Burnout
Burnout, fatigue, exhaustion - these are three (3) words most business owners and executives know quite well. The Pandemic has shifted the balance in favor of these feelings, much to the detriment of all of us.
Running your own company, or your own book of business, or your own mission-based not for profit can take its toll, emotionally and physically. In today’s digital age, and once the Pandemic brought the workplace permanently into our home, it seems unavoidable.
Years ago, our office floor was being renovated and we all had to work from home for around half the year. This was years before the Pandemic. The local noise in my neighborhood consisted of landscapers, construction workers, delivery trucks and neighbors shouting across the street to chat. All perfectly normal until you have to conduct a work conversation.
My most vivid memory was trying to have a discussion with a client in Toronto when UPS made a delivery to my house with my dogs home. I happened to be working in my pantry and quickly ran to the basement to mask the noise. Unfortunately, I ran right under the living room window where the noise was occurring. It was painful for me and my client. I was stressed out afterwards and sent him an apology. But, what could I do? Sometimes, life just happens. I should have realized going down to the basement was not the answer and that likely a closet was a better choice. My decision brought me more stress. And burnout began to settle in as this was not the first, nor would it be the last, of misdirected decisions while trying to cope with an at home work environment.
That entire time was a foreshadow of the Pandemic to come. Hard to have a hard line between the office and home when the home is the office and visa versa. This can and did, for me, lead to burnout. In fact, by the time my decision was made to take an early retirement, this scenario weighed heavily in my decision making process. I was not able, at that time, to leave the office in a room in my home. It seemed I worried 24/7 over clients, their needs, my ability to find new business, and on and on. It seemed to be a cycle I was not able to easily eradicate.
Fast forward to a few years later, a Pandemic Pause behind us, a Variant circling around us, and a new solo venture for myself. Just today, I spent an hour sitting in the sun waiting to do an errand. It felt great. I heard birds around me, some construction noise, but little else. I try to steal these moments for my emotional wellbeing. They are moments that help me avoid burnout again. They remind me of the truly important things in life and that I do need to set aside time for my emotional wellbeing. That lease contract to review will be there in an hour, the emails to return will still be there, and the decisions yet needed to be made, will all be waiting for me. I say: “Let them wait!”
There are many activities one can turn to when experiencing Burnout. Find a life coach, a health coach, exercise more, join that gym, take that yoga class, read that book, play that card game, run after your pets or children. Make it a priority to carve out time for yourself. I just joined a new social club and am very excited to meet with clients and friends in their award winning Olmsted landscaped garden. The fountain alone is serene and takes you to better places if you close your eyes. Do what will calm you down and destress your life, even for a small part of each day.
Be like the dog in our blog photo, there is always a time to call it quits, lay down, and look up to the clouds, or the camera in his case! Do not let your job or company burn you out. You are no good to anyone or your organization is a constant state of burnout.
Namaste.
