We can Burn Bright without Burning Out

One of my more random claims to fame is that I suffered Burnout before it was even known about in the UK.  

The experience itself was anything but random – it kicked in aggressively after a working week away when my sleep patterns had been severely affected by ‘burning the candle at both ends’ as my mum likes to say. 

Suddenly, I was ambushed by an intense feeling of lethargy that felt like it pervaded every cell of my body and mind. I woke up as tired as I had gone to sleep and it was all I could do to struggle my way through meetings and presentations. My brain was foggy and my responses sluggish. I longed only for the safety of my sofa. 

My doctor wanted to prescribe me anti-depressants, to which I retorted that yes - I was super sad because my work hard play hard lifestyle had been rudely hijacked by an unknown cause - not anything that anti-depressants could help with though. 

Today of course,  I recognise that I had all the classical symptoms of Burnout and have so much more understanding of how the combination of my Hyper-Achiever desire to be the best, my Perfectionist tendency to keep going, allied to my inner Pleaser, hooked on external validation, all combined to create a toxic mess in my mind that my body could no longer tolerate. I was in overload. 

It is said that the darkest cave holds the greatest treasure and today, although always in recovery, I am grateful to my burnout for inspiring me to my second career as an Executive Coach to High Achievers looking to be more effective leaders and happier human beings. 

Because guess what – studies have shown that burnout is more prevalent among high achievers who are particularly dedicated to their work. 

As we embark on Mental Health Awareness week, it is salutary to note that ‘Workplace Burnout’ has now become such a serious health issue in the modern age, it’s been re-classified by the WHO, not as a medical condition but as an occupational syndrome. Read more about it here

It is also reassuring to notice the corporate spotlight on supporting the mental health of employees is shining ever brighter. 

Safeguarding our Mental Health is a right not a privilege and I passionately believe that a little can go a long way to be kind to ourselves  - theme of the week – and help keep ourselves mentally well.  

We can burn bright without burning out. 

To this end I have created an easy to remember self - coaching framework; BOLD.

I look forward to sharing it with you, letter by letter, as we progress through the week.

For now – a taster of what BOLD stands for: 

B is for Being - how we can thrive as human beings not human doings.

O is for Obstacles – how to clear what stands in our way. 

L stands for Love – for ourselves and the nourishing benefits of self-love and compassion. 

D is for Daring to dream – How to be more loyal to our dreams than our fears. 

I am delighted to have been invited by @Latif Morgan to talk more about BOLD in the context of Self-Leadership in the Podcast to be aired soon. 

In the meantime, I would love to hear your personal thoughts and experiences… 

#leadership #selfleadership  #selfcoaching #burnout  #highachiever #mentalhealthawarenessweek #executivecoaching