Are you in the black or in the red? Not financially. But emotionally.
8 minute read
Nick Green, Director of FiveAndCo. has challenged us with this question this week. A simple way of checking in with yourself and getting a quick read on how you’re doing.
‘I’m in the black’; I’m getting more out than I’m putting in.
‘I’m in the red’; I’m having to put more time, effort and emotional energy in than I’m getting back.
We’re all capable of doing loads of different things, operating at an incredible pace and juggling multiple responsibilities. Most of the time we do it with relative ease. However, when you factor stress into the equation, that’s often the point when we reach a state of emotional, mental and often physical exhaustion; or we just burn out.
Two truisms:
Burn out can happen to anyone.
It’s a gradual process that can sneak up and surprise you.
Two signs it may be happening:
The things you always find easy have suddenly got harder.
The dialogue you’re having with yourself has changed from ‘I can’ to ‘I can’t’.
So, what can you do to spot it, avoid it and stay in control?
That’s a highly personal question and the prescription varies for everyone. We’ve started by offering the following tips that work for us at FiveAndCo. and over the last few weeks we’ve invited you to join the discussion with us on LinkedIn to explore this critical leadership subject.
Our Tips
You’ll notice none of these tips are anything that may be defined as classic leadership behaviours. We’re not talking about a different way to set objectives, lead your team or manage your budgets. We’re talking about you in the broadest sense.
Talk to colleagues, loved ones, friends and others. Let them know how you’re feeling and invite a different perspective on what you’re seeing around you. They may just be able to help you reframe things in a way that reduces your stress.
Get out in the fresh air, do some exercise and change the chemical balance in your body. By altering the chemical make up of your body, oftentimes you’re able to change your ability to cope with the same – or more – pressure and intensity.
Eat well, drink well and sleep well. What you put in your body and how you rest, fundamentally changes the way you process information, life, work and pressure.
Your tips
There were some hugely insightful responses to this question, we were excited to see you sharing tips and strategies you’ve employed which have helped you cope and stay in the black. Here’s a selection of our favourites:
Looking at balance over time as a whole team. Often people are happy to put in more that they are getting out, for a short amount of time, particularly when they are covering for a colleague. As long as there’s an agreement that those colleagues will do the same for them when they need it. Burn out is much less likely when teams are willingly interdependent.
Being outside. Whether it’s walking the dog, running with a podcast, growing vegetables, or heading out to somewhere with large expansive vistas to reset your perspective, many of you agreed that spending time in nature was a necessity for balance.
Taking time to reflect, recentre and recalibrate. Another theme that cropped up was the importance of stepping back regularly, listening to yourself and how you’re feeling, and then taking time to regroup. Some of you use breathing and meditation to reconnect with yourself and recalibrate. Then you are able to think about how you spend your time, where your energy is ‘leaking’ and what you might need to put in place to readdress that balance.
Taking care of yourself first and knowing when to step back. Many of you mentioned the importance of looking after yourself first, particularly those who have a tendency to “over give”. Learning professional and personal boundaries takes time, particularly for those of you who are in environments where your responsibilities and environments are constantly changing. Taking ownership of this is key, but there was a useful reminder that sometimes we become stuck in constantly draining roles where no balance can be achieved. At this point, when you have exhausted all that is within your control or influence, it’s important to reflect on whether you are in the right place, maybe it’s time to move on.
Thank you for all your engagement on this topic, we really value your experience and wisdom. If you want to get involved with future discussions, head over to FiveAndCo’s LinkedIn page. We’d love to hear your thoughts.
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