Feature image By Urilux from Getty images
Introduction
Career burnout should not be taken lightly, but it’s also not something you have to suffer through. For high-achieving women, burnout is a real and dangerous threat. In our achievement-oriented culture, women are under immense pressure to succeed. We are supposed to be perfect professionals, mothers, partners, daughters, friends, and entrepreneurs – and many of us feel like we are falling short.
The constant stress of trying to meet everyone’s expectations can take a toll on our mental and physical health. If you are struggling to keep up with the demands of your life, it’s important to know that you’re not alone.
There are many ways to recover from burnout and get back on track. Keep reading to learn more about how to recover from burnout when you’re a high-achieving woman.
By Praetorianphoto from Getty images Signature
How do you know You’re Suffering from Career Burnout?
If you are a high-achieving woman, chances are that you’ve experienced burnout at some point in your career. But how do you know if you’re in burnout? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), burnout can be defined as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed” (World Health Organization, 2019).
Although this may be something that starts in the workplace, the reality is that our whole life becomes impacted by the symptoms of burnout. Here are some common signs to look for:
- Physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion – you find yourself in a cycle of rare moments of feeling energized and ready to take on tasks ahead, inevitably followed by an unbeatable feeling of exhaustion. You are in survival mode.
- Reduced Sense of accomplishment and productivity at work – you feel that your work is pointless, and even question your own ability to deliver what the job requires. This feeling slowly begins to show up in your work, and you are worried that other people will start to notice.
- Increased mental detachment and cynicism related to your job – your passion for your work is slowly dissipating, and you feel mentally distant from your job. Your body is still there, but your mind has long left the building.
- You’re neglecting your health and well-being – you are too busy to get all your work done and too busy to take time to recharge or prioritise your personal life and overall well-being.
If you are experiencing any of these signs, it’s important to take action to recover from burnout. Here are some tips below.
Finding Time to Breathe
When you’re in the midst of burnout, it can feel like there’s no time to breathe. But taking some time out for yourself is important – and it doesn’t have to be a huge commitment.
This is not about taking a vacation or even taking a day off work (unless you want to); this is about blocking uninterrupted time in your schedule for reflection and re-evaluation.
It’s easy to get caught up in our daily grind of working hard and meeting deadlines that we forget how important it is to stop and breathe every once in a while.
The key is to be intentional about that time. When we do have time away from work (whether it be an hour here or there or even an entire weekend), think about how you want to use that time, if you want to start your recovery from burnout. You may choose to use some of these moments to catch up on your favorite shows, a hobby, or do absolutely nothing. But make sure that some of this time, where everything else stops is reserved for reflection on what may be causing your burnout, and ways to help alleviate the symptoms.
Your Short-term Recovery Plan
It takes time to burn out, and it will take time to recover. It may seem counterintuitive now, but what you need to start with is a short-term plan which allows you to take immediate action to tackle the symptoms of burnout. Your short-term plan is what gets you in a state of readiness for your long-term goals beyond burnout, which may include changing your job or career.
From your reflection time, you should have already identified some triggers of your burnout. Be honest with yourself and, be willing to take ownership of behaviors that may be contributing to your burnout. There is no one size fits all approach to developing a short-term recovery plan. This is ultimately about responding to your needs in a way that’s right for you. Here are a few things to think about:
Are you getting enough sleep?
One of the best ways to fight back against the fatigue you experience during burnout is to get into a good pattern of sleep. Usually, 6-8 hours are recommended. Sleep deprivation simply exacerbates burnout, as the body does not get the physical energy it needs to reinvigorate itself.
Do you eat well and exercise regularly?
When you are feeling tired all the time, the last thing you may want to think about is exercise. But this is one of the best things you can do to support your mental and physical well-being. Exercise helps to flush toxins from the body and boosts your mood. Go at your own pace, but be consistent.
Pair exercise with a balanced diet, which helps to fuel your body for exercise, avoiding foods that will end up making you feel sluggish.
Do you take regular breaks before you reach your breaking point?
Add regular breaks to your routine, including time to spend with friends or family, or doing something you love that will energize you. If you don’t already do so, schedule some vacation periods across the coming weeks and months. They will give you something to look forward to, and ensure that you are not waiting until your point of breaking before you take a break.
Are you over-committing yourself at work and at home?
This is a tough but necessary question to ask. Consider if you are taking on unnecessary tasks to yourself. Are there tasks at work that you should be delegating or simply deprioritizing so that everything doesn’t appear urgent on your to-do list? Similarly, are there asks of you in your personal life that you should be saying no to because they don’t match your values or line up with your current life priorities?
This is by no means an exhaustive list, and there may be other areas that you have identified where you can take immediate action to start to combat your burnout. You don’t need to do it all at once, start with small changes. Write down your plan and start to make a note of your own progress.
By G-Stockstudio from Getty Images
When You Are Ready for the Next Steps
Recognizing burnout early will help you to overcome it quickly. For many women who find themselves in burnout, the process has usually been gradual, and equally, so is their recovery journey.
After implementing a short-term recovery plan, the next step is to work on a longer-term plan of recovery. This is about identifying and addressing the root causes of your burnout and planning the next steps for your career. Some women, find it useful to take a sabbatical to plan their long-term recovery from burnout. This is not always necessary or practical. Though, some planned time away from work could help you to have the clarity of thought to think about what you want to do next.
If you are ready for the next steps, you may be thinking about moving to a new job, changing industries altogether, or even starting up your own business. When I was ready for my next steps, I found it useful to do a skills audit of my career and life, so that I was not limiting myself to the roles and experiences I was accustomed to delivering. I wanted something different, that was more in tune with the new chapter of my life I wanted to start.
At the time, I used the Gallup strengths finder to identify my untapped talent that could help take me in a new direction.
Alternatively, you can use this free “Market Value Canvas” created by Jose Manuel Redondo Lopera. This is a free tool that helps you find your real market value, with a step-by-step process on how to bring that value to your intended market. Works great both for working out your next best career steps or thinking about bringing a service or product to the market.
Conclusion
Taking the time to reflect on why you are in burnout is the first step in being able to effectively create your short-term and long-term recovery plan. Don’t skip the basics such as getting good sleep, eating well, and exercising regularly. They are the foundation of any burnout recovery plan.
If your recovery seems to be taking long, be patient with yourself and give your body and mind the time it needs to heal. When you are ready to plan your next best career steps, don’t forget to explore your full bank of skills, you may surprise yourself at how much more you have to offer to the market than you thought you did.
If you need any support on your journey, reach out to family friends or a professional such as a therapist or coach. Don’t give up. Remember, burnout takes time to happen, and it takes time to recover.
Kai-Nneka Townsend, is an author, and a Career Burnout Recovery and Prevention Coach for women.
Want to know how high-achieving women achieve career success without burnout? Download your free copy of “Five Achieving Women Strategies: for achieving success without burnout”
