The cause of burnout is very individual. Multiple factors play into it instead of having one single cause. If you're in stage 1 or 2 of burnout, coaching can be an effective way to make a change - accompanied by other types of support. When stage 3rd degree burnout is present, more complex changes might be necessary.
When addressing it, investigating the individual characteristics and your history provides the foundation of our work. Burnout can be characterized by exhaustion, oftentimes triggered by chronic stress, values misaligned with the workplace, and extreme (self-)expectations. Rest is necessary, but not sufficient to make a lasting change
If you've gone through burnout, took some time off, went traveling, or visited a meditation retreat: these are all contributing to restoring your system and gaining new perspectives that will likely help you make further changes in your work and lifestyle.
If after a few months, in a new job or a new venture that initially felt exciting, you start noticing symptoms that you've had before: uneasiness, sadness, lack of motivation, restlessness, or occasional cry, they can be a sign that the deeply rooted patterns that led to burnout weren't fully surfaced and transformed yet.
Establishing boundaries, reframing responsibility, becoming skilled at saying no, embracing radical self-care, nurturing emotional resiliency, developing self-compassion, coming to terms with your wants and needs, and creating a healthier definition of self are what can contribute to lasting change and the prevention of another burnout.
In my experience, solely relying on talking and mental modalities can not always reach the causes rooted in the personality and the history of a person.
Thus in my practice, I combine a mix of approaches that address multiple layers of the personality and beyond. As a trained coach in EMDR and somatic coaching, I noticed how these can be used to experience calmness and safety, let go of outdated protective beliefs, and help strengthen new, more supportive beliefs about self.
I found that this three-pillar approach can help combat burnout and restore balance:
1. Reflect on the root causes:
Identifying what factors have caused burnout, unlocking unconscious patterns, and regulating the nervous system to make a change.
2. Align life and work with values:
Reflecting on values, envisioning what sort of work and life you want, and creating behaviors that help you with the change toward your vision.
3. Boundary-setting and creation of a healthier definition of self:
Reframing your sense of identity, increasing emotional resiliency, and deepening self-compassion.
Just like burnout does not have a single cause, the solution to recover from it and create balance is not a single thing either. It's a set of tools, approaches, nehavioural and mindset shifts that allow you to create a new normal in your work and life.
I'm offering a no-cost consultation to unpack your learnings around burnout, and what can help you recover from it and maintain balance. Book your call here.