Anxiety causes burnout. But... burnout can also make you more anxious.
If you've been feeling extra grouchy, more exhausted, and completely unmotivated,
but you also think you've GOT to keep working or else....
You need job burnout help!
I sometimes fall into this cycle too.
Partly because I love my rountines, but also because those routines and habits feels safe.
It also means I'm not sitting around overthinking and spinning in indecision.
But doing and trying don't mean you're safe and they don't mean you're out there killing it.
With all respect to the hustle and grind fans out there,
and there is a lot to be said for hard work, I've learned it's just as important to give R&R time it's due.
Burnout and anxiety are at epidemic levels, especialy in the U.S. and since these two mental health challenges often go hand-in-hand, the harder you work to try and feel less anxious,
avoiding how you feel or taking time to relax,
the more anxious you'll become, and the more you'll work.
Often without making any progress toward your goals or what you're hoping to accomplish
But what if you could create an off ramp and escape this cycle so you were still successful and productive but relaxed and confident at the same time?
Understanding the Burnout-Anxiety Connection
Burnout, characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced performance, significantly contributes to the development of anxiety.
Let me tell you a story.
Back when I was just starting my life coaching practice, I was also teaching high school History, Government, and Economics, raising four kids, and driving four to five nights a week to different swimming pools for practices, then back home again to gulp down dinner at 9:00.
Sleep... Repeat...
(I'll spare you my weekends.)
If it sounds like a lot, it was. My evenings were great, but I knew I was done with education - not only because I love working one on one with my clients, but because of the cynicism and exhaustion I felt just thinking about going to work. What started as angst at school expanded into the Sunday scaries until it finally consumed my entire week. I was grouchy, emotional, and resentful.
And I stayed.
Not becuase I couldn't leave, but becuase I was anxious about leaving.
Even though I knew coaching was exactly where I needed and wanted to be,
teaching was familiar and there was consistent income.
I was good at it and had the rountine down pat.
But I had been constantly stressed and overwhelmed for two years in the classroom,
I wasn't the teacher I wanted to be or who my students deserved,
And I dreaded going to work every single day.
After teaching through Covid and another school shooting, I finally decided that I could not stay any longer which left me standing toe to toe with my anxious thoughts - including asking for my job and all of those burnout symptoms back and fearing I would end up destitute, and embarrassed.
And this is normal.
When you're constantly stressed and overwhelmed, your mind and body stay stuck on red alert, making it difficult to relax and focus, and to stop working and rest.
You work harder to be successful and keep up but, end up more tired, sick, and spinning your wheels.
And when you think about slowing down or leaving all together, your brain scrambles to find safetly in what it already knows, which includes going back to the thing that got you there to begin with.
How To Stop The Anxiety-Burnout Cycle: Hire A Life Coach
Sometimes burnout feels like a necessity or a badge of honor and I'm here to tell you it is neither of those things. As someone who has a long history with health anxiety, I didn't recognize the thoughts I had about slowing down as anxious: they were nothing like the panicky, terrifying thoughts I had in the past.
Thankfully, I was working with a coach at the time who called me out and helped me feel confident and safe to leave and go all in on what I knew was right for me. She showed me how to rest and have fun while I built my business without overworking. This is the power of coaching!
Coaching offers an insightful approach to breaking the burnout-anxiety cycle that helps you calm your body so you can think clearly and choose confidently. By providing personalized guidance and support, a coach can help you:
Identify the root causes of your burnout and anxiety: Through in-depth 1:1 conversations, we'll find the thoughts that are keeping you overworking, stressed out, anxious, and stuck.
Develop effective coping mechanisms: You'll learn practical strategies to manage stress, improve your mood, and build resilience - and most importantly, have fun and trust yourself!
Set realistic goals and priorities: Together we'll create a clear roadmap for achieving your personal and professional goals without overwhelming yourself.
Take time for self-care: Prioritizing activities that nourish your mind, body, and soul are not optional. If you want more more energy and confidence, and less stress, you have to take care of yourself first.
Build self-confidence and resilience: You'll discover your strengths and develop the mindset that helps you take risks, trust yourself, and grow your confidence.
How Life Coaching Benefits You
Life coaching is an investment in yourself and your future. By working with a skilled coach, you can experience
Reduced stress and anxiety: Coaching will help you learn to feel, name, and manage emotions so you stop overthinking.
Increased energy and focus: When you're not stressed or anxious, you have more energy and think clearly
Improved work-life balance: Creating boundaries and prioritizing activities that bring you joy and fulfillment opens up new opportunities for fun and relaxation and further lowers your stress and anxiety levels.
Enhanced relationships: You'll build stronger connections with family and friends through improved communication and by understanding yourself.
Greater self-awareness and personal growth: There's something powerful about knowing yourself and being able to call yourself out on your own garbage. (This is one of my FAVORITE benefits of getting and giving coaching!)
Job Burnout Help: What To Do Next
Decide.
(It's so simple and also kind of scary, isn't it?)
You understand the connection between burnout and anxiety, and you know that seeking support from a life coach can give you the support, insight, and confidence you need, you get to choose to learn more or keep trying what you're doing now.
You know why it feels easier and safe to stay in the schedule, the job, or the relationship that's burning you out, and that anxiety is scaring you into staying stuck exactly where you are.
Even though you don't want to be there.
But on the other side of the overwhelm, the fear, and the exhaustion, there is peace.
There's confidence that you're still the brilliant, hard working, capable badass that you are now.
There's space for fun and freedom to spend time with your friends and family.
From someone who's been there and who's coached other burnt out, high-acheiving women just like you,
I'm telling you right now it is safe to step back, relax, and take care of yourself.
Wouldn't you agree that deserve to feel calm, confident, and have fun just because you're you?
You can learn more about what it's like to work with me as your coach by clicking the button below.
And if I'm not the coach for you, I'm happy to direct you to another coach who can help you.
<3 Megan
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