subject: Change : Changing Pace And Place To Avert Burnout [print this page] There's no businessperson who doesn't run the risk of burnout. There are simply too many challenges coming at us, from day-to-day business demands and from our own entrepreneurial ambitions, for us to maintain complete control. As a rule, we thrive in this kind of environment. But there are times when it all becomes too much. And, because were so used to taking on big challenges and dealing with them, we often dont recognize burnout into were well into it.
It can make a huge difference to our careers if we can learn to recognize the symptoms of burnout and then take steps to put out the fire, fast.
In my case, the telltale symptom is the inability to make a decision. As a rule, Im usually able to move things quickly off my plate and go on to the next item. But if burnout is creeping up on me, I find myself lettings things stew and simmer. I avoid making decisions, or find myself revisiting ones Ive already made. The little things somehow become overwhelming.
If that goes on too long, not only am I frustrated, but my employees may start spinning their wheels as well. (Yes, symptoms of burnout can be contagious and spread quickly throughout an organization.)
Go away. Just go away!
I have a favorite cure when I feel burnout coming on. Here are the three key ingredients:
1. Time. You need time away from it all the minimum of a long weekend. A night out at the movies is not going to do the job, particularly if you have to be up early the next morning to prepare for an important meeting.
2. Distance. It's important to get far away, geographically and mentally. I like to go someplace warm and sunny though that may be because I work in Seattle. Someone in Florida may decide it's time to go hiking in the Rockies or for a theater weekend in Manhattan.
3. Freedom. Avoid anything that reminds you of work. Don't give in to the temptation to take work along with you on vacation. Or to go to a business conference or out-of-town client meeting in an exotic location and call that a vacation. If youre on stage, planning and dealing, its not the R&R you need. Its just temptation, disguised in a Hawaiian shirt, toting golf clubs, and luring you down the fairway to burnout.
One reason why the go away solution works well is that it addresses the biological explanation for burnout: If we put ourselves repeatedly in stressful situations, and our bodies are called upon to produce adrenaline too frequently, the adrenal system that provides us with bursts of energy can simply tire out. The next time we call on it for some adrenaline, it fails to respond leaving us tired and unable to produce our accustomed level of performance.
Simply changing your surroundings, bringing wellness in the workplace and the pace of your life can do wonders. Within 48 hours, youll feel as if you took the blinders off. Problems that nagged at you for weeks now appear in a perspective that shows them to be solvable.
No time for vacation means you need a vacation
The paradox is the when the work situation is so overwhelming that you think you dont dare leave, thats probably exactly when you most need to get away. To nip burnout in the early stages, you really do need to drop everything, and put some real distance between you and the work environment. I either tell people in advance that Ill be out of touch for a few days, or put a partner or assistant in charge of fielding all my calls, messages, and emails.
Sure, a few glitches may result from my absence. But when I return from vacation, my refreshed self finds those minor issues and the big ones, as well surprisingly easy to handle. Miraculously, the answers are all there.
