part I
We’ve all been there. That feeling you get when you’re so overwhelmed, all you want to do is… nothing. That feeling has a technical name — burnout — and it occurs when we’re over-worked, overtired, and generally over it. Mission-driven leaders, who tend to be highly motivated, passionate, and over-committed, are even more at risk of burnout than the average person. They push their limits and exhaust themselves precisely because they care so much.
Join Ken & Rob in this two part candid conversation as they share their experiences of burnout and how they dealt with it. In today’s episode, Ken kicks off the conversation by sharing how burnout crept up on him in his journey with folks who live outdoors.
Intro/Outro music by skinfiltr8r.
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Signs That You Might Be Experiencing Burnout
Emotional/mental/physical signs of exhaustion:
- Low energy most days, fatigue that does not subside even after a night of sleep, dreading getting out of bed
- Feeling more negative or pessimistic in both professional and personal life
- Being more forgetful of appointments, responsibilities, events, or chores
- Insomnia even when you’re physically exhausted or having fitful, restless sleep; not being able to fall asleep for hours; or waking up throughout the night.
- Increase in illnesses due to a weakened immune system
- Physical symptoms such as chest pain, muscle tension, stomach aches, headaches
(If you experience any of these physical symptoms, get a medical check to rule out any other issues) - Anxiety – feeling so tense and worried that you feel impaired in your ability to do work
- Depression – feelings of sadness, worthlessness, guilt or hopelessness
Depersonalization signs:
- Wanting to isolate yourself from others
- Avoidance of projects, people, responsibilities
- Feeling disconnected from others and yourself, finding that you’re not as engaged as you used to be
Diminished effectiveness:
- Lower productivity, undermined performance and despite your efforts feeling more behind
- Sense of apathy or caring less about either the tasks, others or your performance
- Feeling angry or irritable, frustrated with not being as effective