“Steve, I am feeling burned out.”
You could see it on his face but I was still surprised. This once-vibrant business executive typically leads teams with confidence and resolve now needing to hit a serious reset– recalibrate in order to regain health, and balance, and remind himself of his purpose.
We spent the afternoon identifying some reasons and then a guilt-free discussion on how best to honor his humanity and put in place some new health and balance priorities.
You could again see it on his face– renewed hope.
Job burnout is a special type of work-related stress. A state of physical and emotional exhaustion, reduced satisfaction, brain fog, loss of personal identity, and a lack of purpose.
Medical experts from the Mayo Clinic think underlying issues of burnout come from prolonged depression and increased anxiety from the stress hormone cortisol.
Job burnout symptoms
- Have I become cynical at work?
- Do I drag myself out of bed?
- Do I lack focus and energy at work?
- Do I find it difficult to focus on basic tasks?
- Do I feel disillusioned about my job?
- Am I medicating my burnout by using food, drugs, or alcohol to feel better and cope?
- Do I lack vision and feel unmotivated about the future?
Saying “yes” to most of these questions, you might consider speaking to a physician or mental health provider because these symptoms can also be related to increased health symptoms.
Please take care of yourself. Seeking help is an act of courage, not weakness.
Finally, remind yourself there is hope and a pathway from burnout to a renewed purpose of better health and increased balance. Just like the executive in my story who’s now on a new path and who’s no longer engaging in habits that undermine his health and emotional well-being.
As a master storyteller, Steve has unparalleled ability to communicate dynamic business and leadership truths through stories, anecdotes and humor. Harness the power of the “number one” predictor of professional success, impact, leadership, high performance and sustainable relationships in business and life. Steve’s highest rated keynote presentation.
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“The purpose of Leadership Quest is to help professionals develop their personal leadership, vision and emotional intelligence. Everyday I strive to help leaders and teams achieve their desired goals in sales productivity, leadership, time maximization, and life-balance. ”
About the Author
Steve Gutzler is the President of Leadership Quest, a Seattle-based leadership development company. Steve is a dynamic, highly-sought-after speaker who has delivered more than 2,500 presentations to a list of clients including Microsoft, Starbucks, the Seattle Seahawks, Pandora Radio, Boeing, Cisco, Starwood Corporation, the Ritz Carlton group, and the U.S. Social Security Administration. He recently was voted #1 by the readership of Huffington Post as the Most Inspirational Leader on Social Media.
A published author on leadership and emotional intelligence, Steve resides near Seattle with his wife Julie where they enjoy time with their three adult children and six grandchildren.
