Death By Cubicle

That day still stands out in my memory. The thought of writing another report overwhelmed me. I knew what needed to be done, but completing one more repetitive task felt unbearable. Feelings of burnout had been building for some time, but the emotions caught up with me that day. I panicked. With all my coworkers in nearby cubicles, I had to pull it together. I blinked back tears and swallowed the lump in my throat. Running away was not an option. I finally had to address how I was feeling; I could not quit another job. As alone as I might have felt in that moment, my experience was not unique. Burnout is a growing issue. Despite being identified several decades ago, with a substantial amount of research conducted on the subject, burnout continues to plague many of us. It is having a significant impact within organizations as well. According to a Gallup report, nearly 76% of employees report feeling burned out some of the time, and 28% say they feel that way “very often” or “always” at work. Of the employees reporting feeling burned out, 63% of them are more likely to use sick time and are 2.6 times as likely to be searching for a new job. “Recently the World Health Organization included burnout in the latest version of the International Classification of Disease (ICD-11), illustrating the global importance of this ‘occupational phenomena.’” Sometimes we are not in a position to switch jobs. Either the market is not good at the moment, we cannot start over with the limited number of vacation days for new hires, or we cannot risk moving backward in our career track. Moving out of town away from family may prevent job changes as well. Some of us are in the sandwich generation, taking care of the needs of older parents while having children in school. Sure, we CAN leave one position for another, but we may have valid reasons to stay. Some may accuse us of having limiting beliefs or being trapped by a fear of change. When you have significant factors present outside of work, you think long and hard about your exit strategy. In my case, I was a single mom finally making enough money to pay the mortgage while adding to college savings. I had enough vacation days to take time off from work for events with my daughter, sickness, or other unavoidable reasons. I could visualize possibilities for a better future, but the timing was not right. Previously when I felt burnout, my pattern had been to quit my job and move to the next one. This time my company promoted me around the time burnout hit, providing a level of pay to help with my daughter’s college expenses. There was absolutely no way I could blow this opportunity because I felt burned out! I realized I had to address this pattern of burnout once and for all. I had to stay in this job whether I liked it or not. At the time of publication, I am two years post recovery. Despite having other job offers, I have chosen to remain in this same job. It is possible to recover from burnout without quitting your current job! There are quite a few books on burnout in used bookstores or one click away on the internet. I skimmed through many, but I could not focus long enough to get any benefit out of them. I needed a quick, easy read that addressed ALL of what was going on with me, not just parts of it. One day it occurred to me that maybe I was the person to write the book I needed. In this book, I will share what I learned along my journey to recovery from burnout. I hope you come to see me as trusted friend who has been there, done that, and got the medal at the end. I know the dead feeling inside each day as you go through the motions. I know the overwhelming dread and lump in your throat because you want to cry. I know the inside voice screaming for an escape and finding no way out. The fact is, I was in a three-year cycle of finding work, experiencing burnout, and moving to yet another new job. Not having the option to quit helped me recognize my pattern. A light bulb went off: the burnout kept coming back regardless of the job! I knew others who stayed in their jobs for many years and seemed to be happy. What was different about them? A key difference for me this time around was that I had grown due to my investment in personal development. I was in the process of developing my own leadership training company as a side gig for college money prior to my promotion. I became certified as a coach to help others increase their self-awareness to overcome obstacles. I previously worked with a nonprofit as an alcohol and drug counselor, and I had obtained a master’s degree in management years earlier. I knew the symptoms of burnout, including my lack of passion for my work and feeling like I was not making a difference in the world. I just lacked the full personal awareness of what I could do about it without moving on to a new position. If you are in a place where you feel burned out in a job not easily cast aside for another, this book was written for you. This book is for those who feel physical and mental exhaustion. It is for those who feel drained in mind, body, and spirit.