Episode 54: Breaking the Cycle of Work Burnout

Challenges can be a gift because they give us opportunities for growth and transformation. But sometimes we get caught in bad cycles. In this episode, I discuss breaking the cycle of work burnout and four areas to reflect on when stuck in a rut.

I’ve shared in many episodes that I am a cycle breaker. When I want to break the cycle of work burnout, I reflect on four areas. When these four areas are aligned, I find peace, regardless of my circumstances.

I’ve had many experiences of burnout. Early in my career I spent three years in social work. I went from job to job working with different populations. I worked with the mentally disabled, abused children, and victims of domestic violence.

As I searched for a job that felt right for me, I burned out. It got so bad, I reached a point of desperation where I felt I couldn’t take it anymore. This led me to make a career change to business which was a much better fit for me.

The extreme desperation of burnout catapulted me onto a new, better path. In that way, burnout was a gift. It taught me about myself, what I liked and what I didn’t. But most of all, it helped me break the cycle of going from job to job in an industry that wasn’t right for me.

You might be thinking, I can’t quit. I can’t leave my job or my industry. What I’m going to share about burnout isn’t about leaving your job. It’s about finding peace and rest no matter where you work.

Maybe you are in the right place just not in the right mind.

The way we think about our job can greatly influence our working experience. But when we are in it, it’s hard to see how our thinking is affecting us. We need to be intentional to create space to notice. Once you create that space, God may lead you in a new direction. But in my experience, it often begins with growth right where I am.

So how do we create space?

Here are four areas to examine to see if you can create some space in your life. Listen to Episode 53 How to Deal with Anxiety at Work for more on this topic:

Boundaries

You’ve probably heard that having boundaries with people is a good thing. Separating our needs, wants, and desires from others allows us to break unhealthy, toxic cycles and form new healthy relationships. Did you know we can do the same with work?

You can and should have both physical and mental boundaries with work.

Physical boundaries are things like deciding what time you begin checking work email and what time you stop or how often you check your phone or social media. It’s how you spend your time and who you spend it with.

For example, I love working on the All Gifts Podcast. It fills me up. But for the past year I’ve struggled to find the energy, time, or motivation to consistently produce episodes. I was feeling down about this and during a period of reflection, I saw that I needed to build in time to work on it. Since my energy is highest in the morning, I made a new schedule to get up earlier to work on the podcast before work.

Having good physical boundaries allow us to create healthy mental boundaries. I think of physical boundaries as the foundation. Mental boundaries are things like being fully present, not thinking about work when we aren’t at work. Giving ourselves a chance to recharge or fully focus when we are with our loved ones.

Having boundaries may feel like you’re stopping progress but remind yourself to “go slow to go fast.” Taking the time to do things with boundaries creates space for our subconscious to problem solve and makes us much more productive when we get back to work. I’ll get into this more in an episode on The Science of Happiness at Work.

As a leader you may believe that you should set an example for your team of always being on the go. But in a 2018 Harvard Business Review article, “Help your Team Do More without Burning Out,” said “be energizing, not energetic.” A leader with an excess of urgency can burn people out.

When I commit to a job, I give it my all. Boundaries help me sustain the good work that I do. But it’s not always easy for me. Sometimes when things are stressful, despite adhering to my boundaries, I struggle with insomnia. My go-to scripture for times like this is:

Psalm 127:2 “It is vain for you to rise early, To retire late, To eat the bread of anxious labors— For He gives [blessings] to His beloved even in her sleep.”

I love that. When I find it hard to sleep, I remind myself that I’m blessed even in my sleep. So go on girl. Get some sleep! And set some boundaries so you can do the things you really love, that fill you up.

Self-care

When I was in my twenties, trying to figure out how to climb the corporate ladder, a single mom with two boys, stuck in the cycle of work burnout, I turned to therapy for help. Thinking she would direct me to make big changes, she instead asked what relaxed me. I said taking a long, hot bath. Then she asked when was the last time I had a long, hot bath. I gave her a blank stare. I couldn’t remember. I wasn’t taking hot baths. I was taking quick showers so I could get to work or bed or whatever the next thing was, faster.

She helped me see the importance of small indulgences to cultivate a sense of beloved-ness, a crucial identity to prevent working yourself to burnout. I was on a limited income, I couldn’t do a spa day, but I could light a candle, take a hot bath, and put on my favorite lotion.

Mindset

I find it helpful to reframe how I see myself relative to work. This can be tough to do. But we must ask ourselves questions like: am I identifying my self-worth with my work? Or, am I aware of my inherent value apart from what I achieve? Is the story I’m telling myself at work making me out to be a victim? Are other people the villains? Do I think I’m indispensable here? Do I think this company will collapse without me? Am I being the hero or am I letting my team shine and solve their own problems? Where is my hope?

These questions can give us space to take control of our thoughts and lead to a more balanced and healthy view of ourselves relative to work.

Connection

At work, it helps to focus on being a giver, not a taker. Being a taker is an inward-focused orientation where you are asking what others can do for you. Or, thinking only about how things are affecting you. This type of self-focus leads to misery.

Being a giver focuses on building others up. Paradoxically, thinking of what you can do for others is a key to accelerating your own performance. And, going out of your way to help others perform gives you a sense of joy.

Along the lines of connection, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s a trained professional, my husband, or my friends, I find it helpful to process how I’m feeling with another person. A trusted advisor can help you assess these four areas of your life and find opportunities to transform.