How to avoid burnout on the journey to high performance

When you’re aiming to be the best you can be at something, burnout can become a problem. Developing your own way of avoiding burnout is crucial for emerging talent as the responsibility and impact of your role increases over time. 

What does burnout look like? 

There are several early warning signs for burnout. If you constantly feel physically and emotionally exhausted even after a full night’s sleep, increased irritability, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, frequent illness, difficulty concentrating, reduced performance, detachment, negative outlook or even physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension or other unexplained aches and pains.  

I’ve experienced burnout several times in my life. It’s never been due to external pressures but always a result of the pressure that I put upon myself. 

There was a time during early 2021 where I’d recently become a dad for the first time, taken a step up to director and was doing all I could to develop new business but hitting brick wall after brick wall.  

I was lucky enough to have a supportive employer who encouraged me to have some time off, focus on me and my family and I was able to come back to work energised. 

When you work hard at work, in a job that’s mentally or emotionally challenging it can impact other aspects of your life. 

I’m not an expert on burnout but I can be open about what works for me in the past. 

To give you a bit of context, I work full-time, I’m a husband and I’m also a dad to 3 under 5’s. 

Life is a real juggling act. To be a good leader, individual contributor, husband and dad concurrently is a challenge that I certainly haven’t nailed yet. 

With that context in mind, this is what I do to try to maintain as much balance as possible. 

Use my annual leave 

It may sound simple but it’s important to slow down and take a real break from work a few times per year. Where your out of office is on, your work phone is off, and you’ve got other people that you can rely on to look after your workload. Taking breaks can improve mental health, productivity and overall wellbeing. 

I find it really useful to have something to look forward to and properly plan for my time off which enables me to properly switch off. 

Taking breaks can prevent long-term health issues related to chronic stress. 

Exercise 

This is where I have tripped up in the past, life has been so busy that I’ve not made the time to go for a swim, run, cycle or walk. This is now a non-negotiable for me. I walk or run on my lunch break or go for a run after the kids are in bed. 

Even a short walk during your lunch break or on your morning commute will make a difference. One small change that I introduced is that I always take the stairs when possible.  

Practise Mindfulness  

This can be different for everyone. I’ve tried meditation, deep breathing and journaling. The easiest way for me to practise mindfulness is by trying to focus on one thing. My mind is naturally very busy, I find reading a book enables me to focus on one thing, so I pop on my noise cancelling headphones (to avoid distractions), put on some lo-fi music and read a book. I also try to take regular “mindful walks” with my kids. 

Mindfulness is a great habit to get into so by encouraging my kids to listen to the sounds of birds or look out for different plants and animals, it’s giving them a good foundation for the future when they can sit still… for longer than 30 seconds. 

Mindfulness helps to reduce anxiety and improve concentration.  

Focus followed by a break 

Throughout the day I have periods of hyper focus. Take right now for instance. I’m focusing on writing a blog. I’ll spend 45-60 minutes “in the zone” and then I’ll have a 5 – 10 minute break. During my period of focus, I’ll be consciously productive and avoid all distractions. My way of working is based on a mix between the pomodoro technique and time boxing.  

Hobbies/Volunteering 

I’ve always found volunteering helps me take my mind off my everyday worries/challenges. It allows me to give back and to be part of a different, diverse team. I volunteer with DadBodsNI, a not for profit who’s mission it is to support, educate, connect and inspire Dads and their families in NI while promoting healthy habits and making happy memories. Volunteering has always given me a sense of accomplishment and purpose. 

Hobbies can provide a creative outlet and balance work stress – lots of the high performing executives that I know are very active, they run marathons and some are triathletes… (perhaps one day eh?)  

Quality sleep 

Good sleep improves cognitive function and productivity. We all have different sleep needs but like most things, quality trumps quantity. Having a wind down routine, a cut off for being on screen time and being in a calming and dark environment can help. 

What we eat and drink throughout the day will impact the quality of our sleep. I try to avoid caffeine after 14:00 (up until that point, I drink a lot of coffee). 

Conclusion 

 As mentioned before, we’re all different and you may have your own strategies that help you to avoid burnout.  

I find time off, exercise, mindfulness, focus strategies, volunteering and focusing on good sleep hygiene work well for me.  

Everyone’s journey to high performance is different and you’ll have different challenges at different times; like when you move from an individual contributor to a leadership/management role. Your journey is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to avoiding burnout. 

If you find yourself struggling with burnout despite trying these strategies, It’s important to seek professional help. It’s okay to ask for support, and professional guidance can make a significant difference. 

Take care of yourself and keep striving for excellence.  

 – Michael Hewitt

Director, Executive Search