How to Avoid Burnout

At the time of writing, it's the last day of Mental Health Awareness Week and as you can imagine, many of my clients and students are suffering from high levels of stress or even mild depression. It's not hard to realise that they are, in the main, high functioning individuals in 'good jobs' but these jobs are so stressful, it's actually making them mentally ill. Their conscientiousness, strong work ethic and diligence are being taken for granted by their employers with most working really long hours within incredibly reduced teams.

Some are counsellors who previously conducted their sessions in the workplace but they are now working from home, via zoom which means that the home/workspace boundaries are completely blurred and it's proving difficult for them to separate themselves from the heavy energy of their sessions.

Most have seen their doctors but with little effect, so I often suggest they book some time off so they can get some much-needed sleep, rest and relaxation. However, their imposing work deadlines make it hard for them to even consider this as an option for fear of letting their boss or the team down. They also worry about work and emails building up in their absence.

The sad thing is, the alternative could be weeks of sudden, enforced time-off, without any timely handover, due to being burned out.

If this is something that you are also going through, then it's vitally important to prioritise your mental health; speak to someone at work about the pressures you are under and agree on a plan to reduce your workload and get the support you need.

You have to manage your mental health before it manages you. 💜

Namasté

Gwen x