On the brink of burnout

Would you know if one of your team members was about to reach burnout?

Last week I ran some one-on-one stress management coaching sessions with a dynamic team in a progressive company here in Brisbane.

It was a productive day, but I can't get one particular session out of my mind.

"Matt" is in his mid to late 30s, scaling his career & a key performer on his team. His supervisor has signalled a promotion in the next 12 months, which is great because he wants to buy his first home soon.

What Matt's supervisor & team don't know is that Matt is potentially on the brink of burnout.

He's trying his best to accelerate his career and meet performance standards, but at the same time, his marriage is in trouble. He has 2 kids aged 2 and 4 years. The 4 year old has a chronic illness that requires ongoing care. Matt barely gets a chance to talk to his wife, and he hasn't had adequate time to exercise or manage his stress for almost 4 years because…kids.

He knows his performance at work is slipping and he is fearful he'll lose the opportunity for promotion. He is afraid to talk with his manager about this because he doesn’t think he deserves special treatment. Everyone has their own stress, so why should he be any different?

Even if he could get some exercise, he has no energy, and really wouldn't know where to start. 

Socially his network has shrunk. He relies on his wife to organise gatherings and doesn't initiate things by himself.

He's not sleeping well - gets energy with coffee & relaxes with alcohol.     

---> Matt didn't know it, but he was demonstrating very real signs of being on the brink of burnout.

This is often the case. We get caught in the cycle of overwork and competing demands and don’t even realise the impact it is having on our lives. As things slowly crumble around us, it gets harder and harder to stay on top of it all.

Performance drops, relationships break down, health suffers, happiness and life satisfaction decreases, and before you know it, you’re at the point of burn out.

Here are some of the key features of burnout: 

🍃 reduced capacity to perform + increased errors

🍃 issues with team dynamics

🍃 lack of social support

🍃 changes in sleep habits

🍃 poor work life balance

🍃 fatigue

🍃 difficulty concentrating

🍃 unexplained physical complaints, headaches, stomach upset, 

🍃 decreased happiness/satisfaction

🍃 increased use of coping agents like alcohol or drugs

So what do you do about recognising and preventing burnout? The truth is, sometimes you don’t really know the amount of stress someone is under.

Firstly, it can help to check in with your team & ask them. Just ask them how they are. Even if you work in a high pressure environment, you need to stop for a few minutes and talk with your team. 

Often though, the real answers come out when an independent agent comes in to your office to talk with your staff. That's where Sunrise Well comes in:

Schedule in for a quick coaching session for your team, but if you really want to get at the core & make real changes in your workplace dynamics, let's run a 1-month energy audit and get really clear about what your team need by identifying areas of high stress , potential burnout, and wellbeing needs by a wellness industry expert.

At the end of 1 month of comprehensive assessments and consultations, you’ll receive a detailed report with tangible recommendations for the year ahead. From there we’ll formulate a wellbeing program that addresses your team’s unique wellbeing needs. Contact us today to schedule a free call.