Burnout Doesn't Result From Hours Worked
I've found that most people think burnout comes from working too many hours and having a never-ending stack of work. That's not totally untrue, but it's also not the whole truth.
One of my favorite poets, David Whyte, says that “the antidote to exhaustion is wholeheartedness.” Another favorite writer of mine, John Makransky, says that “love overcomes burnout.” I take these insights to mean that resting on ego, achievement, accolades, and the promise of rest will always lead us to burnout; energy and motivation are more available when we are in line with our values, working from love, and invested in the process more than the outcomes.
Okay, but what if you love your work, you love the process, and your work is mostly in line with your values, but you still feel the nasty symptoms of burnout? Well then, it is time to get your burnout score here and get ready to dive deep.
There are all sorts of pesky little habits, attachments, and drivers that lead to the feeling of absolute exhaustion. I'll list a few:
Perfectionism: When you get fixated on working for a perfect outcome, you are constantly draining your energy cup for a future payout that will never come. This leaves people exhausted and dissatisfied.
Try Instead: Treat work like a mindfulness exercise. Enjoy the process, slow down, and see how you might work in a way that feeds your energy rather than drains it.
Poor Boundaries: Great boundaries are at the foundation of “work smarter, not harder.” Unfortunately, so many of us are oriented towards giving away our power and reacting to the tasks that are presented to us.
Try Instead: Do strategic planning for your job and say “yes” and “no” strategically. Always ask, “Is this the highest level and best use of my time?” If the answer is “no,” then find a way to set an appropriate boundary.
Try Instead: Sometimes sloppy boundaries happen in relationships. If there is a person who drains you, discourages you, or that you find difficult to interact with, ask yourself, “What would make this relationship fun for me?” Use radical candor to make an ask of the other person in support of having a great working relationship.
Hero Mentality: Doing it all yourself has an addictive quality to it, but it ultimately sets up the hero to burn out. Companies are founded on the belief that building together is the best way to succeed, so when there are heroes running around we often work against one another.
Try Instead: Shift your view of success from what “I” did to what “we” did and see how that feels. You may find that even though your ego takes a little hit when you share the work and ask for help, the rewards are sometimes even bigger.
Loneliness: Burnout and loneliness are inextricably linked. If you'd like to learn more about the science behind this, check out Brené Brown's Dare to Lead. The bottom line is that humans are designed to work socially, and when our social connections are broken or unfulfilling, we lose energy and effectiveness.
Try Instead: Prioritize relationships in your work. See if you can treat every work interaction like a social bid (a gesture of connection). You'll likely be more effective in your collaboration, and you'll feel better, too.