Don't Burnout Before Christmas
Good Morning team,
I’m so excited to be writing to you again. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been sick. This is something I’m still relatively new to. I honestly don’t really get sick and so when I’m sick it’s normally pretty bad. I got conjunctivitis which led to bright red eyes, a sore throat and also a throbbing headache. It felt like a perfect storm that I didn’t see coming. It also meant I went into my birthday coughing and bedridden. Still, thank you for all the birthday messages, I was really humbled by the number of meaningful messages I received from people about the impact I was having on their lives. it never gets old or boring, I love reading every single message you send me, it’s like fuel to me. Here’s to more years of impact!
So our topic for today, avoiding burnout before Christmas. It’s interesting that I’m writing this to you because a few weeks ago, I was bedridden and forced to stop working by my own body. I didn’t burn out but I still learnt some things.
Burnout is a topic I know very well. One from painful personal experience but also from my reading. I’ve always been fascinated with the concept. I’ve even written about it before.
As we race towards the end of the year and deadlines pile up, burnout is very frequent around this time of year. Not only do I want you to avoid burnout, but I also want you to present yourself at Christmas rejuvenated and present. Sometimes we have juggled so many tasks that the version of us that arrives at Christmas is tired and cranky. We aren’t present and we just want to curl up and wait for the new year. Not this year. This year we are going to do things differently.
Firstly, let’s clear up definitions
What Is Burnout?
Best we start with two important definitions of burnout:
"A state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long term involvement in emotionally demanding situations." – Ayala Pines and Elliot Aronson.
"A state of fatigue or frustration brought about by devotion to a cause, way of life, or relationship that failed to produce the expected reward." – Herbert J. Freudenberger.
Between them, these definitions embrace the essence of burnout, with the first stressing the part that exhaustion plays in it, and the second focusing on the sense of disillusionment that is at its core. You may have felt something like this before.
Anyone can become exhausted, so you shouldn't feel too guilty for it. What is so poignant about burnout is that it mainly strikes people who are highly committed to their work: you can only "burn out" if you have been "alight" in the first place.
While exhaustion can be overcome with rest, a core part of burnout is a deep sense of disillusionment, and it is not experienced by people who can take a more cynical view of their work.
Now that we have a working definition, here are 13 things you can look out for which may suggest that you are on the periphery of burnout of heading in that direction.
If more than 3 of these apply to you, then you should take some time to reflect and consider what may need to change. Keep reading for some helpful things to consider.
13 Warning Signs That You're Heading For Burnout
Specific symptoms of burnout include:
Having a negative and critical attitude at work.
Dreading going into work, and wanting to leave once you're there.
Having low energy, and little interest at work.
Having trouble sleeping.
Being absent from work a lot.
Having feelings of emptiness.
Experiencing physical complaints such as headaches, illness, or backache.
Being irritated easily by team members or clients.
Having thoughts that your work doesn't have meaning or make a difference.
Pulling away emotionally from your colleagues or clients.
Feeling that your work and contribution goes unrecognized.
Blaming others for your mistakes.
You're thinking of quitting work, or changing roles.
So how are we going to do things differently?
Clarify your tasks.
There are approximately 6 weeks till Christmas, what do you need to complete in their period? Be clear about things. Reach out to your manager or confirm with your team. What do you need to do now, next and what can be done in the new year. Because of the time-sensitive nature of this period, we can sometimes feel like we need to change the world in 6 weeks or do 1 year worth of work in 6 weeks. It’s not going to happen. You are going to end up frustrated or worse burnt out, sulking through Christmas celebrations. Clarify your tasks this week.
Be Realistic.
A step up from clarity is realism. What can you actually get done? I’m all for stretch goals (I’m actually writing about them soon), however, is the next 6 weeks the time for stretching or the time for consolidating? I always believe it’s better to underpromise and overdeliver in this period and not the other way round. Be frank and honest with managers about what you can actually complete in the next few weeks to avoid disappointing people and yourself.
Learn to say no.
Similar to the first two, saying no can be a superpower in this period. As a chronic overachiever, you are probably used to filling up your plate and then complaining about how much you have to do. Well, this is the time to offload, not the time to add more to the plate. When someone presents something new to do, this is the time to say, let’s revisit this in the new year. For your own sake, learn to say no.
No Burnout
If you can manage this, the next few weeks will be focused and rewarding and you can wrap up this year in good stead. Focused, rejuvenated, present for celebrations and ready to jump back on the horse next year!
Have an amazing week folks,
M.T. Omoniyi