In CEO coaching, dealing with burnout and stress are usually hot topics. And we’re here to have a little bit of a crash course. A lot of executives thrive on pressure. They wouldn’t be where they are now if they weren’t able to deal with it successfully. But let me ask you…at what price?

While there may be a sense of achievement or progress, or even recognition, the pressure usually takes its toll on leaders without them even knowing it.

As a leader, dealing with burnout is something you must know!

For starters, you should be aware of the symptoms of stress and burnout. While the highs of achievements can lift you up, and you may even bask in it for a time, the exhaustion that comes after it may reveal so many things about your wellbeing.

Recognising some of the symptoms of stress and burnout will help you find ways to deal with them head on.

Symptom #1. Feelings of Exhaustion.

Your battery is running low and no matter how you recharge, you can’t get it to 100% full.

You feel tired no matter how much sleep you get, you can’t relax, your sleeping patterns change, you get sick more often, you skip meals, you don’t have the motivation to do anything outside of your work (read: missing out on the fun).

Symptom #2. Increased Mental Detachment from the Job.

This can be tricky because it plays on your being the boss. You start arriving late or leaving the office early. You become irritable. You procrastinate a lot. You forget a lot of things. Concentration eludes you. You become cynical. And you start having trouble completing tasks.

Symptom #3. Reduced Efficiency.

And because of the aforementioned symptoms, your professional efficiency is reduced. There are delays in completing important work, no drive to improve skills, you work on other projects instead of finishing what needs to be done, you feel you’re not there during meetings.

Ways to Dealing with Burnout

Pay Attention To Your Emotional State. Burnout is an emotional state and if you’re in touch with your emotions, you will get cues if you’re starting to burn out.

Pay attention to feelings that come up at work or when dealing with your staff, or with clients to help you manage frustration, resentment, and other feelings that trigger negativity that turns into burnout.

Cultivate Interests Other Than Work. There is life outside the office. Develop a hobby!

Have fun with friends who share your interests outside of the four walls of the office. Workout! Do yoga! Or whatever gives you the rush that you won’t get inside the office aside from coffee.

Keep in mind that there’s a work-life balance and you have to start having a life if you find yourself teeming with work.

Build Bonds With Colleagues. A sense of belonging is cultivated when you develop relationships with your colleagues. If you can develop bonds with them, asking for help when you need it is easy, and will definitely help take a load off from you. And you’ll have some sounding boards, too!

There are many ways to dealing with burnout,  I trust the ones we shared will help you cope with whatever stresses you out in the work environment.