Burnout and Moving Towards Wellbeing

Posted on August 26, 2021 by Eloise Russo, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.

Chronic Stress and Burnout
“Burnout is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion that is brought upon by long periods of constant unrelenting stress…Burnout is on the rise. Over half of survey respondents are experiencing burnout in 2021.” – Forbes article with data from Indeed study

I’m fortunate to work with many remarkable leaders, and burnout is a common theme in coaching sessions. As leaders have navigated the past year+ of uncertainty and crisis management, those who have been going nonstop are starting to hit a wall. And many hit a wall long before now.

Operating at such high levels of chronic stress can take a real toll on our minds and bodies. Unsurprisingly, reports of exhaustion, brain fog, and a sense of unease and anxiety about continued uncertainty going forward are common. In a study conducted by the Catalogue for Philanthropy in DC, 40% of Executive Directors surveyed reported feeling burned out, and another 40% shared that they were on the verge of burnout. Having experienced burnout myself and having worked hard to build my health back, I have a deep commitment to staying out of burnout and supporting others through this time. I know how challenging it can be to not be able to operate at the capacity that you could before, and how draining even the small things can be when you’re in a place of burnout.

Managing Overwhelm and Moving Towards Wellbeing
Thankfully, there are steps we can take to support ourselves during these times to help reduce our sense of overwhelm, bring greater ease, and a sense of hope back to our every day lives.

Actions leaders I’m working with are taking include:
- Starting the day with breathing exercises and a walk rather than diving straight into email
- Digital detox on days off
- Regular movement and time in nature
- Working with teams to reprioritize goals for the year, including pressing pause or shifting timelines to accommodate the current reality
- Yoga nidra and restorative yoga
- Saying no more often / holding stronger boundaries
- Sharing the responsibility of leadership more deliberately
- Planning for and taking regular time off
- Exploring the possibility of a sabbatical or longer period of time off
- Building a consistent mindfulness and/or meditation practice
- Carving out more time for rest and relaxation
- Prioritizing sleep and taking action to support good sleep (reducing caffeine and alcohol, eating an earlier lighter dinner, screens off before bed…)
- Long-term planning around transition and succession planning
- Reconnecting with what they love about their work and experimenting with how to do less of what is most draining

Taking Action
What’s coming up for you? What can you commit to this week? Can you identify and commit to one action step you can take to support yourself during this time? Maybe one of the examples from above resonates, or maybe something else comes to mind.

As for me, I’m committing to daily walks or swims right now. Daily movement and time in nature help me relax and be present in the moment. It allows me to let go of some of the tension and stress that I’d otherwise be holding onto. Maybe most importantly, it helps me sleep better at night…a self-perpetuating cycle in the best of ways!