Burnout is Real and You Don’t Have to Go It Alone

As an executive or other professional, identifying personal challenges and seeking professional support can be especially difficult. You are highly successful, and often perceived as “having it all” in your life and career. People like you are less likely to seek professional coaching or mental health support, often feeling that you should be able to “push through” or “deal with” struggles on your own. You may fear professional repercussions or worry that others could lose confidence that you can handle stressful situations and important decisions. This can stop you from getting to the next level, or increase stress, anxiety, and depression, making it difficult to recognize problems until a crisis occurs.

High achievers often experience higher rates of depressive symptoms and burnout and can also be at increased risk of suicide. Symptoms of burnout often manifest as work-home conflicts, making both these environments stressful.  No matter how successful you become, you will need many different types of support to be and achieve your best. Managing high levels of stress every day doesn’t mean you don’t need or deserve support, especially if it impacts you or your family’s happiness or holds you back in your career.

Some symptoms of burnout:

• Increase in anxiety or depression
• Feeling emotionally or physically exhausted even after getting enough sleep
• Dreading Sunday evening because waking up on Monday means you must face another week
• Always feeling like you need to “catch up,” even after putting in more hours
• Feeling useless or incompetent despite praise from co-workers
• Difficulty concentrating
• Thoughts that you chose the wrong profession and daydreams of having a different life completely
• Having a short fuse or feeling more irritable than you used to
• Increase in eating junk food, alcohol consumption or other drug use
• Thoughts that it would be better if you didn’t exist
• Difficulty sleeping or frequent physical complaints like headaches, stomach aches or muscle tension
• Feeling that your work no longer has meaning
• A lack of interest in your work or negative attitude about work
• Feeling lonely and isolated, despite others having the image that you are competent and strong

Coaching or therapy can help you achieve even more by taking the time you need to focus on yourself.  You can be more present for the people who are important to you, enjoy your work again, and find more meaning in your life.

If you or someone you know would benefit from coaching or therapy for Executives and Professionals, please contact us today. We are happy to speak with you about how we can help.