There are two drivers of burnout. You need to address both.

Burnout is a hot topic. In various forms, it is often a crucial concern that arises early in the coaching process. There’s always a risk of focusing on the symptoms – fatigue, frustration, distraction – rather than the root causes.

The symptoms are vivid. The causes are complex. The simplest response is to ‘help’ the individual manage themselves better, which is part of the solution. Meditate, sleep, exercise, see a therapist, manage your energy, your focus, your goals, your self-talk, and so on. 

But burnout also involves the working environment. Does your working context enable or disable health? How does the organisation do time, reflective space, psychological safety, interruptions and meaning?

More specifically, how has the organisation’s culture quietly changed and does this match how you have changed? The mismatch when the basic expectations at work have shifted is the source of much that we call burnout.

Where are you on the burnout path and what can you do about avoiding it?

I’ve devised a short test and follow up protocol to help my clients with this. You can access it here The Burnout Test.