A holiday is NOT enough

Summary: Burnout cannot be solved with a temporary environment or behavior change.

I also like to put it in this way for those who are a bit more left-brained: $7 trillion is lost in productivity globally, and the answer is not an attitude adjustment or extended holiday.

What I tend to hear from leaders:

I don’t have time to take a break now. I will take three months off in a few months.
I can never take REAL time off. My phone always has to be on, and I end up feeling guilty if I don’t reply to emails.
I don’t even get good sleep now. I jump up at 4 am and remember there was something I forgot to share with my team.

But burnout is more than just physical symptoms and a holiday is not enough to get you back on track. If you are not connected to what you are doing or feel like you have no meaning or purpose you can develop burnout gradually. Burnout also doesn’t always appear as painful desperation. You can feel helpless, disillusioned, apathetic, or cynical about your work and life. Others who experience burnout report feeling stressed because they cannot meet the demands or expectations of their professional and personal life.

A quick definition of Burnout: A state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged (consistent) stress. Burnout can reduce your productivity, deplete your energy levels and make it difficult to connect with others.

According to research, there are six elements that can help reduce and eliminate burnout: