September 30, 2024
Bash Burnout
The Importance of Personal Energy Management
There’s something magical about times when two things align perfectly. I love synchronicity. Recently, I had two linked events in the space of 24 hours that got me thinking about burnout.
The first was a conversation with a woman about helping fellow millennials become more aware of burnout and its symptoms before they wreak havoc on their lives.
The second was an article about personal energy management that I read on a flight. The author had suffered burnout and now coaches others on how to better manage their energy levels.
Since I had experienced burnout in the past, I could empathize with both women and their passion for helping others not succumb to burnout, which got me thinking about this blog topic.
Burnout is real, especially for millennials. In fact, millennials have even been dubbed the “burnout generation.” In a 2022 survey of full-time and part-time US adults, 39% reported moderate burnout. The stats for middle management were even higher, with managers reporting moderate burnout at 50%.
So, how can you bash burnout?
The first step to avoiding burnout is being aware of the symptoms. I will never forget the feelings of exhaustion and being very stressed out. My sleep quality was awful, and I often awoke in the middle of the night with racing thoughts related to work.
During that time, I was short-tempered at home with my husband and raced through my day with little time to spend just connecting with my team. I was tense and frazzled and lost my ability to feel joy.
Erin King, an entrepreneur and the author of the article above, described it well: “We get stuck in a cycle of powering through and powering down.”
That quote struck a chord with me. My life was stuck in a cycle: power through, get exhausted, take a vacation, and power down before powering back up. Every day, I existed like a rechargeable battery.
In fact, my husband would refer to me as an “Energizer bunny.” You know, the battery brand mascot that showcases how the battery helps you power through. It keeps you going and going. That was me, always on the go until I couldn’t go anymore.
Not a positive way to manage my personal energy.
That is where personal energy management comes into play. Ms. King feels it is more effective to know one’s baseline energy level and then modify one’s approach to work based on that energy type.
Being curious about this hypothesis, I went to the energy exam and took the test. It was no surprise that I was given an energy type called synergistic.
Synergistic people are collaborators, connectors, ambitious, and driven. This type of energy brings people together. Evidently, I am an inspiration catalyst and synergy architect. This assessment made perfect sense to me.
I felt like I was in good company, with Taylor Swift and Oprah being of the same type.
The research Ms. King reviewed showed that self-awareness and the concept of managing personal energy made a huge difference in preventing burnout.
We can all bash burnout by understanding our limits and setting boundaries to allow for self-care and rest instead of trying to power through when we have nothing left.
Batteries lose their power capacity over time. Their ability to recharge leaks out of them as they go through the continuous cycle of powering up, powering through, and then powering down. Humans are the same way. We lose our capacity if we do not pace ourselves, rest, and recharge.
As a synergistic energy type, I am hardwired to be on overdrive, or at least in high drive. And I need to make sure I give myself permission to rest.
I must remember to give myself permission to practice yoga, sleep at least 7 hours a night, and go for walks. Even when a part of me fights it, I need to give myself permission to slow down and set better boundaries.
I like the notion of being able to manage my personal energy rather than just my time. However, we must be intentional. It won’t just happen on its own, managing personal energy requires some planning, effort, and self-awareness. It’s vital that we know how to recognize the symptoms of burnout.
Do any of these sound familiar? Exhausted, overwhelmed, cynical, disengaged, stressed, overcommitted, distracted, or anxious.
Bash burnout before it takes you down. Don’t just power through.
Embrace managing your personal energy. Give yourself permission to rest and recover from the day’s business and stress, and set boundaries that safeguard your time for self-care and relaxation.
It’s okay to pace yourself.
Life is a journey. As you travel, make sure to refuel and recharge your personal battery. Remembering to practice self-care will make you much happier and less likely to suffer from burnout.
Are you excited to learn more? Visit our website at www.deleaninstitute.com to learn more about building and strengthening self-awareness and setting boundaries.
Light and Love,
Jackie
Sources
King, ‘The Energy Exam,’ thenergyexam.com
Roepe, Rabasca, ‘For Serial Entrepreneurs,’ September/October 2024, Success Magazine, success.com
Saunders, Elizabeth Grace, ‘4 Ways to Manage Your Energy More Effectively,’ May 14, 2021, Harvard Business Review, hbr.org
Tzesses, Jennifer, ‘Burnout Among Young Adults, The Warning Signs and What to do About It,’ January 11, 2022, Medcentral, medcentral.com/burnout.
