Are your workforce teams under so much pressure that they are erupting like volcanoes? Do you see the people around you turning into pessimists? Are they waiting for the overwhelming situations to just go away? If so, please read on.
Most things written about burnout are negative. Yes…the price for doing what you feel passionate about is burnout.
Burnout is also a time for deep reflection to make major changes at home, work, so you can achieve personal satisfaction. People who pay attention to their burnout discover new ways to re-ignite their flame. They design a better quality of life. They harness burnout and refocus their energy toward more productive behavior.
This article covers the definition of burnout, its warning signs, hot tips to keep the flame of energy ablaze, and ideas for all professionals to use in order to rekindle their vitality.
Definition of Burnout
Burnout occurs when its victims have been worn out physically and emotionally as a result of long-term stress. They strive to reach unrealistic expectations many of which may be self-imposed
Burned out people are of little value to the organization. For this reason alone, it is important to discover the signs of burnout and to resolve the issues that cause them. Burnout is a general erosion of the spirit.
Warning Signs:
Watch for Smoke Signals
Today’s workplace environment is a perfect place for burnout to occur. We are all too familiar with downsizing, doing more with less, mergers, new teams, new bosses, new philosophies, new mission statements, distrustful relationships, unclear work roles, thwarted career progress, un-shared information, no existing feedback, unfair politics, and not being able to catch up with the workload, similar to being on a treadmill and not able to get off.
Many workshop participants have shared their experiences with me. They started out full of compassion, enthusiasm and energy. They actually looked forward to work. Then something happened along their journey…they lost their sense of control and interest, became bored, and started withdrawing. They became all too familiar with the expression "all work and no play". Remember the old adage, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
Their positive attitudes started to diminish and they became more cynical.
I could go on but by now you may be thinking, "Joyce I am familiar with this…please tell me something that will help me get out of this feeling of powerlessness?" During our research, workshop participants ask us to give them some techniques that they can use immediately, and not to concentrate on our "woe-is-me state." We know that morale must be improved. We know that workers have lost their sense of control and feeling of joy at work, which carries over to their home lives. They beg us to show them how they can lighten up and learn from all of this.
Once upon a time there was a farmer. He lived during the time when the terrible warlords ruled the countryside. He had a son and owned one horse. The farmer’s neighbor always said to him, “You have such good luck.” The farmer replied, “Good luck, bad luck…who knows?" One day the farmer’s horse ran away. That very night the warlords came to the village and told the farmers to gather up all horses so they could confiscate them. The farmer’s neighbors said, “Oh, you have such good luck, the warlords can’t take your horse because it ran away.” The farmer said, “Good Luck, bad luck…who knows?”
A few days later the farmer’s horse wondered back to the farm. His son was so excited to see his horse; he jumped on the horse and went for a ride. The horse tripped on a rock and the son fell off and broke his leg. That very night the warlords came back to the village and ordered everyone to round up all the able bodied sons, who would be taken away to fight in the wars. The neighbor said to the farmer, “You have such good luck, your son has a broken leg and will not be able to go with the warlords.”
The farmer said, “Good luck, bad luck…who knows?”
We can all learn from this story. The farmer didn't label this circumstance as good or bad. He gave life a chance. At first it looked like bad luck when the horse ran away and the son broke his leg. His neighbors felt like victims and lost all sense of control or responsibility for their future. They quickly labeled life's challenges as good or bad. At times things seem bad, but after awhile we can actually see a positive outcome.
Many people have shared with me that the loss of a job was horrendous at first. However, when they found new employment, it turned out to be better than their previous job.
I tell this story at most workshops because we all know people who complain and sound like victims. Some people blow one incident out of proportion and their self-talk becomes such a detriment to their own, and their team's, mental health. Well, I challenge people to stop playing the victim and look at their lives to see what they need to do to rekindle their vitality. At times they give me a look of "You’ve got to be kidding, there is nothing I can do." At other times people tell me they feel more hopeful and are ready to focus on the cause of burnout and to do something about it. Sometimes the worst situations end up teaching us the most valuable lessons.
10 Tips to Keep the Flame Burning
You've probably heard the following suggestions before.
Now may be the time that you are ready to actively change.
These all require some kind of discipline since you may have let burnout become part of your life. We have to recondition how we think and what we choose to do. It took us a long time to form these negative habits it may take some time to make life-changing choices. Are you ready? Now is the time for self care. Many workforce professionals take care of others now it's time to give to yourself.
- Find a hobby. Talk to people that have achieved balance in their lives and find out what activities they have added to enrich their lives. What activities have you wanted to experience? Now is the time to discover them not when you retire. Why wait? Act now! The change and excitement of photography, flying, art, etc., could be just what the doctor ordered.
- Take a class for fun. Learn something completely new.
- Volunteer for a cause that means something to you. What goes around comes around. hear many success stories of people receiving much more after they give their time and attention to others.
- Eat right, exercise, and try meditating. Do these for the right reasons. First add them to your life, but not just because they are good for you. Upbeat music adds energy to a workout session. Exercise automatically helps people deal with their problems. They become more relaxed and are able to tackle the challenge even after only a 30-minute workout. They feel fired up to re-ignite the energy in their life.
- Rest. I don’t mean hide. Your body may need some extra time to heal. So take the time, just don’t use it as an excuse to stay away from others. Many people have told me they thought they had chronic fatigue syndrome. They rested their body and refocused on what is really important in their lives and the symptoms disappeared.
- History tells us that most American presidents took short naps each day as a preventative measure against burnout.
- Concentrate on what is in front of your nose. If you are taking a walk, notice what is in front of you. If you are at home, notice the person you are talking to. These are golden moments to cherish. When you are at work, forget about the problems at home and look at your task at hand. This one tip is so powerful and you can start using it now!
- Develop team meetings to discuss what front line supervisors, managers, and administrators can do together. Take everybody's complaints and constructive feedback seriously. Are teams working together or waiting for the stress to go away? Think in terms of we and not me. Are your teams practicing a feeling of esprit de corps? Are the actions of team members aligned with the team's mission? Do people do "whatever it takes" to get the job done? If not, this could be a huge deficit in achieving team balance. These are all contributing factors to the burnout of individual members.
- Learn how to be authentic and share your thoughts with others. Some people are more open than others. For some it is difficult to be straight forward, especially if they are more private or guarded. I suggest taking classes to help you learn to be open and straightforward. This tip is a real burnout buster. People who are straightforward and not rude experience less stress. Just think about it. Instead of wasting hours during the night thinking of what you should have said to someone, just do it. Straightforward communication is a skill that is well worth learning. Look at the extra hours of sleep you will get if you don’t have to worry about things. Sometimes we need to tell people what they need to hear, not necessarily what they want to hear. Straight talk works and people see immediate results after learning this technique. Ann, a workshop participant, told me how she used straight talk on her boss. The boss was very negative and this attitude was eroding the morale. Ann practiced her conversation and took the initiative and used straight talk. The boss thanked Ann because he didn't realize the impact of his negativity. Ann is respected now by her boss.
- Discover the necessity of positive humor at work and at home. Positive humor lightens the stress of impossible tasks. Numerous worksites have added humor and joy bulletin boards where employees can place cartoons or inspirational stories. Humor is not a luxury in our lives anymore, it has become a necessity! We included a segment on humor in our workshops since we have seen the incredible results. Make a list of 15 things you enjoy doing for fun, such as, sailing, travel, going to the theater, hosting a dinner party, or reading a novel. Once you make your list, ask yourself when was the last time you did any of these activities? Decide which ones are important to you and make plans to do at least one new activity this week. Schedule it in your daily planner. Honor the little child inside of you. Remember how children can be creative and resourceful. You deserve fun and pleasure in your life. British novelist George Eliot wrote, "It's never too late to be what you might have been."
- Discover what values are important to you. Qualities you consider most significant will have tremendous impact on your life. Which ones need immediate attention? Could it be personal solitude, creativity, family, social welfare, freedom, or independence? It is a necessity, not a luxury to find the value deficit in your life. Balance is the key to re-igniting your energy.
I recently discovered that I needed more personal solitude in my life. I research and plan for my speeches and workshops. I practice and market my programs. But I was ignoring the personal time I desperately needed to take. I was out of balance. "All work and no play" was making Joyce a dull person. This went on for years as I climbed the mountain of success. I was fortunate to have a son who saw the smoke signals before I noticed them and warned me about them. What area of your life is out of balance?
Now is the time to take the steps that will re-ignite your energy!
Re-Ignite Your Energy!
These 10 tips are but first steps to help you rekindle your enthusiasm. If these don't work, then you may need to seek professional help. People are hospitalized because of burnout and we need to find the major causes. People have gone to their boss and asked for different responsibilities those that fit more with their values or interests. Others have found new jobs because a former position created too much stress for them.
Abraham Lincoln said, “People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Remember the farmer? Well the “good news” is that we can gain control of our lives again. We can feel enthusiasm again. We can feel a sense of joy at work and home.
Burnout is a time for us to look within ourselves and find what is missing in our lives. Burnout happens to people who live intensely. Also be aware of "rust out". You can see it on the faces of people who are just hanging on to a job or relationship. I would rather burn out several times as long as I know it is a signal to make some changes and rethink what I want out of life.
Remember we need to recondition ourselves if burnout is lurking on our horizon. It did not come overnight. So with some discipline, introspection, and change, we can rekindle our vitality and move on to more exciting times. And one last thing make sure to enjoy the journey you deserve it!
E-mail your best tip that you use to keep enthusiastic about life.
Make sure and include your snail address and I will send an incentive gift showing my appreciation.
About the Author
Joyce Weiss shows leaders easy ways to boost the bottom line. Be Direct with Respect is a fresh approach to increase morale. She is the author of Full Speed Ahead: Become Driven by Change and
Take the Ride of Your Life! Shift Gears for More Balance, Growth, and Joy Joyce has been quoted in USA TODAY, INC, Chicago Tribune, Selling Power, and other national magazines. Joyce can be reached at
1-800-713-1926, Joyce@Joyceweiss.com or www.Joyceweiss.com. Visit www.tipstobehappy.com for free weekly reports on easy ways to add humor and balance at work and home.
