First, resign from your job as general manager of the universe
By: Bill Zolis
Half the reason that people suffer from burnout is that they don’t know what’s causing it – or, more to the point, they think they know what’s causing it, but they’re wrong.
They think the problem is the mountain of work, and not enough time in the day, and the job seems dysfunctional, and the personal issues, and the family pressures, and lack of support and the… well, you get the picture.
Actually, the problem is that they’ve let things get way out of perspective. They’re not putting the work and the pressures and the dysfunction into their proper places and, as a result, they’re not doing any of the things they need to do to manage them properly.
The Mayo Clinic defines burnout as “a special type of work-related stress – a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.”
An article in the Harvard Business Review identifies three main symptoms of burnout: exhaustion, cynicism and inefficiency.
People who suffer from burnout tend to use terms such as “overwhelmed,” and “lost,” and “running on empty,” and “not sure of anything anymore.” They are stressed and frazzled and fragile. They are also unhappy and – let’s face it – getting harder and harder to live with.
What to do? Where to begin? Well, there’s Larry Eisenberg, biomedical engineer, science fiction writer and unofficial poet in residence at the New York Times. His most famous line, by far, was, “For peace of mind, we need to resign as general manager of the universe.”
That’s a good start. If we could actually do that, then we’d have this burnout thing licked.
So, if we’re looking at burnout or trying to help someone who’s showing the signs, let’s start by looking at the perspective and asking ourselves three questions – one about each of the key symptoms of burnout.
- First, you know how bad you’re feeling? Okay. You’re not supposed to feel that way. It’s not normal, it’s not right, and it’s a problem. You have do something about it, starting right now. Let’s really and truly accept this fact before we even try to go any further.
- Second, you know that mountain of work hanging over your head? It’s not nearly as big or as bad as you think. Yes, you may have taken on too much. Yes, you’re not making much progress because of burnout inefficiency – bouncing from one thing to the next and trying to juggle everything. But remember you were general manager of the universe back then, and responsible for everything. You have since resigned, so you can, first, stop worrying about it and, second, work out a plan to get it under control.
- Third, you know all that dysfunction in the job and in your life? Yes, well, no one is arguing with you – there’s a lot of dysfunction and confusion and crazy things happening in the world. But the thing is, we all deal with it, we all have to cope the best we can, and most of us make it work most of the time. You have to get yourself back into the “coping most of the time” category.
The articles I’ve read on the subject of burnout, and the material on self-help sites like the Mayo Clinic tend to agree on the steps we should take to deal with burnout. I think of it as instructions on how to dig ourselves out of the hole we’ve dug.
– Talk to your boss and get him or her on your side moving forward. But, remember, when you go to the boss, you go with solutions – not problems. In other words, don’t say, “Boss, I can’t cope with all this work and I don’t know what to do.” What you want to say is, “Boss, I’ve taken on more than I can chew all at once here, so I’ve made a list of the things I think I need to get done first, and I would like to go over it with you.” (You will feel very, very much better after this conversation.)
– Communicate timelines and task requirements accurately. Or, to put it another way, when the boss asks, “Can you have this done by Thursday?” give a realistic response. Don’t just say “Yes” and hope for the best. Okay, you want to avoid saying “No,” but you can say, “Yes, if I start right now, and if I can get all the data from Sales in time, and if I put what I’m working on now on hold.”
– Learn to knock off tasks and jobs and projects one at a time. If you can take one of the items on your priority list and work on it straight through until you can put it in the “Finished” pile, you will feel a well-deserved rush of satisfaction. You may even want to sort through the pile to find a task you can knock off, just to get that feeling and drive you forward. You can also define stages in larger tasks, and set yourself goals for reaching touch points.
– Set achievable limits for yourself. Start your day with a review of where you stand and what you realistically can achieve today. Yes, make a list.
– Slow down and focus on what’s in front of you right now. The “Take 5 for Health Benefits” newsletter suggested “slow down” and it really made me think. It was not an item of burnout advice I had seen before, but it was one of those things that just instantly makes sense. If you are talking to a co-worker, then focus on that person and that conversation. Give it your full attention. The same with performing a task – focus, one thing at a time, no distraction, do a good job, then move on.
***
Keynote Speaker Series: Saijjal Patel – helping Women Create Financial Independence
CLICK HERE TO WATCH EVENT REPLAY
Saijaql Patel is the Founder and CEO of SAIJ wealth Consulting, a financial consultancy and education platform with a mission to help women create financial independence and security. Through SaijElle and its online Strictly Money program, financial institutions better serve the needs of female investors, and companies build effective financial wellness and inclusion programs for all employees.
***
Staying on top of key issues in benefits management: Access current briefings at Penmore Education Series.
***
I really appreciate comments, ideas, suggestions or just observations about the blog or any other topics in benefits management. I always look forward to hearing from readers. If there’s anything you want to share, please email me at bill@penmorebenefits.com.
Copyright Notice
© Penmore Callery Group 2022 All rights reserved. All of the content herein is the sole property of the Penmore Callery Group, and may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system – in whole or in part – without the written permission of the Penmore Callery Group. Links to the originating article at www.callerygroup.com are permitted.
The Buzz Bits
Liberals, NDP to deliver dental care, pharmacare coverage to Canadians
Leaders must act with intention to make hybrid work ‘worth it’ for employees
Return-to-office plans should focus on flexibility, health and safety