Research Paper By Denise Eckert
(Burnout Coach, CANADA)
What is Burnout:
exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration 1
According to WHO:
“Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:
- feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
- increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and
Burnout can come from many different sources such as work-life, entrepreneurship, financial stress, family, relationships, health concerns, health issues, etc. Some of the symptoms can be:
- Fatigue
- Unfocused
- Frustration
- Short Tempered
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Sleep Disorders
- Unmotivated
As a survivor of burnout, I am well aware of the symptoms and how it can change your life. At times, I felt like I was living in a haze. I was at the Doctor’s office on many occasions but nothing was ever diagnosed.
Coaching for Burnout
Coaching has a very powerful impact on someone with burnout. Through conversations, the client will increase their clarity, purpose, and design their lives to reflect this. Coaching provides many skills such as active listening, powerful questioning, many different power tools to create awareness around burnout/stress.
At times, when in burnout the exhaustion is real and can hinder any decision-making skills. A lot of times, the client in burnout has lost perspective as fatigue has taken control Coaching can unravel the struggle with burnout/stress/overwhelm. In my experience, once the client is clear and focused on their values, purpose, goals, and why – they tend to sigh with relief as now they have a clear path of where they want to go.
In my coaching, I am very practical, and creating an action plan is very important to me. Clients realize that goals take time and effort and cannot be reached all at once. Creating a balanced life and/or goals, takes time, energy, and commitment. Creating smaller steps makes this easier to navigate in their daily lives without creating stress and/or overwhelm.
In my coaching practice, I support the client to gain clarity and awareness of their situation. Once they come to terms with where they are, then we explore where they want to be. As a coach, it is important to explore what is holding them back (lack of boundaries, limiting beliefs, etc.) and how they can move forward without the stress.
Creating awareness around burnout is key. Mindfulness, self-management, time management, relaxation techniques, clear goal-setting are some of the practices that a coach could support the client with.
Through this process, the client can transform their burnout/stress/overwhelm situation to a more balanced lifestyle where they can enjoy their lives again.
Resources
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burnout
https://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/burn-out/en/