CONQUER BURNOUT
“Your life changes the moment you make a new, congruent, and committed decision.” Tony Robbins
MY BURNOUT STORY
NEVER AGAIN!
Burnout Will Consume Us… If We Don’t Stop It!
“The greatest wealth is health.” Virgil
My burnout story is unique to me, yet it may resonate with you. As the saying goes, “been there, done that & got the t-shirt,” but my t-shirt read “NEVER AGAIN!” My journey through burnout was a painful experience and difficult to overcome. Without stress management strategies in place, chronic stress keeps building until it forces you to a grinding halt and collapse… like I did in 2013.
The burnout statistics are staggering:
- 59% of American workers experience moderate levels of burnout.
- 46% of Gen Z employees and 45% of millennials report feeling burned out from work.
- 83% say burnout from work negatively impacts personal relationships
- 32% of women say they are experiencing burnout.
- 49% of employers don’t have a strategy for promoting well-being in the workplace.
- U.S. businesses lose an estimated $300 billion annually due to burnout and related issues such as high turnover.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4535428/
The Warning Signs
“Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response to what happens. And the response is something we can choose.” Maureen Killoran
In 2013, I managed a business that typically had a moderate level of stress, which was usually manageable. However, there were occasions when the workload became intense and challenging. One such instance involved a difficult situation where I was on call 24/7 for a particular client.
After enduring months of intense pressure and stress, my body started sending signals that I was pushing myself too hard. There were instances of high blood pressure, headaches and anxiety along with weight loss, and restless sleep. Finally the crisis ended.
The Collapse
“Burnout, like any difficult experience, is a great teacher. My question is: what is it trying to tell you?” Dr. Rebecca Ray
I remeber the day clearly. I felt totally exhausted, but thankful I was able to take time off to rest. It was midday when I left work and went home. After a light dinner, I became severely ill, and collapsed in bed… for 3 days.
When I came back to this world, I had no idea what day it was. I missed multiple phone calls from work. My mind was confused, emotions were numb, and my body was extremely weak.
The Epiphany
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” Viktor E. Frankl
I had little energy or desire to get up. I was unable to eat solid food, so I sipped water and/or tea. I thought about how crappy I felt and other random thoughts like, how did this happen? How did I get so run down that I collapsed? I reflected on the past months and how I allowed the stress and pressure from work to push me to the point of exhaustion and collapse.
I said, out loud, to myself: “What are you going to do about this mess you got yourself into?” I decided, at that moment, I needed to make some lifestyle changes. I didn’t think twice about it. I outsourced my work for the next 2 months and cleared my calendar.
I did not have a definite plan, but knew I needed uninterrupted time to figure things out and rest.
Time for Change
“Health is a state of complete mental, social and physical well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” World Health Organization, 1948
For the next 2-months, I did all I knew to do to heal. My healthy toolbox was limited. I set up a daily schedule: clean healthy diet, exercise, meditation, bible and prayer. I had to start slow as my body was incredibly weak. I monitored my progress in a daily journal. I gradually improved physical strength, but emotionally and mentally lagged behind. I did not have the knowledge of brain health or the BBC, at that time.
After the 2-month sabbatical, I went back to work part time and eventually full time, but I was not the same person as before. I was emotionally weak and tired easily. I realized I was not fully healed from the collapse.
I continued to adjust/tweak my healthy lifestyle goals:
- I changed my business model to incorporate support and flexibility for my personal time and well-being.
- I continued researching holistic remedies, healing, wholeness, and a balanced lifestyle.
- I enrolled in coaching school to become a certified coach.
In 2014, one year after the collapse, I attended coaching school. During those months of studying coaching and being coached, I was able to internally heal from the stress, struggles, and loss I had experienced. Gradually, I took responsibility for my part in the difficulties, which was a transformative experience. I continued on my pursuit of healing, strength and wholeness.
Unknown to me, that decision to build physical, emotional and mental resilience prepared me for what I would face in 5 years.
Unexpected Challenges
2019 – 2021 – COVID 19 Pandemic
When COVID 19 hit the USA, it was a colossal nightmare for America and the world. The unexpected crisis was out of our control. I closed my business and lost family and loved ones. Panic and chaos spread through our communities as people struggled to purchase basic needs.
Isolation, profound personal loss, unemployment, financial setbacks, and scarce supplies were the key factors that fueled chronic stress and burnout for everyone, myself included.
The Victory
Yes, I was profoundly affected, like millions of others, but I was also physically and mentally stronger, capable of responding to stressful situations, in a healthy way. Equipped with new tools from my healthy toolbox, I maintained my healthy lifestyle plan and DID NOT experience a collapse or relapse.
