Burned Out? Stop Reaching For the Unreachable.
I've read a load of web articles over the past few years about how to recover from an on-the-job burnout. Nearly all of them are written by folks who developed strategies to help themselves bounce back after a burnout of their own. A disproportionate amount of those articles are written by current or former career coaches, which may be neither here nor there.
This one, penned by Next Academy's Carol Ross, adheres to all the above but still stands out because of Ross' keen ability to pinpoint the raw, human maladies that cause overstressed people to break down. She offers a 4-part plan for burnout recovery that begins with an understanding that some goals are too unrealistic to keep reaching for:
"In my head, I equated a failed business with death (literally). I became aware of this assumption when I told a friend about my dad, whose dream of running a Chinese restaurant ended in bankruptcy, and six years later died of cancer. This assumption fueled my fear, which drove me to work harder and faster."
I think there's a rather astute observation within Ross' thinking here. We equate quitting to failure. We then assume failure means an end rather than a new beginning. Even when it's apparent our endeavors are doomed, we fruitlessly persevere because we think not doing so is to condemn ourselves. That's a dire weight to carry and, as Ross writes, it doesn't have to be that way.
Take a look at her full article (linked below) and let us know in the comments whether you agree with her. What are your strategies for stress management? Have you ever burned out? We'd love to hear your take.
Read more at The Huffington Post
Photo credit: Hasloo Group Production Studio / Shutterstock
In the video below, DSN expert Dan Harris explains that one key to stress management is identifying the fact that it's impossible to effectively multitask.
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