NewZealandCoach’s Weblog

You won’t be able to get past burnout if you don’t understand the reason for it. There are a lot of things that can cause it, so thinking calmly – and talking to a coach! – can help you sort out the reasons for your particular situation.

Some things are external, like having to work with an office bully, or being subjected to micromanagement. Sure, some people like a certain degree of control, but in my experience more like to have autonomy over their work. Perhaps you need more say in the hours you work, or in the way you organise the work that comes in.
You might feel better being able to prioritise your projects.
A lack of resources will have a big impact on the way you feel. As will not being sure of what the parameters of your job are – and believe me, there are a lot of people out there in this situation. You’re not alone.

During coaching, we talk about values. Don’t worry if you’ve never seriously thought about what your values are. It’s an interesting and informative process If your values don’t fit with how you’re expected to function at work it will drain you. It will become more and more stressful as time goes on.

There are consequences to being constantly stressed. Burnout can mean you are more prone to depression and anxiety, and it will affect the rest of your relationships outside work. Recovery from burnout will take time and means that you’ll need to instigate changes. It won’t happen immediately. The physical symptoms will take time to go away. Your personal relationships will probably take time to come back to a balance. Don’t ignore this. It won’t get better until you do something about it, and it will get worse if you don’t.

Talk to a coach, or a doctor. Burnout is real. You’re not imagining it, or going insane. You’re not just being silly, you don’t need to ‘pull yourself together’. It’s not something that you can fix by yourself. If you broke your leg, you wouldn’t keep going to work and trying to function without help. It’s just the same.

Life is supposed to be fun. You are NOT imagining how miserable you feel.

talk to me : coachdawn_newzealand@yahoo.com on yahoo messenger