Who's Responsible for Your Burnout Recovery? (Hint: It's Not Your Manager)

As a manager, it's likely that you're accustomed to carrying the weight of every situation. When it comes to dealing with burnout, you might assume that being in a leadership role, the burden falls solely on you. However, this perspective is not entirely accurate. Each person has control over their own actions, and they are the one's who can best decide what steps to take for their well-being. This means your responsibility extends primarily to what happens within your work environment and your duty of care to your team member. Here are three strategies to help your team member manage their burnout recovery.

Tip 1: Be Honest with Yourself

It can be tough to admit that we need help—that we’re not invincible and that taking on too much can take its toll. But the truth is, nobody is immune from burnout. If you feel like you’re starting to reach a breaking point, then it’s time to be honest with yourself and start thinking about ways in which you can manage your stress levels before they become explosive. 

Tip 2: Talk to Your Teammates

Sometimes it helps just to talk things through with someone else. Having an open dialogue with your team is essential for managing stress levels and keeping morale up. Not only will this give everyone on the team an opportunity to understand your frustrations, but it also provides an opportunity for the whole team to come together and brainstorm solutions. This could involve delegating tasks more evenly or making sure everyone has enough support when they need it most.  It could also means that when there’s a tight deadline, everyone pitches in, instead of letting one team member carry the load.

Tip 3: Take Time Out of Your Day

Burnout prevention isn't a one-size-fits-all approach—we all have different needs when it comes to managing our workloads and stress levels. One thing that everyone should do though is take regular breaks throughout the day; even if it's just 10 minutes away from your desk or laptop screen, this can make all the difference in helping you stay focused and productive without burning out in the process. Taking regular breaks gives your mind a chance to rest and recharge so that you're ready for whatever challenges come your way.  And did you know that productivity increases when we take bite-size breaks, so you're not losing out by doing this.

Recovering from burnout isn't something that happens overnight—it takes time, effort, and dedication on your part as a manager or employee if you want it to stick long-term.   If you half a#s it, you can expect to be back at burnout island in the not-so-distant future, trust me I visit here more times than I'd like to admit until I learnt how to do life differently.

Remember that nobody else is responsible for your burnout recovery; only you have the power within yourself to make changes that will help reduce stress levels while still getting work done efficiently and effectively.

Organisations are responsible from a health and well-being perspective and may like to contribute to your recovery by way of time off, or contributing to the funding of therapy, counselling or other forms of rehab. However, the work to recover is yours, and yours alone.

With these three tips in mind, now you know who's responsible for your burnout recovery—don't let yourself down! 

If you feel like you need extra support in making these changes, don't hesitate to reach out. Book a time to chat with Hana or follow her on: Facebook  Instagram or LinkedIn