If you’re feeling burned out even AFTER taking a nice little summer vacation and AFTER scaling back your hours at work, you might be wondering what you’re doing wrong.
Burnout isn’t just caused by overworking
- People are wondering whey they can’t seem to get it together and get their mojo back even after putting healthy boundaries around work.
- Burnout is physical and emotional exhaustion caused by chronic workplace stress (the emotional component often gets overlooked)
- Another cause of burnout is feeling a lack of control. Feeling powerless.
Feeling powerless around toxic workplace relationships
- Dealing with a toxic boss is tougher than dealing with a toxic colleague because of the power difference.
- Choose what feels like the safest option for addressing the issue – directly, report it, etc.
- Timing matters. Choose to have a conversation when you feel calm, not when you’re triggered or in the middle of a blowout.
Feeling powerless in your work tasks (too much uncertainty, no autonomy)
- A woman was given a “promotion” she didn’t want, doing work she didn’t enjoy — went from being a top performer to burned out in a few months.
- Be proactive and speak up about the work assignments you want. (If you don’t, someone else will decide for you!)
Feeling powerless / trapped on your current career path
- Sometimes people outgrow jobs, and sometimes they outgrow entire industries.
- People often go through a period of denial when this happens (especially if you’ve invested a lot of time / money / identity in your current path)
- Things are not likely to improve until you make a change. (You can’t just talk yourself to being happy on a path that no longer fits.)