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In 1974, psychologist Herbert Freudenberger theorized 12 phases of the burnout process.  He defined burnout as, “a state of mental and physical exhaustion caused by one’s professional life.”  These phases don’t necessarily happen in order, nor does everyone experience each one:  Phase 1: Compulsion to prove oneself Obsessed with doing an excellent job in every way possible  Phase 2: Working harder Focusing on work as top priority and finding it hard to switch off Phase 3: Neglecting their needs Sacrificing sleep, exercise, and healthy eating for work  Phase 4: Displacing conflicts Becoming aware something isn’t right but dismissing the problem  Phase 5: Revision of values  Work begins to consume the energy for previous friends or hobbies  Phase 6: Denial of emerging problems Intolerance and aggressiveness blamed on time pressure  Phase 7: Withdrawal  Increasingly preferring isolation and often using alcohol as a release  Phase 8: Obvious behavioral changes Others begin to notice changes from feeling worthless and fearful  Phase 9: Depersonalization No longer seeing self as valuable and life becomes mechanical  Phase 10: Inner emptiness  Desperately reaching for vices and activity to fill an inner void  Phase 11: Depression  Overwhelmed and exhausted, beginning to lose hope and meaning  Phase 12: Burnout syndrome  Total emotional, mental, and physical collapse  Action plan for addressing burnout Step 1: Get clarity Be clear about what you like/dislike about your current situation. Identify all potential areas of resentment – both personally and professionally Define what really drives you to work the way you do Step 2: Find support Zero in on the specific issue you need to address Quantify the scale and magnitude of the journey ahead  Catalog the relationships you have that can support you Step 3: Rewire List the positive micro-habits to introduce, and bad habits to break  Pinpoint the key mindset shift you need to make  Script a new self-dialogue to replace destructive patterns  Step 4: Refocus  Make your health and well-being your top priority  Take the time to create a vision for the person you are meant to be  Don’t allow derailers, saboteurs, or bullies to throw you off course  Employer Checklist for Burnout  Burnout is a workplace syndrome and therefore interventions driven by an organization have a far greater impact than changes individuals can make alone.  Companies lose billions of dollars in absenteeism, lower productivity, and sick-leave due to burnout; thus, organizations should prioritize resolving burnout amongst their employees for maximum efficiency and performance.  Here’s a quick look at some traits that are common at a workplace that accelerates burnout, versus a healthy workplace.  A burnout workplace:  Perception that the employer is selfish or untrustworthy  Job security or pay ambiguity  Unmanageable workload and always “on-call”  Reduced resources or lack of manager support  Unreasonable time pressure  Policy and procedure constraints  Inequity and unfair treatment  Lack of reinforcement or recognition  Unclear communication from managers  Harassment and abuses  Vs A healthy workplace:  Promote autonomy and empowerment  Appropriate manager support  Encourages learning from mistakes  Promotes teamwork  Values diverse opinions  Makes work purposeful  Productive and inviting workplace  Employee involvement in goal setting  Maximize employee strength  Regular staff rotation, continuous training and development 

Everyone has a story unique to their own life and journey. In places where social interaction is vital, storytelling serves an important role as it gets the networking ball rolling. The power of storytelling is even backed by science: the brain likes the intrigue and ability to visualize.  It makes you more memorable, more approachable, more authentic, and more valuable.  Whenever you’re stuck or have difficulty making your point, keep these simple steps in mind:  Step 1: Segue to your topic  Step 2: Signal you have something to say Step 3: Summit you started from Step 4: Highlight the struggles you faced Step 5: Emphasize the solution to the problem  Step 6: Underscore the impact it had and its significance.  If coming up with personal yet relatable stories isn’t your forte, that’s okay, you can prepare:  Start by brainstorming about 30 events in your life that taught you something, that revealed something interesting, or achievements exclusively unique to you. Crete well designed stories around these key events and practice them. Make sure you set the scene, highlighting the time and location of the event. Remember, people love descriptions that allow them to visualize in their own head.  Have a memorable moral, point, or insight that bookends the story.  Use them whenever you need them – networking events, panels, interviews, presentations.  Storytelling can also be used when you are trying to give someone feedback or in difficult situations where you need others to be able to relate to you.  Make sure your impactful story takes them into the valley (the core of your story) and back out again; it’s about the journey NOT the destination. 

Operationalizing: Building New Habits and Routines While Breaking Bad Ones Habits dictate who you really are. Who we are as people aren’t determined by moments in our life, but rather a series of habits that exhibit who we truly are.  Although newly formed habits that set us in the right direction may make us feel good and productive, old habits that are sabotaging your performance and attention are equally important.  The most challenging part about breaking old habits is that you’re interrupting a clear and definitive pattern that your brain is used to. Although it might take some time to get you out of your comfort zone, starting with small goals helps you tremendously.  Breaking Old Habits:  Step 1: Identify your bad habits. Be aware of the things that are negatively affecting you, and write them down.  Step 2: Be conscious of your why? Why do you continue to return to this habit? Is the reward physical? Mental? Physcological? What kind of satisfaction are you looking for? Step 3: Leave no room for bad habits  The most critical part is identifying the “why?” in step 2. What craving do you think your habit is satisfying? Habits are often difficult to break because we subconsciously desire the reward given at the end, creating a cyclical nature. To break this, you must short-circuit this cycle. Here’s how:  Try substituting your reward with something else. Is the craving gone? If so, you have just identified what you’re really craving!  If your craving remains, keep experimenting until you find something new that satisfies the urge.  Forming New Habits:  Step 1: Identify current habits, rituals, and routines. What do you do every day? What do you wish to continue doing? Start asking yourself why you do the things you do.  Step 2: List new habits you wish to target Step 3: Break these target habits into more feasible micro-habits. Make sure these are realistic and feasible goals that are easily measured and related to your ultimate goal. There’s nothing more frustrating than putting in time and effort without visible progress.  Step 4: Operationalize micro-habits by connecting them to:  Existing habits, creating a system of habits, or ‘habit-stacking’  Something you crave at the same time (temptation bundling)  Something you enjoy doing before it (creating a motivation ritual)  Groups of people where your habit is the norm (positive peer pressure and accountability)  Physical environment and visual cues The key step here is to establish a clear connection between your target habits and the things you already do in life. An easy trick is to use your current habits as reward for your target habits.  Step 5: Track your newly formed habits, and reward yourself! Research shows that you can adopt a new habit in 28 days, but you should try to continue for 66 days to really have it autonomous and embedded in your life.  Make sure you have a clear reward system as well, whether that would be making a purchase you wanted to, or simply doing a small activity that you find joy in. 

As someone with years of experience working as a senior executive in the corporate world, one of the most important lessons I quickly learned is that not everyone will be on my side. Not to be overly pessimistic, but people are inherently driven by their own motivations, especially when their money and reputation are on the line.  Because of this, it is often difficult to see what people truly stand for. Throughout my professional career, I frequently asked myself, “is this person agreeing with me because they are genuinely on my side, or do they just want something out of me?” In an industry that seems extremely transactional, I began managing my relationships through the lens of the stakeholder line.  The stakeholder line makes it easy to visualize and evaluate those around you, based on their true intentions and how they affect you.  On the left is the person that most wants you to succeed. They unconditionally support you and believe in you. Expand your network of people on the left side by being a collaborative team member and learning how to put others first strategically. While doing so, keep these people engaged in your success by utilizing them as part of your personal investment committee.  Always remember to put yourself on the left, making sure you believe in your own journey to success On the far right is the person who blatantly or secretly doesn’t want you to succeed. This might be stemming from jealousy or some kind of negativity that surrounds your relationship with them. These people don’t have to be those personally attacking you or undermining you. However, remember that if they want you to fail, they will keep it subtle. Don’t try to pull these people from the right; just identify them and don’t let them get in your way of success.  I know it’s unfortunate there are people on the right, but the truth is that these people will always exist. By identifying them, we start to neutralize them.  Surprise, I’m the person on the far most left.  I believe in you 100%. Your success is my success. My goal is to invest as much as I can in you.  I don’t doubt your abilities, I don’t criticize you in my head, and I never imagine you’re an imposter.  Visualizing relationships through the lens of the stakeholder line allows you to see where your fears exist on your line, and how you should react to it. This then dictates how you’re going to interface with them to address your problems.  You owe it to yourself to stand with me on your line! Who else is on your stakeholder line and how can we tip the balance to the left? 

As someone with years of experience working as a senior executive in the corporate world, one of the most important lessons I quickly learned is that not everyone will be on my side. Not to be overly pessimistic, but people are inherently driven by their own motivations, especially when their money and reputation are on the line.  Because of this, it is often difficult to see what people truly stand for. Throughout my professional career, I frequently asked myself, “is this person agreeing with me because they are genuinely on my side, or do they just want something out of me?” In an industry that seems extremely transactional, I began managing my relationships through the lens of the stakeholder line.  The stakeholder line makes it easy to visualize and evaluate those around you, based on their true intentions and how they affect you.  On the left is the person that most wants you to succeed. They unconditionally support you and believe in you. Expand your network of people on the left side by being a collaborative team member and learning how to put others first strategically. While doing so, keep these people engaged in your success by utilizing them as part of your personal investment committee.  Always remember to put yourself on the left, making sure you believe in your own journey to success On the far right is the person who blatantly or secretly doesn’t want you to succeed. This might be stemming from jealousy or some kind of negativity that surrounds your relationship with them. These people don’t have to be those personally attacking you or undermining you. However, remember that if they want you to fail, they will keep it subtle. Don’t try to pull these people from the right; just identify them and don’t let them get in your way of success.  I know it’s unfortunate there are people on the right, but the truth is that these people will always exist. By identifying them, we start to neutralize them.  Surprise, I’m the person on the far most left.  I believe in you 100%. Your success is my success. My goal is to invest as much as I can in you.  I don’t doubt your abilities, I don’t criticize you in my head, and I never imagine you’re an imposter.  Visualizing relationships through the lens of the stakeholder line allows you to see where your fears exist on your line, and how you should react to it. This then dictates how you’re going to interface with them to address your problems.  You owe it to yourself to stand with me on your line! Who else is on your stakeholder line and how can we tip the balance to the left?