Does everything seem to irritate you at the moment?
Are you feeling low in enthusiasm, energy, fun, and have a lack of excitement about the future?
Does everything feel like a grind at work?
Every day you rock up and the appointments are over-booked and the day hasn’t even started?
On top of that, is there is a pile of HR issues, equipment issues, client issues and accounting issues for you to find time to sort out?
Do you feel like limping home, having a few drinks to numb the weight and flop into bed and hopefully feel better tomorrow?
Are you sooooo over anything to do with COVID you feel sick even hearing the word?
I reckon that the majority of the world is currently feeling like this and especially those who have been under the pump.
(I guess we should feel lucky we aren’t in the tourism sector. They will feel like crap too but have bigger problems to deal with.)
So…
What can you do about it?
Option 1 – The Doona Solution
Climb under the doona and hope the world goes away.
I tried that when I was feeling exactly like the above…
It does not work…
Period.
Option 2 – Break the Pattern
Do something to break the pattern and develop a strategy to get you and your team back on track.
A reset if you like!
Understand this…
The last 2.5 years have been the perfect incubator for burnout… especially in the health delivery industries.
There are 5 stages in burnout you need to be aware of:
Stage 1. Honeymoon
In the beginning you’re fired up and striving to prove yourself. You have unbridled optimism – this is the bullseye. This is what it was like when you started your business.
Stage 2. Onset of stress
Some days start to feel more difficult than others. You start to feel fatigue, you might be grinding of teeth at night and experiencing forgetfulness, irritability, lower productivity, reduced sleep quality and increased worrying.
Stage 3. Chronic stress
At this stage you start to experience chronic exhaustion and perhaps an increased reliance on caffeine and/or alcohol. You’re feeling pressured and out of control, along with a sense of resentfulness, social withdrawal, general apathy (“I can’t be bothered”), decreased sexual desire and the feeling of being trapped with no way out.
Stage 4. Burnout
At Stage 4 burnout you might experience chronic headaches and develop a pessimistic outlook along with a feeling of emptiness. You might start to neglect personal needs, have a desire to “drop out” of society, be obsessed with problems at work, and start to notice behavioural changes and stomach or bowel problems.
Stage 5. Habitual Burnout
This stage is evidenced by chronic mental and physical fatigue, chronic sadness, depression and burnout syndrome.
What stage are YOU in?
Now do you want to do something about it?
The first step is to HAVE A BREAK AND HAVE SOME FUN. Have a laugh and develop strategies to get you back to feeling like you did at Stage 1.
YOU are your biggest asset, followed closely by the team that supports you, so it’s essential to invest in yourself and then watch how much more flow you experience in your life.
