Let’s dive into a topic that we are all keenly aware of . . . burnout.

We are about to enter the holiday months and that means competing demands.

So before the holidays are upon us, let’s put together some strategies to help us avoid or even get out of the state of burnout so we can enjoy the last few months of 2023. 

Will you commit to spending this month with me learning these strategies?

Before we can talk about the strategies for resolving or avoiding burnout, we must understand what burnout is and how we end up there.

So what is burnout?

It’s a level of exhaustion that reduces your performance and attitude.  This exhaustion can be physical, mental, emotional, a combination of these 3, or even all 3.

Do you feel exhausted right now?

I’m not talking about you being tired because it was a "Perfect Storm" week.  A "Perfect Storm" week are those weeks where life, work, and self collide and demands are hitting all at once.

Those are exceptions in your normal flow of life.

We all have those exceptions from time to time.  That’s normal and we will 100% be exhausted and not be able to give our all by the end of that week.

What I’m talking about are the "Groundhog Day Perfect Storm" weeks.

Those weeks are when the demands continue day after day after day and you feel further and further behind, and no matter what you do, you can’t get caught up or ahead.

It’s almost a feeling of hopelessness at this point because the exhaustion is there and there is no end in sight.

Do you see the difference? The Perfect Storm weeks have an end. They are short, a week to two weeks max. Whereas Groundhog Day Perfect Storm weeks do not have a finish line on the horizon.

That's how we get into a state of burnout.

As high-achieving, high-performing female leaders we tell ourselves, “We just have to push a little harder, and then the peace will come.  Then the break will be here.”

We tell ourselves this because we think we are dealing with a Perfect Storm week. Because Perfect Storm weeks are like sprints.

You can push hard, give everything you've got, and the finish line is right there within a 2-week period.

But the Groundhog Day Perfect Storm is not a sprint, it's a marathon.

Where we get into burnout is that we do not stop to ask ourselves if the situation we are experiencing is a Perfect Storm week (i.e., a sprint) or if we are in a Groundhog Day Perfect Storm period (i.e., a marathon).

We don't stop and ask the question, we just assume it's a sprint, because that's what we are used to dealing with. And we know how to overcome sprints.

We can't assume.

So today’s homework is this, where are you right now?  Are you in a Perfect Storm, a Groundhog Day Perfect Storm, or are you in a good flow of work and life?

Are you living in burnout, on the edge, or feeling good?

You’re in one of 3 places.  So be honest with yourself.  

If you want to talk through it and identify where you are, send an email to [email protected] and let us help you.

Be Legendary!