4 Things That Can Lead To Burn Out
The World Health Organization defines it as a "syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed."
Some people think they have it when, in reality, they have just had a tough week or couple of months.
And some people, when the stress is chronic, actually experience it.
What is it?
Burn Out
Here are four reasons that can cause burnout (not the only four but these are what I have seen most often)
1. Health and habits
I have written about this several times over the last month. We become prone to burnout when we fall into poor habits.
-Poor diet.
-Too much screen time.
-Too much alcohol.
-Too little sleep.
These might not be the root of burnout, but they can enhance the likelihood of experiencing burnout. The level that we take care of ourselves is the level of healthy resilience that we have.
This is one of the four reasons of burnout that we can control.
If you have had a tough month at work, and you 'medicate' yourself by going out three to four nights a week to 'burn off some steam' you are increasing your chances of burnout.
2. Capacity and pace
There are some jobs that require huge capacity and pace. This is a job that requires that you move fast, juggle a lot of responsibilities, and do them at a really high level.
These jobs often feel like everything is always a 10 (on a scale of 1-10) in urgency and importance.
We are all given a level of capacity and wired for pace.
It takes a while to figure out what those are.
Let's take coaching for example. If you are coaching at a power five level, the capacity you must have is extremely high. You have to manage staff and student-athletes. You have to constantly be pushing to move the program forward in NIL, facilities, student-athlete experience, salaries, etc.
You have to problem-solve, inspire, hold everyone accountable, etc. And the pace never slows. Constant recruiting, constant meetings with key stakeholders, fans, and administration. And when the year ends, you have to do it all over again...at that same pace if not faster.
Not everyone is cut out for that.
Some are wired more to be at a lower level that is not as fast and doesn't require massive capacity.
3. The 'who' is not right
This is when you are working with and/or for someone who is not a good fit for you.
No leader is perfect. They all have their struggles that bother us and idiosyncrasies that annoy us.
However, the 'who' that can prompt burnout is this, times 100.
If you have ever had people you work for/with that are insufferable or unbearable, you know what I am talking about.
The 'who' can take the enjoyment and pleasure out of your job. Again, no boss is perfect. There are times when you just must suck it up and deal with it.
But a consistent, insufferable boss can affect you at a deeper level.
4. The 'what' is not right
This is when you are in a role with responsibilities that are a terrible fit for you.
Maybe your role has changed since you started your job.
You look up one day and feel like you are running in mud. Everything is hard. This most likely means you are not cut out for this type of work.
Or maybe, at one point, you were excited and passionate about the work, but your passions and interests have changed.
Much like the 'who', I don't know if there is a perfect job. We will always have to do things in our job that we don't particularly like.
Especially when we are just getting started.
There is a ton of entry-level work that people hate. Sometimes you have to do grunt work to get where you want to go.
I am not talking about that situation. I am talking about when you are doing something you don't like and have zero passion for and see no end or carrot in sight.
My Story
I have changed professions twice after the age of 37. I left each profession before burnout occurred (not sure if it would've occurred...just know I didn't experience it).
When I left coaching in 2010, I was working for a great boss. I was taking care of myself. I simply lost passion for the 'what'.
I was also not built for the capacity and pace that D1 coaching required. So when I look up and have no passion for the 'what' and have a sense that I can't run at the pace required, I read the writing on the wall. My hunch is that I got out before burnout came calling (this is all hindsight).
Two Toughest To Come To Terms With
The two toughest categories to come to grips with are the 'what' and the capacity and pace.
Most of the time, the 'what' was something we have always wanted to do. I knew from an early age that I wanted to coach baseball. But guess what, that changed.
Sometimes it is hard to let go of the 'what' that has been in your DNA for a long time.
The other thing that is tough to come to grips with is capacity and pace.
This is the hardest in my opinion. There is something involving the ego that prevents us from being brutally honest with ourselves to say "I am not cut out for this level."
That is hard to do. It's a punch to our ego. I talk a lot about self-awareness...and this is where great self-awareness comes into play.
Crush your ego and be okay with how you are wired and created. It is a freeing feeling to do this.
Combinations
Any time you have a combination of these things, the chance of burnout dramatically increases.
If you have terrible habits and hate your boss, chances are you will crash and burn with stress and anxiety... and ultimately burnout.
If you hate your boss and are also in a role that you have zero passion for, burnout is coming.
If you are in a job that requires an 8 (scale of 1-10) on capacity and pace and you have terrible habits, some sort of crash and burn is coming.
And I will end with this. "I'm tired" is not burnout. Having a long season where things did not go well and feeling fried is not necessarily burnout.
Burnout is deeper than that. If we just take a cursory look at our life and assume "I'm tired" is burnout, we will hop from job to job and profession to profession.
This doesn't help you or your career.
Side note: I totally see the irony of me, having changed professions twice, writing about not moving from job to job and profession to profession. Each time I made the move, I opened up my situation to a group of wise men to poke around my life and allow them to speak into the situation. I would not recommend making drastic changes in isolation.
If you are experiencing what you think is burnout, get around some wise (preferably older) men or women and let them speak into your situation.
PS. There are no more mice running around in my car! However, I am pretty sure one of them ate the poison and died in my car. Seriously, the smell is almost unbearable. Keep me in your prayers 😊
CLICK here to order my book The Leadership Greenhouse
------
One of my weekly disciplines is scouring the internet for articles/tweets I can learn from and/or use with those I work with. Below are two that I hope help encourage and equip you.
Article 1- 9 Habits of a Curious Mind
Article 2- Weekly review- from chaos to clarity
Podcast: Jason Penry. Founder of Penry Advisors and Surefire. Stud!
Three Ways I Can Help:
1 on 1's - A powerful solution to combat the isolation and loneliness that often accompanies leadership. Leading with excellence can be an uphill battle, but you don't have to face it alone. My 1-on-1 coaching is designed to be your trusted thought partner, offering thought-provoking, perspective-enhancing questions that ignite fresh insights and clarity. Together, we will delve into the depths of your leadership role, helping you gain a profound understanding of yourself and your program. Our personalized approach ensures that each session is tailored to meet your specific needs and goals.
Here is a testimony from a 1 on 1 client: "Travis has helped me become a better leader. Travis has helped me organize my thoughts and has given me so much clarity on how to lead on a day to day basis. There is no doubt that he is the biggest asset to my leadership and has reenergized my coaching style." Jeff Duncan, Head Baseball Coach, Kent State
Training Day - During this transformative experience, I will guide you through the essential principles that lay the foundation for an elite environment in your program. Our approach is entirely interactive, ensuring an engaging and dynamic learning journey for all participants.
The Tribe - What are your pain points? What do you need to do to become a better leader? To create a better environment? Join a group of like-minded coaches who get together (via Zoom) every 2nd and 4th Monday to discuss and work through principles and frameworks to help you become a better leader.