Beating Burnout

Burnout comes in different ways for different reasons. Some practical examples:

– It can be physical. It can be as simple as consistently getting too little sleep.

– It can be emotional. It can be as simple as forcing yourself to chase an outcome you don’t care about.

– It can be mental. It can be as simple as continually worrying about outcomes, or overtaxing your mental abilities.

– It can be conative. It can be as simple as fixing machines when you’d rather be using your brain, or sitting in meetings when you’d rather be swinging a hammer.

Each of these have more versions as well. It came come from more complex physical issues. It can come from being around people who constantly degrade & shame you.

For most people, “Am I burned out?” isn’t helpful. Most of us aren’t flat on our backs, physically incapacitated from doing work.

Better questions:

– If I continue on this path, will I burn out?

– What level am I on the path to burn out?

And then you can ask:

– Why am I burning out?

– What do I need to change to fix where I’m headed?

Simple answers like “Go take a 1-week vacation” are great, but that’s not universal.

Properly diagnose.

THEN, prescribe the cure.