Burnout and Balance

Burnout: it’s the sly, poisonous assassin that can devastate with little warning. It can happen to anyone who has too much on their plate – and let’s be honest, most of us feel that way from time to time. When it hits, burnout can manifest in various ways, both physically and emotionally – and once you’re down with it, it can take a while to get back up.

 

Luckily, there is an antidote to Burnout – and it’s Balance. Introduce the antidote of Balance, and you can keep the Burnout poison at bay.

 

So let’s take a look at some common signs and symptoms of burnout, followed by our powerful tips for introducing more balance to life, to stop that burnout before it starts.

 

Some Signs and Symptoms of Burnout

 

Physical Exhaustion: feeling tired and drained most of the time, even though you’re getting a usual amount of rest.

Emotional Exhaustion: you’re overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to cope with anything that might stress you out – and just generally having low resilience.

Lack of Motivation: a sense of detachment and feeling disillusioned with work, which leads to you feeling less motivated and productive.

Cynicism and Negativity: you develop an unusually negative or cynical attitude towards work, colleagues, and tasks you have to do.

Reduced Performance: you’ve got difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or completing tasks efficiently.

Increased Irritability: you’re becoming easily frustrated, agitated, or short-tempered with colleagues, clients, or friends and family members.

Withdrawal from Responsibilities: you find that you’re tempted to avoid certain tasks, procrastinate, or call in sick frequently.

Physical Symptoms: you may be suffering with more headaches, muscle tension, gastrointestinal issues, and other physical symptoms that don’t appear to have a sensible medical cause.

Changes in Sleep Patterns: this could either be insomnia or difficulty sleeping – but oversleeping can also be a symptom.

Isolation: you find yourself withdrawing from social activities, avoiding colleagues or friends, and preferring to be alone.

Loss of Enjoyment: activities and hobbies that were once enjoyable are no longer holding your interest.

Increased Substance Use: alcohol, drugs, or other substances may be tempting ways to cope with how you’re feeling.

Feelings of Helplessness or Hopelessness: it might feel as though you’re trapped, or that there’s no way out of your current situation.

Decreased Satisfaction: Feeling unfulfilled or dissatisfied with your achievements and contributions.

Impaired Concentration and Memory: Difficulty focusing, remembering details, or making decisions.

 

So…if any of these sound familiar, it could be you’ve experienced burnout at some point. And while it’s important to address them if they crop up again, what we really want is to prevent burnout and its symptoms from taking hold in the first place – and the antidote to Burnout is Balance.

 

Ways to Bring Balance to your World

Here they are: Haus of Coaching’s powerful top tips for bringing more balance to your life, and keeping it there – or balancing actions, as we like to call them…

 

Live and Love your Priorities: Decide what matters to you. What are you doing it all for – and why? Know your true priorities in life, and work first on those – every day.

I Deserve to Enjoy Life: repeat this affirmation to yourself every day, regularly at the same time. You deserve to enjoy life, and you should take it at a speed that works best for you.

Feelings Matter: Your feelings tell you what’s really going on with you. Pay attention to them and be curious, because they’ve always got a message for you.

Excellence is Better than Perfection: Perfection is tiring, and it’s also unnecessary. Focus instead on excellence and value, and learn when ‘good enough’ is actually good enough.

Boundaries, Boundaries, Boundaries: Set them for yourself, and for others are allowed to treat you. Ensure your needs are met, and balance will follow.

Awareness: Knowing when you have balance – and when you’ve lost it – is what enables you to take corrective action.

Less is Better: Doing less is both more relaxing, and more enjoyable. You’ll have more time to consider and even relish what you’re doing – plus you’ll probably make fewer mistakes too.

‘No’ is your New Best Friend: This is the word that frees you from overscheduling and overwhelm, and you need to start using it more, in line with what’s most important to you.

Make Check-Ins a Habit: When making decisions, ask yourself: “Does this move me towards, or away from, balance in my life?”

Excellent Self-Care: Know what taking care of yourself looks like – and do it well. It’s one of the best ways to remind yourself about the power of keeping that balance in place, and the consequences of letting it slide.

 

Everyone needs balance, whatever their current risk of burnout – so here’s our challenge to you. Pick two of these balancing actions and make a plan for weaving them into your daily or weekly schedule. Form a habit, and they’ll stay with you – bringing and maintaining that essential balance for keeping burnout at bay.

 

At Haus of Coaching, the art of avoiding burnout is one of our passions – and specialities. We’d love to hear about how we can help you and your teams stay in balance, so contact us today to find out how.

 

Contact us 01604 261380 or email: hello@hausofcoaching.com to book your FREE Discovery Call.