In praise of the pause

In 2021 I burnt out.

It impacted me significantly for most of 2022.

It was painful, it damaged me physically and emotionally.

It changed the trajectory of my work, my life, my relationships.

Albeit for the better, but it didn’t feel like that at that time.

I stayed in places and situations too long and allowed them to change me.

I felt stuck and paralysed.

It was painful.

It took more than a while to move through it.

Burnout has lots of facets.

It’s insidious and it creeps up on you.

And it’s more than just being really, bloody tired.

It’s one of the biggest challenges I see my coaching clients face right now.

And it’s purely related to the workplace.

The World Health Organisation describes burnout as a workplace phenomenon.

A problem of toxic workplaces, being generally created through ill equipped and poor leadership practices. Including those we create ourselves.

A problem that simply won’t be fixed through implementing a workplace wellbeing plan or a resilience training programme.

Until we can face into dealing with the connection between leadership, business strategy and workplace culture, wellbeing plans on their own just won’t work.

As leaders, it must start with us.

When I ran large teams, I was far from perfect. And I still am not perfect.

But when I burnout spectacularly, I made myself a promise that I would not go back to feeling like that.

Ever again.

I had to start with me, how I was living, the type of behaviour I was embodying.

A few weeks ago, now in very different circumstances, I felt that creeping feeling of nearing depletion, coming too close for comfort.

Instead of ignoring it, thinking I can power through, be resilient, keep going, I’ve paused on some things. Allowing me time and space to re-connect with what’s important. What fuels me.

Why I do what I do.

What I want to stop doing.

Some questions I have been asking myself in the last few weeks, that may be helpful to you too:

Am I in momentum or am I busy for the sake of being busy?
How ‘lit up’ do I feel in my work or my life every day?
How do I nurture more opportunity to find juicy energy and excitement in my work or my life more frequently?

What circumstances, people or places deplete me? 
Am I moving towards a positive outcome or forcing action?
How satisfied do I feel?

How can I bring more joy into my life and my work?

You’ll have your own questions to add too, no doubt.

But the most important question to ask, is if you’re prepared to take time to listen to your answers.