We all have times when we feel stressed, in fact healthy stress can drive us forward, create energy and help us to excel in achieving our goals. However, I have seen a recent increase in the topic of burnout in coaching sessions. People often realise the signs of burnout only in hindsight, having been too far down the path to act. The visual image of the match literally burning out describes vividly what we can feel. 

In coaching sessions, we can work to uncover our “early warning signals” and we can then act on these when healthy stress becomes unhealthy, way before burnout starts to happen. In our latest blog we explore some of the key signals to look out for. As we are all unique, I encourage you to use this blog to explore what your top signals are and prompt self-reflection. 

1. Reduced clarity of thinking

This is when even the simple tasks start to become overwhelming. We might ignore tasks that we would usually tackle with no problem, perhaps work starts piling up or we may feel overwhelmed. Instead of being our usual productive selves, we become less useful, to those around us. Essentially our clarity of thinking is reduced both internally in our heads and externally when we interact with others. Our colleagues may even notice it before we do, in that our communication is more muddled or what we ask of others isn’t so clear. 

2. Sleepless nights

Being able to switch off is a good sign that your stress levels are manageable, as sleep can be an indicator of what we are feeling at a subconscious level. Physical signs of burnout might include: a prolonged period of poor sleep, nail biting, a dread feeling in the stomach and regular headaches. You may also feel less inclined to take care of your appearance, for example, regular haircuts may decrease. 

3. Impatience and Irritation

People have described to me that they become irritated by situations and people that they would usually be able to handle. They also describe expecting more of others and becoming too direct in their feedback, giving others a hard time. The reaction versus the situation is out of synch, which again indicates an underlying cause that might be about stress. 

4. Not making time for hobbies, interests and social time

I notice a pattern of people saying they no longer make time for the very things that bring them balance or joy, examples may include meeting up with friends, exercising and finishing work promptly to socialise or be with family. Working longer hours may become the habit, decreasing space for the balance we all need.  

5. Feeling low and despondent

People describe feeling a general low mood, with less motivation, less joy, less fun and people feeling more serious than they have ever felt. Those close to us may also notice a change in us. 

How to stay in a healthy space

Self-Awareness

The first step is to increase our self-awareness so that we can be aware of the situation and accept that change might be needed. You can ask yourself:

• Describe what healthy stress looks like for you. 
• What happens when you are feeling stretched and motivated?
• What happens when to are feeling too stretched? 
• What are your early warning physical signs that you are stressed and/ or overwhelmed?

Existing , Coping or Thriving? 

I often use these three words to encourage people to be honest with themselves about how they are currently living. We want to aim to be in a place of thriving and at times we may just be coping. When we feel we are just existing it is more likely we are experiencing stress at such a level that we need to make changes. 

Conscious Recovery

When we move through a healthy stressful period, we will want to have a period after it of conscious recovery – that may mean taking a break, having a few days off, booking a massage, celebrating our achievements with a meal out etc. Essentially the longer the period of stress the more time it takes to recover. I consider that the body creates an enforced recovery, i.e. it might be a migraine or something else, which means the body literally has to rest without the choice to do so. By having some conscious recovery time on a regular basis regardless of the season we are living through can help manage our energy for the long run. 

In summary

As you start to reflect on your stress levels, I encourage you to consider your warning signals of burnout as well as noticing what your intuition is telling you about how you are feeling.  By regularly taking time to pause and reflect this can greatly impact our stress levels, ensuring we operate with healthy stress levels and thrive over the long term. 

If you would like support with managing stress levels do get in touch to see how 1:1 leadership coaching sessions can support you.