Burnout won't allow your Vision to be realised.

 Your Vision won’t be realised in Burnout so recognise the signs.

Burnout has many symptoms and is a sign that you have physically, mentally and emotionally depleted your internal resources.

​Some key symptoms include:

• Loss of enjoyment in activities that used to be pleasurable.
  
• Chronic tiredness - lacking energy and tired everyday.
• Resentment towards others at home and at work.
  
• Disconnection and isolation from those around you.
  
• Lack of concentration/effectiveness
  
• Reduced productivity
  
• Loss of appetite
  
• Panic/anxiety
  
• Reactive depression.
  (Maslach Inventory)

If you recognise these symptoms first seek professional medical help as you may need additional support including medical treatment or counselling.

Also now that this is a normal, human reaction to our body experiencing stress over a prolonged time without us listening to the many action signals you’ve been sending to yourself, but ignoring. The current situation we find ourselves in, with a global pandemic, is definitely affecting many purpose driven women with an increased mental load and the physical limitations in what we can and can't do.

Burnout is simply the body saying enough is enough.

When we are stressed adrenaline and cortisol flood the body to support us in order to respond to the perceived danger the brain is signalling to us. Except these days it’s impending client deadlines, school bag administration, parental carer responsibilities and the million and one things you feel you should be doing, not a sabre toothed tiger attacking you. However, Covid-19 has given us a real danger to contend with in terms of its spread and the multi layer way it is affecting the communities we live in. After 9 months, it's no wonder we are feeling fatigued and frustated.

Burnout is a physical and mental response to long term stress and it’s an opportunity to ask yourself, ‘What am I doing and why?’

Now, the problem with burnout is once we address it and start to work out of it, it leaves a mental and emotional marker in our brain that means that it can, if we let it, affect our performance and our energy long term. You see as soon as you feel that overwhelm feeling your amygdala will send the message that you are in danger of going into burnout again and consequently it will affect your confidence and your ability to make decisions in your next level energy. It will stop you from taking bold steps towards your Vision for fear that success will bring a high pressure scenario that will send you into burnout.

Don’t be alarmed though it can also be helpful as it will lower your tolerance for getting involved in other people’s nonsense, pleasing everyone else and not yourself, and sodding the shoulds, so there is also a silver lining.

Here are a few key lessons from someone who’s burnt out and bounced back.

1. Listen to the action signals from your body.

It might be a little bit of tension or a niggling feeling that something isn’t right, multiple headaches or not feeling hungry because your stomach is knotted and anxious, but long before your burnout your body is telling you that it’s ill at ease. Listen to it. What is it trying to say and why? What positive action can you take to resume a calm and confident energy that feels engaged and happy with the world? Do it before you get to a burn out situation. Seek professional medical help if needed.

  2. Create strong personal and professional boundaries that protect your productivity and energy.

I know your people pleaser saboteur is having a field day right now. ‘Oh you are so selfish if you say no or don’t go to that event or do that for that friend….’ etc.etc. However, the cliche is true, you can’t pour from an empty cup, so be very mindful of what you say yes to and when you take on new activities.

  3. Connect with someone you trust and share what’s happening.

One thing that happens in burnout is a strong sense of shame. ‘I am rubbish because I can’t cope!!’ that Mean Little Cow voice shouts. When I burnt out in my 20s I feared telling my colleagues or my family how bad I felt because I thought I was a failure. I masked it and took on more work and responsibility to compensate. My hyper achiever saboteur was fully in control. The minute I shared my shame with the love of my life and my family, it lifted because as Brene Brown says, ‘Shame can’t survive in connection.’ Yes, not everyone deserves to hear your vulnerability, but choose someone who you know it will be safe with and not judged, and if you can’t find someone in your circle find a counsellor, or a coach like me, to share it with and watch the weight of it lift from your shoulders.

  4. Look at your SMARTHabits ©2019

When I work with clients who have been in burnout, we explore how the environment they are working in is creating or feeding the burnout symptoms, however, they take personal responsibility and look at how their SMARTHabits and routines are also impacting. This is particularly important with the current global pandemic.

The coping strategies you employ may be prolonging your burn out and making it worse.  The prolific 'win o'clock' memes can be really funny, until they become a reality that is far from amusing.

Making small, positive changes to diet, exercise, recovery time etc can reap huge rewards.

  5. Stop managing TIME, manage your ENERGY.

The more clients I see, the more convinced I am that the most impactful way to be productive and perform at our next level best is by managing our energy. Track yourself for a few days and see when you are at your best, morning, afternoon, evening? Then ensure that you are doing the work that is most important to you and will be most productive at those key times of the day when you are at your energetic best. I promise you will save hours in the day.

Burnout is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to grow, to become a transformational leader with great self awareness and a clarity of Vision. It’s an opportunity to take stock and assess what is, and isn’t, working. It’s a chance to look at how you are managing your energy so that as you move forward from this set back you can perform at your next level best. Don’t waste this amazing opportunity to bounce back stronger than ever. If you have a beautiful Vision and you are ready to move forward following a burnout, into an expansion that feels truly uplifting, contact me as I have an exciting, group coaching programme I’m currently launching, limited to 24 amazing visionary ladies.

If you are an ambitious, purpose driven woman who would like to be considered for the high energy group coaching called the VIP Visionary Lounge, then apply here. (The Early Bird rate and bonus mini course ends 22nd January 2021.)

Let’s make this year count, an opportunity that can't be missed.

Imagine what you could be celebrating a year from now with this next level support. 

"I increased my sales in the first couple of months thanks to the VIP Visionary Lounge. Not only that I started to attract more of my ideal clients and I have streamlined my business so that I thrive in it too. Thank you Michala for this expansive group coaching experience." Sarah Hall , UK