How This Image Might Turn Your Burnout Around

Here I am, last week, on a very windy Suffolk beach with two of my great friends. I am kind of embarrassed (how odd is that?!) to admit that the 3 of us, plus a couple of others meet up most mornings between 8.40am and 9.10am.

I have a drop off lag between school and nursery drop off and our local GAIL's Bakery has become a place and a time really, to sit, chat and stay connected.

The preciousness of this daily interaction does not pass us by. We know it is vital to our wellbeing and I might go as far to say, our mental health too. We are a safety net. We are tiny community.

So back to this photo and its ability to potentially change your life. How so? Because community is now a proven way to manage your burnout.

🛑 Important aside: I am going to offer a practical way for you to manage your burnout, but this is a wider issue that is the responsibility of your organisation and wider industries. 🛑

Here's some burnout context first.

AllBright recently found that 36% of women see burnout as their main career challenge; a figure that rises to 43% once they get to the C-suite. These are worrying statistics. Especially when you throw flexibility into the mix. Because while we potentially have more control over our working hours, presenteeism and boundary blurring complicate matters further, especially for women.

What can we do to help ourselves ? Start by leaning more heavily on others.

Research has shown isolation and loneliness both cause, and are compounded by burnout, so fostering and harnessing your support systems is a practical and accessible starting point.

If like me, you have the opportunity to see friends more regularly, do that. Even just 15 minutes, a phone call could do, will help manage loneliness and give you renewed support and resolve.

Harnessing others within your organisation is also vital to shifting your mindset and building psychological safety.

From a recent AllBright article, 'Women need to feel safe to speak up when they are facing discrimination and burnout and mental health. They need to feel safe to ask for the compensation they deserve and the working practices that work for them - because fear of appearing weak and ‘not up to the job’ adds further fuel to the burnout fire.' 

It isn't easy to speak up, to know your rights and fight for them, but other people certainly smooth the ride.

This post is very much informed and in celenbration of our incredible The Step Up Club Community. Which does evertything that I'm saying on the tin, and then some.

On Monday, we are launching a Corporate Community Membership solution so that you can find and lean on an impartial, supportive group of women who understand.

Step Up Club Corporate Membership launches on 15th May. Comment below if you want to be the first to hear more.

Let's work in a world where all women thrive.