Fried, Steamed & Burned Out – Four Cures to Help You Survive Your Job
You’re busy doing the things you do best, and then some. You have more work than you want and need. And you’re tired. Take a deep breath. That’s not the sweet smell of success – that’s burnout. If you’re worried that you might have it … you’ve got it. Being fried, steamed and burned out doesn’t have to ruin your career. Here are four new ways to manage professional burnout and even prevent it.
Crispy Critters Isn’t a Cereal – It’s Your Job Description
In early 2013, the headline in a major London newspaper read “Employee Burnout Common in Nearly a Third of UK Companies.” Here’s something even cheerier. The estimate is that burnout has increased 500% in the past 10 years. So what’s going on with you? Why all of this sudden spontaneous combustion?
Want Some Fries With That?
The American Psychological Association defines job burnout as an extended period of time when we experience exhaustion and a lack of interest and motivation that has a negative impact on our job performance.
The irony is that clients, executives and customers don’t burn us out. Planning and producing events, marketing and communications don’t burn us out. We burn ourselves out. Here’s a quick test. How many of these things describe you?
Perfectionistic – Nothing is ever right, or enough.
Task-driven – You make a list of things to do and struggle to do every one.
High achiever – You feel everything you do is being graded.
Frustrated & cynical – No matter what you do, no one will appreciate it.
Obsessed with work – Away from the job, you don’t have anything to talk about.
If you have mentally checked two or more of these things, you have put yourself on the grill and you’re starting to sizzle. It’s time to start controlling the things that cause your burnout. It starts with realizing that you are the source of both the problem and the solution. It begins by managing yourself like you manage events, marketing and communications.
Little Red Hen Syndrome
The Little Red Hen is one of those classic children’s stories that are intended to teach us the value of personal responsibility and a good, old-fashioned work ethic. In the story, the LRH is trying to plant wheat to make bread. The other farm animals won’t help so she takes control. Soon, she likes having control and just assumes that no one will help.
“Then I’ll do it myself,” said the Little Red Hen. And so she did.
You’re infected with Little Red Hen Syndrome when you take on too much responsibility. You won’t share or delegate. And you have a firm belief that no one understands like you do or can do it as well. You think you are getting the job done and being professional. But everyone around you thinks you are an obsessive, perfectionistic, Type A control freak and they secretly hate you.
Four Ways to Manage the Things that Cause Burnout
Going to work every day with LRH Syndrome is like trying to drink from a fire hose. You will become overwhelmed and either hunker down in your misery or run down the hall with your hair on fire. There is a lot of sage advice available online to help you kick the problem. Relax, unplug, sleep, meditate, exercise, eat veggies, kiss frogs … whatever you need to do. As Frank Sinatra once said, “whatever gets you through the night.”
Still, there’s only so much that increasing the fiber in your diet can do! If running away to a private island in Samoa isn’t an option, here are some things you can do to prevent professional burnout that you HAVEN’T seen before.
1. Take Yourself To Lunch
Have a frank, serious discussion with your oldest friend – you. Tell yourself to park the ego, and take a realistic view about what you do and how long you expect to do it. What do you have to do to ensure you get where you want to be in five years and actually enjoy it? For most of us, walking away isn’t an option. Even a sabbatical is a luxury. Sabbatical is Latin for “doesn’t work here anymore.” Instead, take a fire extinguisher to your burnout this way.
2. Be Realistic
Carefully identify exactly what you are being paid to do. Don’t add pressure by trying to over-deliver. Just meeting the requirements and delivering both exceptional results and a great experience are enough. In the blog article Never Exceed Expectations – It’s A Losing Play, we uncovered a startling reality. Unless you are prepared to over-deliver on the requirements and the budget every time – forever – don’t do it. If you do, your exceptional effort will become the new standard, and the new measure of your success will always float just beyond your reach.
3. Swap Jobs
Kill the hen. Trying to do everything yourself is like screaming “Flame On!” Change responsibilities and swap jobs with someone else in the organization. You get a change of pace and see a different aspect of the project. You are still using your experience from earlier years, just shifting tasks. Along the way, you have a chance to use or develop new skills, challenge yourself in new ways and broaden the capabilities of the entire organization.
4. Get Professional Help
I’m not talking about therapy; I mean, bring in someone from the outside. The goal is to put another top brain on the job and give you some support. This might be a friend or associate who has no history with your employer or client. The simple act of explaining everything simply and clearly often primes the pump.
Or hire a professional as a short-term consultant. Check LinkedIn or any of the professional associations and “buy a brain for a day.” This isn’t a long-term process. You find a compatible pro and hire her/him for a day, or even a few hours. You are buying fresh ideas, perspective and insight. You talk things through, give the pro a homework assignment and then focus on something else. The pro comes back with solutions that you can use without worrying yourself into an early grave. Sure, it costs some money, but it can save you money by making the overall process more efficient and effective. Plus, you get the credit!
“No. I’m not inviting a competitor into the process. They’ll steal my business!” Paranoia is a symptom of burnout. There’s this growing fear of failure and upsetting the client, and a smell of desperation that leads to becoming entrenched in process, never changing roles and becoming an order-taker. If that sounds like you – you need professional help from a consultant. By choosing your “brain buddy” carefully, you can add resources that work for you. You can form your own professional support group and help grow everyone’s business.
Get Cool to Avoid The Burn
Of course, it’s better to see burnout for what it is and avoid it in the first place. Did you know that in 2012 being an event coordinator was rated one of the Top 10 most stressful jobs in America? When events, marketing and communications become as dangerous as being a soldier, policeman or a fireman – we need to step back!
Break the cycle. Get organized, prioritized, delegate and cut back. Cook the Little Red Hen for dinner and forget attempting to do everything alone and impress everyone all of the time. Give yourself permission not to be Superwoman or Superman. Make a conscious effort to change what you do and how you do it. And – create you own private support group of trusted consultants.
That way, when the job is completed, you can actually feel pleased and satisfied with what you accomplished. Now, when you take a deep breath, it’s the sweet smell of success. Or, just maybe it’s burning ambition.
If you decide that you need some “professional help” just click on CONTACT US and get in touch.
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