(Day 1 of 3) Three Signs You’re Headed Towards Burnout

Thank You and Welcome!

Hello, friend!

I’m so thrilled you’re taking time to explore the impact achievement can have on both your work and personal life.

Given you signed up for this newsletter, I’m guessing there are times when you feel overwhelmed, unmotivated, or anxious at work. Or maybe, you are simply committed to working and leading from a healthy and sustainable place.

Either way, you are not alone.

For high achievers, these feelings of overwhelm and stress are way too normal, even expected. In our increasingly connected world, we are always "on." Your team, customers, and boss can all reach you instantaneously with one email or text. Your successes and failures are more visible than ever, making it hard to not give your work 112% or consider taking a moment for yourself. Throw in a major organizational change or two, add a dash of uncertainty and anxiety, and boom! Your resiliency and effectiveness go right out the window.

When this pressure adds up over time, it can have some fairly adverse effects, not only on our work but also on our personal life. Typically, burnout - or prolonged response to chronic job stressors - includes symptoms of emotional exhaustion, withdrawal and cynicism, and increasingly negative feelings about our competence and success in our job. Burnout can also seriously impact our physical and mental health, family life, and long-term work performance. Yikes!

For companies, unaddressed burnout creates unhealthy work cultures, high disengagement and turnover. These things end up costing us and our companies a lot (energy, time, talent, and money).

No one wants to work or live like this.

I’m here to help. If you’re feeling like this describes you to a tee (or you’re worried you’re headed for the burnout cliff), now is the perfect time to slow down and do some important self-work. The first step is becoming aware that you might be on the road to burnout.

Here are three signs to look for:

Emotional Exhaustion. Stress - or stress about being stressed - taxes our minds and bodies intensely, puts us in "fight or flight" mode, and creates a whole range of emotional reactivity and unproductive behaviors. You’re drained and tired a lot.

Cynicism and Withdrawal at Work. You dread going to work in the morning, feel relieved when your week is done, and start pulling away from your boss and coworkers. You become less involved and feel more cynical about your job.

Decreased Personal Accomplishment. You doubt yourself more and feel increasingly insecure about your job performance. Like any self-fulfilling prophecy, your work quality actually begins to suffer.

If any of the above signs feel familiar, it is likely a good time to practice some burnout prevention and self-care. Tomorrow I’ll send you an email with my top three burnout prevention tips.

When practiced, each can help you regain energy, perspective, and motivation. Most importantly, you can regain your sense of YOU.

To Your Thriving,
Erin