Feeling burned out and feeling so stuck that you won’t recover from it? Here’s the 3 biggest lessons burnout taught me over the last 7 years.
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Mentioned on Ep 120: Feeling burned out and feeling so stuck that you won’t recover from it? Here’s the 3 biggest lessons burnout taught me over the last 7 years.
Welcome back to The Burnout Doctor Podcast, I’m your host Dr. Jessica Louie. We are talking about the three biggest lessons burnout taught me. Thank you for sharing your action steps from our last episode on fixed versus growth mindset. Many of you reached out to share you’re reading Dr. Dweck’s Mindset book and taking action. Many of you are taking action by using our complimentary Burnout Starter Kit – don’t forget to download yours today! We all write our own stories in our lives and homes. Let’s all bring joy into home and joy into work.
Before we get started today, if you are not familiar with my burnout story, this is a good time to go back to episode 2 of the podcast or my YouTube video sharing my story when I burned out in 2014/2015.
Lesson Number One: Fixed Mindset
THIS WAS A BIG lesson for me! Yes, I talked about this on last week’s podcast episode in detail. Realizing that I had a very fixed mindset was so eye-opening for me. It changed my life so much to realize this and start to shift and grow my growth mindset. Before my burnout, I typically did not want to take on new responsibilities that would result in my potentially looking stupid, failing at them, feeling incompetent or feeling embarrassed.
Maybe you’ve been there? Put up the façade to show on the outside you are a healthcare professional who has it ALL together?
After I burned out, I started to use my strengths – such as thinking outside the box – to the benefit of others. If I would not have done this and failed along the way of creating my businesses, this podcast and my content, I wouldn’t have been able to share value with all of you the past 5 years.
Lesson Number Two: Ask for help and don’t try to do it all
As a healthcare professional and high-performer, it can be difficult to ask for help and acknowledge we can’t do it ALL. I resisted this for a long time. When I finally got the help I needed, invested in the resources that helped me reset my burnout and grow from it, I was so much happier and made progress SO MUCH FASTER. If you are in a position where a mental health professional or therapist would benefit you, do it. Drop the stigma. Invest in your well-being.
Then go back to episode 115 on How to set Healthy Boundaries. This was one of the keys to letting go of doing it all in my life.
Lesson Number Three: Don’t run away from your feelings
We often try to brush things under the rug. Take it out on other’s or avoid it all together. Am I right?
When we feel burned out it can feel easier to avoid living in the emotion. We may cope with this feeling in some way. As you know, I coped with burnout by getting quick dopamine hits from shopping for clothing. A LOT of clothing. Was this helpful in addressing my burnout? NO.
Was it easy to change this behavior? NO it was not. I even struggled a couple years later with a rebound to this as a headed towards burning out as a solopreneur – aka a small business owner.
I know it can be difficult to talk openly about our feelings. We may feel weak. We may feel too vulnerable. We may feel that other people will judge us.
Talk about your feelings with someone you trust or a licensed mental health professional. Don’t run from your feelings.
In my Joy at Work Course, you can get even more advice and action steps on how to address burnout, failure and mistakes in life.
Make sure you’re following along on our YouTube channel (youtube.com/drjessicalouie) as well with new videos going live every Saturday!
Make sure you’re implementing and taking action by implementing our Burnout Starter Kit and investing in yourself with our VIP 1:1 coaching or 1-hour strategy calls.
Until next time, spark joy my friends!
Tl;dr: What did burnout teach me? 3 biggest lessons from burning out
Note, my views are my own and are not associated or representative of my employer(s).
This podcast is for educational purposes only and not medical advice.