Working through burnout

We're burned out. Now what?

In my previous post about preventing burnout in the new year, I made some assumptions. I assumed that many of you were starting the year fresh after the holidays, and that a reminder to reset your practices would be helpful in preventing burnout. However, your responses and messages have shown me that this may not be the case. Many of you have asked questions such as "but what if I'm already experiencing burnout?" or "what if I can't take time off?"

First and foremost, I want you to know that you are not alone. The past few years of turmoil have drained our energy and patience, leaving many of us feeling exhausted and indifferent. This is not a reflection of your abilities as a leader, but rather a result of the constant and relentless demands to adapt and excel. It is easy to forget all that we have been through, especially for those of us who are naturally optimistic and always looking towards the future. However, we must acknowledge the toll that our past experiences have taken on us.

To be honest, I am also experiencing severe burnout. I have been avoiding acknowledging the slippery slope I was on in 2023. But in trying to “return” to work in January, it can no longer be ignored. In fact, I avoided admitting it for some time because my inner critic has been loud, questioning how I can coach others to avoid burnout when I have allowed myself to experience it. I did not want to admit that despite having all the tools, I still ended up here.

The hard truth about burnout

As high achievers, we often experience burnout and also feel guilty about it. We may feel bad for not wanting to get out of bed in the morning or not enjoying a job that we worked hard for. This adds to our stress and we often hide our true feelings from others because we don't want them to wonder about our commitment, especially if we need them to be fully invested.

As an executive coach, I understand that high performers are usually the toughest on themselves, making recovering from burnout even more difficult. We tend to put pressure on ourselves to perform well, which can be beneficial, but when we are experiencing burnout, it only adds to the stress our bodies are already carrying. Burnout is essentially the result of chronic stress.

And high performers often pride themselves in being able to navigate high levels of stress. In fact, one of my previous clients kept asking me “why can’t I seem to excel in this role?” in our coaching sessions, as if she hadn’t achieved the skills to do it well. But reality couldn’t be further from the truth. She was absolutely equipped to navigate every single challenge in front of her (and she had already proven that), but she lacked the capacity from prolonged burnout. And that made her doubt herself and her skills.