Beat Burnout

Beat Burnout

By NAfME Member Lori Schwartz Reichl

“By refreshing our sense of belonging in the world, we widen the web of relationships that nourishes us and protects us from burnout.”—Joanna Macy & Chris Johnstone

From individuals to organizations, burnout has become a growing concern across various levels, industries, and professions. Our loved ones, colleagues, and students may feel overwhelmed, underappreciated, or stretched too thin in their personal and professional lives, causing burnout to become challenging to manage in both environments. The boundaries between work and home life are often blurred, especially in today’s world, where constant connectivity and possible remote work are the norms. This overlap means that stress from one area tends to bleed into the other, creating a cycle that is hard to break. The impact on health may lead to decreased productivity, lower morale, and strained relationships—at home and in the workplace.

Although data shows burnout has slightly decreased in the last two years, it is an essential topic that must be addressed regularly and resolved immediately to create and maintain a sustainable and healthy culture where all contributors feel valued and supported to live, learn, and lead. But how can organizations make the necessary key changes to beat burnout in collaboration with those they serve?

Awareness of Burnout

You may be familiar with the phrase, “Be kind always, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” Recently, I contacted a few friends and relatives to check in on them. Everyone I communicated with was going through something unpleasant: cancer, the illness of a child, a parent with dementia, a loved one hospitalized, the passing away of a loved one, loss of a job, interview rejection, increased work responsibilities, or difficulty with a coworker or loved one. The list was endless. These experiences were impacting their overall performance at home and work as everyone felt overextended.

The Effects of Burnout

Burnout often results from feeling overwhelmed, underappreciated, or disconnected from one’s work or personal goals. While burnout is most associated with work, it can also affect personal life or caregiving roles. Burnout is a three-component syndrome of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy that arises in response to chronic stressors from cognitive, emotional, or physical exhaustion. Burnout can occur due to high conflict, unfairness, and lack of participation in decision-making or activities. Does this sound like your workplace? Burnout can be brought on by feelings of incompetence and a lack of achievement, productivity, recognition, or control. It can include lack of adequate time, misinformation, unclear expectations, limited independence, lack of reward, little or no feedback, or unmeaningful relationships with those whose involvement we need to succeed. Personal challenges—such as relationship difficulties, financial concerns, or caregiving responsibilities—can also contribute to burnout, especially when combined with work stress. How many of these barriers have you experienced lately?

Burnout can feel isolating, but it is important to recognize that it’s not a personal weakness—it’s a sign of overextended limits. Examining the root causes, addressing them, and resolving them, makes it possible to beat burnout, recover from it, and prevent future burnout.

The 5 Key Changes Needed to Beat Burnout

Beating burnout can be a challenge, but there are effective ways to address it.

Consider these five key changes to beat burnout individually and within your organization:

• Key Change #1: Recognize and Examine
  Understand that you, your loved one, student, client, colleague, or employee may be experiencing burnout. Learn about the symptoms and discover how to identify them. Feeling constantly exhausted, emotionally drained, and detached from your work or personal life are common signs of burnout. Examining burnout involves understanding its causes, symptoms, and the broader impact it has on an individual’s well-being. It is a gradual process that often builds over time, making it hard to recognize until the symptoms are more intense. Inquire about how you or they are doing and share your experiences—the struggles and all. How can you recognize burnout in yourself and identify it in your work colleagues? 

• Key Change #2: Set Boundaries and Take Breaks
  One of the biggest causes of burnout is the inability to set clear boundaries. It is important to recognize your limits and the limits of others and to say “NO” when necessary. Regular breaks throughout the day can help refresh one’s mind. Even a few minutes of stretching or taking a walk outside can make a big difference. Focus on maintaining and encouraging a healthy lifestyle by getting enough sleep, eating nutritious food, and exercising. This can help replenish energy. How can you take breaks and set boundaries for yourself and encourage your colleagues to do the same at work?

• Key Change #3: Connect
  Find some way to connect with others. Have a meaningful conversation. Engage in fun activities. Plan to do something that you and they enjoy, helping to recharge. Whether it is a hobby, spending time with loved ones, or just resting, make time for activities that bring you and others joy. What could you plan or schedule in your organization to connect your employees?

• Key Change #4: Follow Up
  Check in with others as needed. Review how you or they have improved or worsened. Consider additional guidance or professional help. Sometimes, talking to a friend, therapist, or counselor can help you process burnout and explore deeper emotional or psychological causes. How can you follow up with employees to ensure they are beating burnout?

• Key Change #5: Show Gratitude
  Let others know they are appreciated—often. Remind them of their gifts. Showing gratitude is powerful to both the receiver and the giver. Support and celebrate one another. Consider sharing with others how you believe they are making key changes to better our world—in your home, school, company, or community. Most importantly, tell those you love or respect what they mean to you. How are you showing gratitude to those you serve or lead in your organization?

A Constant Cycle of Development

While the arrival of spring can certainly help lift our moods due to the longer days and warmer weather, beating burnout requires more intentional key changes during all seasons. It is a gradual process that involves not just external factors like sunlight but also internal changes and support from those we love, serve, and lead.

Like any personal and professional development, we can’t stop discussing a topic when the article, episode, or training is completed. If we do, we will never make the necessary key changes to grow—or in this case—to beat burnout. We need to keep reflecting and researching habits, while continuously refreshing them. Burnout is no exception. Burnout can creep back into our lives at any time or season. We need to bring constant awareness to burnout, provide actionable key changes to beat burnout, and allow our greatest potential as human beings and professionals to be unlocked. Feeling less overwhelmed and overextended will positively impact your home and work life and do the same for those we love, serve, and lead, resulting in greater productivity and positivity for all contributors.

How are we making key changes to beat burnout? Listen to episode #53 of the Making Key Changes podcast, titled “Beat Burnout” to unlock your greatest potential in your classroom, company, community, or home.

Image at top by Nubelson Fernandes on Unsplash

About the author:

NAfME member Dr. Lori Schwartz Reichl is the visionary thought leader of Making Key Changes. Her career began in music education where she learned the importance of a key change — a shift in the tonal center of a piece of music, often used to inject energy or produce significance. She eventually realized the necessity and impact of making key changes in many areas of her life and the desire to help others do the same.

Since transitioning out of one classroom as a public school teacher, Lori has uniquely created a global classroom for her work. She motivates organizations, teams, and individuals to reflect on their daily practices and offers actionable key changes to grow. She guides all contributors to create and maintain a shared vision in their communities, companies, classrooms, and careers. Together, they unlock their greatest potential in collaboration with those they love, serve, and lead.

Learn more about Dr. Lori Schwartz Reichl at MakingKeyChanges.com. Subscribe to her Making Key Changes weekly newsletter and listen to her weekly podcast.

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