, social and incredibly scary health crisis that has been playing on loop in the background. 2021 has not been without it’s challenges either, and though I am feeling there is some hope on the horizon, we still have a long road ahead of us.
If you need some more convincing, in a recent survey conducted by Glint, the rate of burnout in US employees has risen approximately 33% between January 2020 and August 2020. The reported rate of Burnout has not risen above 4.12% since 2018.
The rate of burnout in August 2020 was at a whopping 5.41% of employees reporting multiple symptoms.
Burnout is on the rise, and there is a high likelihood that you, or the people around you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms. Have a look and hold up a finger (TikTok joke) if one of these describes you:
The Symptoms of Burnout:
Sleeplessness
Illness
Lack of Interest
Irritable With Others
Feelings of Incompetence
Forgetfulness
Depression
How many did you get? For me, it varies day to day, and depending on my level of mindfulness, it can be all seven at once.
I work hard to combat my own feelings of Burnout. Here are some tried and true actions you can take to combat Burnout.
Burnout Busters:
Connection
Rest
Passion
Play
Mindfulness
Laughter
Exercise
Trying Something New
Some of my personal favorites are Connection (this one is EASY for me because I am coach. I connect with people all day long!), Passion (I’ve been leaning in hard on a draft of a novel I’ve been writing and regularly maintain my personal blog), Play (ask me about the Grown Up Playdates I host in work settings) and Mindfulness (want a laugh? Read this blog post I wrote a few months ago about my Meditation practice).
Like I said, it’s work, but it’s effective. Even though I joke about running off with a tent and some Cup of Noodles, generally I take good care of myself. Generally, I bust my Burnout, fuel up with these strategies, and have enough gas to care for the people around me.
So here’s where I want to challenge you; How will you bust burnout? What will you do to ensure you are working hard to care for yourself so that you can care for others?
Want some ideas? Well, here ya go:
Connection
My friend Charlotte runs morning ritual groups called Wake Up With Friends. Check her out and join a group.
Are you a writer? Join one of my Write On! groups. It’s awesome to connect weekly with other writers.
Rest
Get on your couch. Plug your phone in another room and binge watch Pen15 - thank me later.
Read a book for pleasure. My recent favorites were The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue and The Vanishing Half. Put on some cozy socks, get a mug of tea and disappear into a story.
Passion
Make a date with yourself. Literally put a big invite in your calendar, call it “Passion Time’ and do your thing.
Not sure what your thing is? Read Big Magic. Make a list of all of the things you used to love as a kid. Do one of those things on the list.
Play
Tennis, Boggle, Pictionary, you name it. Grab some legos and build something just because.
Mindfulness
Join me on the 11th for a free visualization and meditation workshop.
Use an App like Chopra, Headspace or Insight Timer and cultivate a meditation practice.
If you’re a sceptic, read 10% Happier.
Laughter
Read my blog, Quick While the Kids Are Sleeping. I work hard not to take myself or life as a working mom too seriously and I put a lot of heart and a lot of laughs in here.
Watch this. Even if you’ve already seen it, I dare you to not laugh. Far more relatable now then when it first came out, huh?
Exercise
Yoga, walking, cleaning, running, biking, jazzercizing. It all counts. Just move your bod.
Try Something New
Take an online class or watch You Tube videos to learn a new skill. Make a new recipe or take a walk around a new town. It can feel like our options are limited right now, but all it takes is a little creativity and before you know it, you’ve had a new experience.
Can you commit to trying one of these strategies in the next week? If you do, please drop me a line and let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear how you are taking on Busting your Burnout!