One of the five biggest challenges facing organizations today is burnout - - for both leaders and employees. Studies show that burnout is on the rise:
52% of all workers are feeling burned out, up 9% from a pre-COVID survey. (indeed)
66% of leaders said they suffered from burnout over the past year, while 76% felt overwhelmed managing their people (Verizon Media and the mental health nonprofit Made of Millions)
According to the Mayo Clinic, you might be more likely to experience job burnout if:
You identify so strongly with work that you lack balance between your work life and your personal life
You have a high workload, including overtime work
You try to be everything to everyone
You work in a helping profession
You feel you have little or no control over your work
Your job is monotonous
Raise your hand if you can relate to anything on this list!
The Mayo Clinic also reports that ignored or unaddressed job burnout can have significant consequences, including:
Excessive stress, fatigue and insomnia
Sadness, anger or irritability
Alcohol or substance misuse
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Type 2 diabetes
Vulnerability to other illnesses
There was a time in my life where "burning the candle at both ends" was such a big part of my day-to-day routine that I found it hard to shut down and relax. I was "on" 24/7 - - thinking and often dreaming about work...ALL. THE. TIME. The result? A prescription for high blood pressure pills.
For me, burnout presented as fatigue, brain fog, lethargy, and always feeling like I was pushing myself to balance my work and home responsibilities. I continuously felt like there were never enough hours in the day, but I knew I had to find the time to recover the energy I was losing from juggling multiple competing priorities in an emotionally charged environment - - all while trying to show every day with the energy I needed to motivate the team into action. I quickly learned the value of recharging so that I could bring my whole healthy self to work. So I did three things:
Increased self-awareness; I became crystal clear about ways I contributed to my burnout
Embraced change; I became open to trying new things to find my personal balance
Educated and implemented; I became intentional about continuing to educate myself and implementing what I learned so that I found what worked for my lifestyle
We're all a work in progress, but having a heightened sense of awareness, openness to try new things, and a set of tools that can grow with you, are invaluable.
If you want to learn more about ways to lower your risk of leader burnout, email me at carolyn@leaderswhoconnectandinspire.com or schedule a 15 to 30 minute call or Zoom, HERE.