Why Is Everyone Talking About Burnout?
There is a lot of conversation these days around our mental health and well-being. Often when we meet someone the first question we ask is, what do you do?
If the answer to that question is positive and meaningful to you, then you are more likely to be thriving in your career wellbeing. Should we really be asking “what exciting things are you working on right now”? Not everybody is defined by their job or occupation and you’ll start to get some much more interesting answers.
Pursuing a life well-lived is a very personal concept and means very different things to each of us. Wellbeing is word that describes all of the things that are important to us and how we think about and experience our lives.
In research run by international research company Gallup there were five interconnected factors that appeared across huge global research. Gallup determined that these are the factors that make up “wellbeing”.
Once you know what those factors are, you have the awareness that you need to be able to monitor your own wellbeing.
Wellbeing is composed of five interrelated and interdependent elements, we like to refer to them as our roots
Career – liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals
(This can also be your occupation, not all of us are paid for what we do each day, the impact is the same!)
Social – having supportive relationships and love in your life
Financial – managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security
Community – liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community
Physical – having good health and enough energy to get things done daily
Burnout can be related to a very low sense of wellbeing, by focusing on our roots, perhaps grading them out of five and seeing which ones are consistently low over time can help give ownership. Awareness of the fact that these roots are interconnected and that one being damaged will affect the overall wellbeing score is also helpful when setting goals and targets as well as being a helpful reminder not to fall into the trap of pursuing success in one area at the cost to all else.
In coaching we use this model to support our clients in creating a wellbeing action plan, identifying steps to help turn wishes into goals.
Did you know, people with strong Relationship Building strengths can feel burnout more, by as much as 35%!
This is due to their strengths giving them a greater propensity to consider how others might feel in a given situation.
Using the CliftonStrengths model and using the recommended burnout coping strategies can create a -43% change in burnout symptoms.
The key takeaway for those relationship builders, is to consider how you have approached challenging situations before, removing that focus from thinking about others.
Another good way to avoid comparison to others, (particularly as people rarely present their real-lives on social media) is having smart goals. Goals are a great way to focus your strengths on specific objectives, which will allow you to move forward with purpose. Using your natural talents in a positive way results in a natural flow and a great sense of satisfaction, when related to specific goals and objectives. There is a free download to help you set smart goals here.
Coaching around your strengths and focusing on self determined actions can have a very positive effect on your wellbeing, identifying barriers to achieving your goals and ascertaining what help and support you will need to negotiate any obstacles, can help you plan your actions and improve your mental state.
Determining your future state and imagining yourself thriving in that state, can be a very powerful strategy.
Think about the activities that you are naturally drawn to, these will often be close to your personal strengths.
Ask yourself;
If I could make one change for the better, what would it be?
How does my work fulfil my sense of purpose?
Am I thriving in my career?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, then what action do you need to take in order to change your plan?
For more information about finding your strengths and how this can help, check out some of the other resources here, or contact us for a free call to discuss how we can support you.
