I was recently talking to one of my clients about burnout - she had recently started back at work in her senior role at a major accounting firm and had “hit the ground running”.
I had a similar philosophy around returning to work when I went back in 2019, when George was only just six months old. I too wanted to hit the ground running, make a big impact and was clear on what I wanted to deliver and achieve. I loved my job and really was a big part of my identity.
Within about six weeks, the exhaustion of doing compressed hours, in a demanding role (when I went back I returned to a bigger job) and the sleep deprivation. George would wake most nights two to three times.
I had zero boundaries...
I also lacked the knowledge of how to set boundaries - I was so used to working late and being available at all times of the day or weekends. Looking back, I can see how unhealthy that balance was and how my passion for my job was a driving factor in the balance, as well as high expectations being put on me.
Learning how to set boundaries, ensuring that I made time for exercise and mindfulness and listening to what my body needed (sometimes that meant heading to bed at 8pm to read and wind down, to get some much needed rest before George would usually wake at 1am and again at 3 and again at 5am).
I felt like I was on a never-ending treadmill where I couldn’t turn the speed down to a walking pace, it was constantly turning faster than I could keep up!
(See my Seven Tips for Setting Boundaries blog here.)
You’re not alone: Women globally are experiencing burnout
The good thing is, I have realised now that I wasn’t alone. A global Deloitte study of 5,000 women found that nearly a third (31%) reported feeling unable to “switch off” from work since the pandemic, with more than half of these saying this is driven by a fear that doing so will affect their career progression (52%).
I now spend time with clients who are at any stage of their career to set boundaries and learn to have a healthy balance between life and work. The outcome is that they are happier, full of energy and vitality and are highly productive at work!
We spend time to
You can look at what I do with my clients for yourself too using my notes above.
Burnout
Oftentimes when we don’t have boundaries, we can easily become burnt out. I’ve experienced burnout several times - sometimes I fail to listen to my needs - and the result is that I have trouble concentrating at work, become forgetful and easily upset.
Burnout is awful because you’ve essentially used all of the petrol in the tank and you can’t keep going. It’s challenging to look after your child and do your job. It’s one of the most common topics discussed in my coaching sessions.
Signs of burnout and how to recover:
I’m here to help you
If you would like to chat to me about setting your boundaries and creating more balance in your life then please contact me to organise a free 15min chat with me to discuss the challenges you’re facing, or send me an email at oliviabath@thewomensvault.com or you can send me a DM on Instagram.
Links
*Deloitte Study was released in May 2021, entitled Women at Work.