84% of Millenials have experienced burnout in their current role with over half leaving a job after feeling burned out. Half of the respondents said they felt burned out in the last year alone.

 

Why are we feeling so burned out?

Homeworking has blurred the lines between work and play to the point where I know what half my client’s kids and pets look like, what PJs they spent lockdown in and found myself on the laptop til late at night without the ‘work day’ end of everyone upping and leaving. A record number of people are starting their own business with all its additional responsibilities and we’re in the midst of ‘the great resignation’. But that’s not useful for you to know, the next bit is.

 

So, what the hell can you do about it?

I’ve been there before, more than I’d like to admit and here is the step-by-step process I’ve dragged myself back from the brink with.

 

???? Know the warning signs:

An early spot is key here. I stop listening to music, withdraw from people, cancel things I previously found fun, wake up with anxiety and dread opening my inbox when I’m overworked and feeling burned tf out. Recognising the feelings of fatigue and lack of enthusiasm for things you used to enjoy is the first step.

 

????‍???? Ask for help:

Can you share responsibility across your team or talk to your boss? What can you outsource? Could you hire VA’s to cover your admin? A cleaner to have some weekend time back or a dog sitter so you can have a weekend away? Getting contractors to cover accounting, reporting and scheduling gives me back a few days a month to crack on with what I really enjoy.

 

???? Work towards a time-off goal:

Book in non-negotiable time off. If you already have a holiday booked and paid for, full of fun activities which mean you literally cannot join that 9am huddle daily you don’t even get value from, you’re forced to find a way to take that break. If you’ve got something to look forward to and a light at the end of the tunnel, you’ll realise this crappy patch is only temporary.

 

❌ Set boundaries:

Does your contract say you need to stop your night out to answer a call from your teammate and respond to a tweet? No? Don’t pick the phone up. I contract in my available hours and each client has a set day I’ll attend their meetings and respond to queries so I’m not bombarded all week across 10 email accounts.

 

???? Limit your consumption:

News, social media, magazines, apps and even email can drain you spending all day online running on the never-ending treadmill of fads and responses to give. Set app timers and unfollow anyone who makes you feel crap or not enough. If you’re addicted to social media and it brings you endless entertainment, like me, clear out influencers from your follow list and add in positivity accounts like @upworthy and @thegoodnewsmovement.

 

???? Introduce more fun:

Burnout comes from too much sameness when you’re not excited about what you’re doing. If your day to day role is plain boring, can you ask for more fun clients or take on additional roles like running the Xmas party or birthday committee or skill swap with another department? Can you book in a non-negotiable each week that you enjoy? Experience something new? Work from a new cafe, try a boxing class or find a new restaurant to visit with your nan? Yoga, running and going to the stables at the weekend are my non-negotiables and I will be a worse person without them. They’re booked into my work calendar as meetings and I WILL NOT budge on it.

 

???? Talk to a therapist or life coach:

Sometimes having someone external from your own mind who can look objectively at your life and the demands placed on you can see room for tweaking where you cannot. Voicing your concerns aloud to someone with no bias on your life and commitments can help you see where there’s room for either delegation or

 

Essentially, for a healthy mind in the metaphor of a garden you need to ‘pull the weeds’ – getting rid or doing less of what depletes you – and ‘plant the flowers’ – adding more of what makes you whole.

 

My inbox is always open but I hope this helps!

Fiona x