Let’s Talk About Burnout
I saw the following graphic posted in professional Facebook group and the OP proposed an informal poll on where people felt they were at on the chart. Now this chart isn’t exactly a perfect representation of the graduation of stress. I think there could be columns in between each column, but the exercise was still telling.
I was very surprised, concerned, and saddened by how many of our colleagues felt they were in the orange category. Or yellow leading to orange. And episodically sliding in and out of red. Yikes!
Being a business owner is not for the faint of heart. Running a business that is coupled with the responsibility of patient care and outcome adds an extra layer of stress. But we do it to make a difference in people’s lives. This is your calling and this is what is takes to be in business for yourself. So suck it up, buttercup!
Uh… no.
We have to stop rationalizing mental and emotional struggles under the guise of the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Even when things get tough, you should still be enjoying the journey. If you’re not that is a fast-track to burnout.
So what is burnout? One definition of burnout is:
Burnout is a reaction to prolonged or chronic job stress and is characterized by three main dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism (less identification with the job), and feelings of reduced professional ability.*
So how do we avoid or defeat burnout? There are all kinds of suggestions made by colleagues and coaches to avoid burnout. Most of them are primarily focused on changing actions or circumstances such as: See more patients in fewer hours; Raise your rates; Sell packages; Hire staff; Automate your systems; Change jobs or office location, etc.
These can definitely be helpful action steps that provide immediate relief, but they won’t be helpful in the long run for those who are in the yellow, orange, or red categories. This is because if you don’t understand the real source of your dissatisfaction and you don’t have the tools to master your narrative, you will be right back where you started. It's the reason why when someone who is miserable at their job switches jobs and eventually becomes miserable again. Or if you think all you need to be satisfied is to double the amount of patients. So you implement a system that fills your books and you're still miserable. Maybe even more so because you're now overwhelmed on top of the misery. Getting caught up in a cycle of one arrival fallacy after another makes you feel like you're running in place and not getting anywhere.
If you feel like you're feeling the effects of burnout, or you’re regularly in anything other than the green category I’m working on something to help you. In the meantime, let's open a discussion...
How are you all doing these days??
*https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-and-burnout-symptoms-and-causes-3144516