At the time, it just felt like a task I couldn’t get through. I was reviewing our team’s quarterly budget and even though I’d done it many times before, this time I couldn’t focus. Nothing was sinking in. I felt irritated and mentally foggy, so I pushed it aside.
That kind of irritation was becoming familiar. So was the deep, bone-tired fatigue that didn’t go away with rest. As well, my confidence dropped. I stopped speaking up, even when it mattered. At work, I felt unsupported and invisible.
I wasn’t swimming. I was drowning. I didn’t know what was really happening.
A few years later, I learned about burnout.
The World Health Organization defines burnout as a workplace phenomenon caused by chronic stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. It includes exhaustion, mental distance, cynicism, and reduced professional effectiveness.
Reading that definition later gave me language for what I had experienced and why nothing I tried seemed to work at the time.
Burnout is complex but it’s not hard to understand.
It can start from a few sources, some of which include:
- An unrelenting workload
- Low support
- Poor or toxic team climate
- Unclear expectations
- Constant pressure without recovery
Ironically, we recognize the concept of “load limits” when it comes to machines and technology and organizations even adopt practices to prevent technology from exceeding those limits, yet we don’t typically apply this thinking to people even though people have load limits too. The human version of this is called allostatic load. This is the toll chronic stress takes on your brain and body when there’s no chance to reset.
Our stress response was designed for short-term survival needs and when the threat is gone, our bodies return to it’s set point and it recovers. However, when the stress never ends, we stay in overdrive and that’s when the breakdown begins.
What if we designed work recognizing that people have load limits too?
When we acknowledge allostatic load in how we design workplaces, we open the door to:
- Healthier, more sustainable performance
- Better decision-making and increased collaboration
- Teams that are more engaged and thriving
Looking back, I feel sad about that time when I was burned out. I know I had more in me to give to my work, such as more insight, more leadership, and more connection but I wasn’t well enough to access it.
We can’t lead well if we’re not well and we shouldn’t have to wait until we’re drowning to find the support we need.
To take stock of whether you might be at risk for burnout, check this free assessment as a quick way to take stock and if you think you might be experiencing burnout, speak with your health care provider.
As well, should you want to proactively manage your wellbeing, contact us to learn about our BeWell Lead Well Pulse assessment where we work with leaders to help them find ways they can thrive at work.
Life is short. Find ways to thrive and stay healthy.
