Burnout is a topic frequently discussed in the workplace, and it’s no secret it can happen to CEOs, but many of us don’t give it the attention it deserves. In fact, some business leaders adopt an attitude that burnout isn’t real, believing they can simply push through it or that ignoring it will make it eventually disappear. Unfortunately, that’s usually not the case.
This real phenomenon happens to just about everybody, and because the symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for other things, it often gets ignored. You might think you’re simply stressed, fatigued, depressed, frustrated, or bored, for example. You might simply feel you’re losing interest in your work, leading to feelings of dissatisfaction. It’s understandable why these symptoms are often taken at face value rather than acknowledging the reality of burnout.
Frequently burnout comes about through productivity creep, as more tasks begin to pile on to your day and it quickly becomes consumed by work. You don’t get the chance to give your brain the rest it needs, and each day may begin to feel like a grind.
So if you’re burned out, how do you regain control? Here are 4 steps to break the burnout cycle and find interest and satisfaction in your work again.
Don’t ignore burnout
The worst thing you can do is ignore feelings of burnout. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of burnout, since they often masquerade as other issues, and ask yourself whether what you’re feeling could be the beginnings of burnout—or maybe you’re already deep into a burnout cycle.
If you can catch burnout in the early stages, it’s much easier to recover than if you’ve been suffering for a long time. So when you notice feelings of burnout, that’s an indication it’s time to take a break and give yourself some rest. Take a day off, or two if you can manage it. This is a priority, even if your schedule is swamped, because not taking the time you need to recover will ultimately make things worse in the long run.
On your day off, do something that destresses you. Personally, I like to reconnect with my inner child by going to the baseball field, which was a place of relaxation for me as a kid. Doing something that relaxed you when you were young can bring back a spark of joy and help you feel more present and alive, which will help you recover from stress more quickly.
Reconnect with your values
Reconnecting with your inner child is also a great way to reflect and recenter yourself with your values. It helps put into perspective what matters most to you, which is a strong tool for fighting burnout because it allows you to discover ways to align your working life and home life with those values and tap into your sense of purpose.
Keeping your values in mind will help you make adjustments to your mindset and work routine that serve and restore your sense of purpose in your work. It’s amazing how much energy and focus that sense of purpose can give you—it can even increase your productivity.
Summarize your tasks and delegate
I realized I’d fallen victim to productivity creep when I reviewed my weekly task summary, a document I complete every Sunday. What had been a simple checklist had ballooned to 12 pages. Eventually, I decided to limit myself to just two pages covering my weekly action items—anything that didn’t fit into there had to be delegated.
Start with evaluating your task summary. How long is it? Then challenge yourself to keep it small by delegating. This may be difficult. You may want to feel in control, to ensure everything is done right, but this mindset will only hold you back. You eventually have to limit your tasks in order to remain productive and grow your business while protecting your health.
So how do you determine what goes on that list? Use these three questions:
- Where are you most productive?
- What do you enjoy doing most?
- Where’s your zone of genius?
Whatever your answer is, that’s where you should focus. Everything else you can delegate. Your team may not perform their new tasks perfectly at first, and that’s okay. They’ll learn. You have to trust that they can do it and simply check in with them as they’re learning. I promise that once they get it down, you won’t ever miss doing those tasks.
Find methods to maintain your mental health
Burnout is often about much more than just productivity creep or being overloaded with work. While those things are certainly major contributors, especially in creating fatigue that makes recovering from burnout more difficult, the root of the problem may be something that doesn’t immediately seem related. That could be a lack of satisfaction in your work or daily life, misaligned expectations, a negative attitude or work environment, or even more serious mental health struggles.
Create regular check-ins for yourself, since burnout can often fly under the radar until it becomes too serious of a problem to ignore. Tie the check-ins to part of your regular routine, such as your weekly task list. Personally, if my list ever inches past that second page, I know the productivity creep is setting in. This can also serve as a regular time to evaluate and make note of how you’re feeling, and you can adjust your schedule accordingly.
Beyond delegation, other forms of help can also be extremely beneficial, such as getting support from friends and family or even seeking professional help like therapy or a business coach. The key to knowing what you need is self-awareness, which is why I recommend reconnecting with your inner child, reflecting on your values, and regularly checking in with yourself to better understand what’s contributing to burnout.
Burnout can leave you feeling defeated, but it’s something that everyone faces at some point and you can pull through it. Don’t just wait it out—do something about it as soon as possible so you can recover more easily and approach your work with renewed focus, purpose, and energy.
