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You are the only you there is. These are tough times in which your co-workers may be being eliminated even as we speak. You may now be doing two and a half jobs and you’re worried that you may be next. And, to coin a popular buzz word, you need to have renewable energy, not be a burned out husk, totally depleted and unable to muster the resilience to get through the next crisis at the office or home. You need to protect the resource that is you—for your family, your career, and your long term health.
Most of us have experienced short term sprints where we just have to gut it out until the project is finished or we’ve completed a personal transition like moving. But what happens when we’ve been sprinting so long that its become a pattern, a habit; yes, even an addiction (definition: anything we are powerless to stop). When that happens we may be in denial or simply too numb to notice. Are you approaching burn out? Here are the burn-out warning signs:
1. Fatigue—the continuous kind that causes you to wake up tired and crave caffeine
2. Tunnel vision—you are so focused on just getting the next task done, that you miss seeing the big picture, the systems view, or opportunities to creatively solve problems
3. Low fulfillment—there is no sense of reward or meaning even when you have significant accomplishments
4. Depersonalization—you have lost empathy for others and completely miss cues regarding their needs, feelings, and humanity
5. Lack of enjoyment—you are MIA even when you have time off and find it difficult to be truly present an
d enjoy leisure activities
If you are experiencing even two of the five warning signs listed above, you are flirting with burn out and the possibility of damaging relationships, your job, or your health.
So how do you protect the resource that is you? The first step is to take a look in the mirror and acknowledge the slippery slope you’re on. If you’re feeling like this guy, trust me, you’re there.
The second step is designing a recovery plan. Please click here to refer to my previous post, “Do You Know Where Your Reset Buttons Are”, for suggestions to get started.
Prevention is obviously the best medicine, so identify your reset buttons and make them a part of your regular routine. You have everything to gain and only your “self” to lose.
Reflection Questions
1. On a scale of 1-10, what is your level of renewable energy? (1-you wake up exhausted, 10-you wake up rested and looking forward to your day)
2. What is your current level of life fulfillment? Enjoyment?
3. What one thing could you do differently today that would permanently interrupt the pattern toward burnout? What is your level of commitment (1-10) to taking that action?
