I burned out completely in 2021 and ultimately left my corporate career as an executive. It was years in the making and it took me a whole year to recover. Because of this, I speak openly about being anti-hustle culture and the importance of boundaries and self-care.

The truth is that by the time I hit burnout, I had already had some ‘mini-burnouts’ and had become much better with my boundaries. But it was too little, too late, and what pushed me over the edge was the stress of living with my in-laws and no longer feeling aligned with what I was doing professionally.

I share this because burnout can stem from very different things, but it all comes down to stress that is not dealt with and doesn’t go away. When our body is constantly experiencing stress episodes, it will finally hit a breaking point – we can’t do it anymore.

The top 6 things contributing factors for women working in corporate are:

  1. Workload / overwork
  2. Poor workplace culture and systemic bias
  3. Work-life integration challenges
  4. Lack of control and career misalignment
  5. Internal pressures (eg. perfectionism)
  6. Ineffective stress management

So, while we often think of burnout as the result of working too much, it’s much more complex than that. The culture you work in and the way you’re treated also matter. Feeling as though you have autonomy and are valued matters.

In today’s newsletter, I want to focus on burnout prevention. This is timely for me because just last week, I started to feel as though I was inching closer to burnout. I was too stressed and too busy. I was not my typical happy and energetic self. I was impatient.

Knowing your own signs and making changes before it gets worse can be the key to preventing a full burnout. When I started to feel this way last week, I immediately texted my partner to let him know and suggested talking about a plan the following day. Then I started making a list of the things I know help me to feel happy, healthy, and balanced in my life.

Fast forward to this week and I feel completely differently. That’s how quickly you can turn things around if you catch it early.

So in today’s newsletter, I’ll break down:

  • How to spot burnout before it becomes burnout
  • What to do once you are starting to struggle
  • My top habits to help prevent burnout

Let’s dive in…

Don’t wait to get to burnout…

You can often spot burnout coming a mile away. Years ago I learned about the mental health continuum. It looks like this:

On one side, you’re in crisis and on the other you’re excelling. The key is to create regular check-ins with yourself to determine where you are currently falling on this scale. If you start to slip into surviving, it’s time to make some proactive changes and definitely if you are in the struggling stage.

Some of the things to pay attention to:

  • Energy levels – Persistent fatigue that doesn’t improve with sleep and starts in the morning
  • Mood changes – Irritability, frustration, and impatience with coworkers, family, or friends OR feeling detached, apathetic, or cynical
  • Physical warning signs – frequent headaches, tense muscles/ soreness, digestive issues, and sleep issues

I recommend creating a calendar event every week or month where you check in with yourself. The sooner you catch this, the easier it is to adjust.

What to do once you notice you’re slipping…

So, let’s say you’ve identified that you’re surviving or even struggling. What now?

First, it can be helpful to identify the source(s) of your stress and to determine whether they are part of a season or something that may be a longer-term issue.

For example, if you have a bunch of family staying with you over the next week and it’s a major contributing factor, you know that it will end in a week. That doesn’t mean you should ignore this, but it does mean that you’re dealing with a temporary stressor.

On the other hand, if you’re working for a toxic boss who berates you weekly and makes you feel worthless, unless there is some sign that this person will be leaving (or you will), this is likely to be a long-term stressor and one that you’ll urgently want to address.

Either way, having some tools in your toolbelt to help you deal with either situation is important. Over time, you can make your own list of the tools that help you personally, but here is a list to get you started:

  • Create space in your schedule
  • Ensure you’re getting adequate sleep
  • Set daily priorities
  • Practice mindfulness
  • Create a well-being routine
  • Get firm with boundaries
  • Build daily movement into your life
  • Adopt a gratitude practice
  • Connect with friends
  • Invest in personal development

Depending on what the cause of your stress is, some of these may work better than others but ALL of them help me to feel better!

When I was feeling stressed last week, I immediately made plans with a few friends, ensured I was working out in the mornings, not skipping my meditation, and getting outside for walks (which is hard to do in this freezing cold weather).

Okay, how to ensure we don’t end up here again?

We can’t control our external circumstances (although if you’re working in a toxic environment, here’s your gentle nudge to get the heck out of there), but we can control how we show up daily.

One thing I haven’t shared is that right before I started to feel off, I had let my daily routine slip. I was extra busy at work, my partner had to be out for several evenings for work events, and the kids’ schedules seemed to be busier than ever.

And I fell off the wagon.

The problem is, I need that routine to maintain my sanity with this crazy life that I love so much! Building self-care and some of the tools I mentioned above into your daily routine is a great way to get ahead of stress.

Here are some of my favourite anti-burnout habits:

  • Morning workouts
  • Morning meditation
  • Lunchtime walks
  • Evening reading
  • Evening journaling and gratitude
  • Consistent bedtime
  • Weekly connection with a friend IRL

The great thing about these habits, is they not only protect against stress, they will also help you to show up as a better leader! I put together a guide—​7 Habits to Accelerate Your Next Promotion​—where I outline my favourite habits and explain how they benefit you as a leader. Check it out as my little gift to you here.

Until next time friends… ✌️💜

Katy

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