If you are feeling overworked, under appreciated and wondering if burnout coaching is the answer to your problems, you are in exactly the right place.
First, I need you to know that you are 100% not alone. Burnout can feel like such an isolating experience, but it’s tragically common, especially in high stress environments like healthcare. Especially now, in the wake of the covid 19 pandemic and all the mental health strain on frontline healthcare workers.
But here is something I really need you to know. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO STAY THIS WAY. Burnout doesn’t have to be your reality. Feeling overworked and under appreciated does not have to be the common theme of your life.
Trust me, in the past 5 years since leaving the medical field, recovering from my own burnout, and doing physician burnout coaching for countless healthcare professionals, I’ve realized burnout is temporary.
In working with clients, and connecting with people all over the world for my podcast, I’ve been collecting countless burnout recovery stories of people, just like you, who have clawed themselves out of the dark depths of burnout.
And it’s a bit of a misnomer to say “clawed themselves out” because, usually didn’t do it alone.
You deserve so much more than this. You deserve to feel well-rested. You deserve to care deeply about the work you are doing. If you have landed on this page, it’s the sign that you need to seek help for yourself. Whatever that might look like for you.
Maybe it’s seeing a therapist. Maybe it’s getting your parents to help with the kids. Maybe it’s hiring someone to do some work around the house so you can just rest on your off days. Maybe it’s doing some burnout coaching to learn how to truly prioritize yourself.
Whatever it is, this post will help you more deeply understand your burnout and decide your best path to begin your burnout recovery journey. Because the world is a better place when YOU are thriving and well.
When is it time to seek burnout coaching?
So, like I said above, if you landed on this page, I can confidently say it’s time to do something about your burnout. I don’t think you’d be scrolling the interwebs looking for burnout coaching unless you were experiencing some symptoms that were disruptive to your life.
But, in the interest of helping you feel even more confident that it’s time to get some help, here are 5 signs you need to take action around your burnout.
#1 You Want to Run Away
You think about packing up your car and driving off into the sunset to start a new life.
#2 You are Jealous of Your Patients
Yes, being jealous of sick people is a very clear sign that all is not well. You dream about getting mono or appendicitis or some other non life-threatening but still severe illness that will require you to be bed bound for the next month.
That way you can at least get some rest.
#3 You Can’t Get Out of Bed in the Morning
You are filled with dread at the sound of your alarm clock going off and press the snooze button until the very last possible moment.
#4 You commonly wonder “what’s the point?”
Everything at work feels like a waste of time. The stupid meetings, patient encounters, lunch lectures. All of it. You no longer see how the work you are doing is benefitting anyone.
You are experience what Dr Grossman, therapist and burnout expert, refers to as the “check the box syndrome”.
#5 You don’t actually want to do anything.
At work, anytime your boss or superior asks you to do something you roll your eyes, dramatically sigh and feel so annoyed. Each assignment, errand, piece of paperwork or simple request feels like a serious hassle that you would rather not be bothered with.
If any of these sound familiar, it’s time to take action. Seeking help from a coach, therapist, or implementing stress management techniques are all great options to start your journey to recovery.
Remember, taking care of yourself is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. You deserve to feel happy, fulfilled, and energized in your life and work. By seeking help and taking action, you can recover from burnout and come back stronger than ever before.
3 ways burnout coaching can help you recover
Let’s get into the nitty gritty about three tangible ways that burnout coaching can help you recover from this depressing hell hole of a life you’ve landed in. (Dramatic, yes, but I’ve totally been there too, so I’m speaking from experience).
#1 Identify the root cause of your burnout
It’s important to get to the source of your burnout because simply treating the symptoms won’t be enough to fully and sustainably recover. We don’t want to just put a bandaid on the problem.
Without addressing the underlying issues, you may find yourself back in the same situation, even after taking a break or changing jobs. Identifying the root cause of your burnout can help you make meaningful changes that will prevent burnout in the future.
For some people, the main source of their burnout may be related to the structural pieces of their work environment, such as the people they work with, the physical setting of their workplace, or the responsibilities and schedule of their job.
In this case, addressing the root cause may involve making changes to these aspects of their work environment.
For others, burnout is a flashing neon sign that you are in the wrong career entirely. (I know that’s not fun to consider).
There may be a misalignment between your chosen career path and your value system which will be crucial to address before burnout recovery can be sustainable.
Sometimes burnout is a result of core beliefs, and maladaptive behavioral patterns you’ve picked up along the way. Perfectionism, people pleasing and overachieving are usually straight shots to a life of burnout. Do not pass go, and head directly to burnout land.
By getting to the root cause of your burnout, you’ll be taking a proactive step toward preventing burnout in the future and achieving long-term success and fulfillment in your personal and professional life.
#2 Make a plan to eliminate energy drains
At its most basic level burnout happens when you have too many energy drains and not enough energy drains. Let’s explore this a bit deeper.
Energy drains are activities, people, or situations that leave us feeling depleted and exhausted.
This could include negative self-talk, working long hours, dealing with difficult patients or coworkers, or engaging in activities that we find boring or uninspiring. These can all take a toll on our mental and physical health, leaving us feeling drained and depleted.
On the other hand, energy gains are things that nourish and recharge us, leaving us feeling more energized and fulfilled.
Energy gains can be activities such as spending time in nature, practicing yoga or meditation, reading for pleasure, or engaging in a hobby that we enjoy. These can provide a much-needed boost to our energy levels and help us feel more fulfilled and balanced in our lives.
Burnout coaching will help you identify both your energy drains and energy gains so you can take steps to reduce the former and increase the latter.
By reducing the amount of time we spend engaging in draining activities and increasing the time we spend on activities that nourish and recharge us, we can help prevent burnout and improve our overall well-being. It’s simple math, right?
#3 Learn stress management techniques
Even when we make changes that can help us burnout proof our life, we are still inevitably going to experience stress. The goal in burnout coaching is to help you develop tools and techniques for managing the everyday stress in your life.
And the thing is, you may even know exactly what you “should be doing” to manage stress.
We all know that mindfulness meditation, exercise, deep breathing and yoga are such helpful techniques. But most of us are not actually doing them.
Burnout coaching is not just about giving you another list of tools which ultimately adds more things to your to-do list. It’s about helping you come up with a customized burnout recovery plan that is practical and realistic for your life.
It is also about addressing the underlying beliefs and behaviors that are preventing you from prioritizing your own health and wellbeing. If you continue to believe that “you are not enough”, you are going to keep running yourself ragged to prove that you’re good enough. You won’t actually make time for rest and recovery because you don’t want to fall behind. I wrote all about how beliefs influence your burnout in this post.
What to expect with burnout coaching: how long is this going to take?
I get it, we all want results like yesterday, and while burnout coaching is not necessarily a quick fix, there are some results you may experience immediately.
Usually just the act of getting help provides a sense of relief that can automatically make you start feeling better and regaining your energy. There are also some minor tweaks that can be made right away to help you experience noticeable changes in your energy levels.
Dropping some of the energy drains, learning how to down regulate your nervous system, and simply getting enough sleep every night are remarkably effective ways to see some immediate improvements.
Seriously, I cannot say enough about the benefits of nervous system regulation. This is something that I initially learned about through reading the book Burnout, and have been regularly practicing since early 2020 with remarkable results. If you don’t have time (or the energy) to read a whole book, you can read this blog post which serves as a powerful burnout book summary.
While there can be quick wins, it is important to remember that burnout recovery is a process. It will take time to see significant and lasting effects. You didn’t get here overnight, and we won’t be able to snap our fingers and miraculously heal everything.
The length of time it takes to recover from burnout will depend on a number of factors, including the severity of your burnout, the nature of your work, and your personal circumstances. However, by working with a coach and taking proactive steps to manage your stress, you can begin to feel better and more energized.
Burnout can be a deeply isolating and demoralizing experience, but it’s important to know that you are not alone. It’s tragically common, especially in high-stress environments like healthcare. If you’re feeling overworked and under appreciated, you don’t have to stay that way. Burnout doesn’t have to be your reality.
By seeking help from a coach, therapist, or by implementing stress management techniques, you can recover from burnout and come back stronger than ever before. Remember, taking care of yourself is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. You deserve to feel happy, fulfilled, and energized in your life and work.
Burnout coaching can help you identify the root cause of your burnout, make a plan to eliminate energy drains, and learn stress management techniques to manage the everyday stress in your life. It’s a process, but with a coach and proactive steps, you can begin to feel better and more energized.
Remember, the world is a better place when you are thriving and well, and you deserve to live a life that is fulfilling and joyful. So don’t hesitate to seek help and take action toward your burnout recovery journey. You have the power to make a change, and you are worth it.
