Does Burn Out Mean Get Out?

by Now What?® Coaching Founder, Laura Berman Fortgang

Do you suffer from burn out?  Dreading waking up in the morning to face another workday?  Sick of dealing with people  and their issues at work?  Feeling like you can’t get on top of work no matter how much you try?  Wishing you’d get sick, just to get a break?  Any of the former might be a good indication that you’ve had it.  But, does that mean you have to leave and find a new job?

Wiping the slate clean and starting over is tempting, but considering the stress of a full-time job search or start-up attempt, an interim step will tell you if it’s really time to go.  That step takes effort too but it will tell you if it’s really the job or if you’ve developed habits that have made the job impossible to bear.  It’s probably a combination but I’ve seen people reinvent their career right where they are to great results.

Here’s how:

Give problems back

Habit, budget cuts, and precedence are all reasons you’ve taken on more problems than you deserve.  Getting them off your plate and cut up into pieces for others to do will go a long way to re-engaging you in the feast you came in to take part in.

Rip up the to do list

Most people carry a daily to-do list that couldn’t get done in a year.  Give up the long-term to-do list and focus on three TRUE priorities.  You’ll see things fall through the cracks but you’ll spend less time chasing things that were probably not that important to begin with.

What do you want to be known for?

It’s likely that you’ve forgotten.  When work is a daily dread, you are off course from what you care about.  Get back in touch with what you want to be known for as a person and as career achiever.  When you answer it, you’ll see how much you are dragging along that does not fit.  Go back to items one and two and become more ruthless with each one.

Clean up relationships

The people are what make work fun or at least tolerable.  If you are hating work, you are probably not liking the people too much either.  Is there anyone you need to set straight or apologize to?  Is there anyone you need to meet with who should know you and what you are capable of?  This is the time to clean up and/or improve visibility, exposure and the quality of your business relationships internally and outside the company too.

Communicate Expectations  

When you change how you play the game at work, people will need time to adjust to the new you.  Warn them and train them to understand that you are not going to be doing things the way you had been.  Massage their expectations as disappointments come up.  Be steady and singular in your focus to redirect your efforts to your answer above to “What do you want to be known for?”

Within two or three months of transitioning the changes you’ll make, you’ll have a very clear answer as to whether you cured your burn out or if leaving for new challenges is the only answer.  Either way is fine, but tweaking things first makes a good way to go no matter what.  If you stay, you’ll be renewed in strength and focus. If you go, you’ll be clearer about what you need and you’ll have set the stage for a smooth exit. No hard feelings.

Let us know how we can help.