How to create burnout

I learned this when helping clients with nutrition 20 years ago.

I would start with a super simple template

that would get them great results if followed.

Then recognising that they (in their words)

“Didn’t want to live like a monk.” Fair enough.

We’d make adjustments.

Ones that would make the plan enjoyable for them without compromising results.

Then ones that would make it practical with work and life.

Then ones that would suit the lifestyle they wanted, perhaps with a little compromise on the speed of results.

Ultimately we created something they’d love to live that would make significant improvements in the direction of their choosing.

Imagine my surprise then when most people failed.

Some would manage 30 days or so but many wouldn’t even manage a week.

What we hadn’t explored was how the brain changes when it meets other people.

How hormones are released differently in response to our sleep, our interactions, the deadline pressure in the office, how the kids are getting on or along, our significant relationships and all the other stuff of life that affects us.

The brain is always calculating the cost of what it plans to do.

Telling the new client that you aren’t drinking might be seen as a snub in some way.

… is it worth the cost?

Your brain decides no.

It’s a colleagues birthday and you’re given cake.

… is it worth the cost to say no?

Your brain decides no.

You work late into the night 3 evenings in a row then wake up on the final morning really craving sugar and grab some porridge or toast setting off a blood sugar roller coaster of craving.

You might nod in agreement at these challenges.

You might think they’re all easily solvable.

And that’s the point, they are often easily solvable when you see them, map them out, and decide what you’ll say or do.

You’ll consider others interpretations in advance, but in the moment, the brain often decides it’s not worth the potential cost.

Burnout is the body saying no because the mouth won’t.

Not because of weakness or lack of willpower.

Because the brain is always trying to budget its energy and manage social cost.

Not just perceived but potentially real.

Declining meeting

Adjusting deadlines

Delegation of critical work

All of these things require thinking through and creating a strategy approach for.

Burnout is created by not creating the clarity we need around these touch points.

If we are going to take a stand we need to know what it is and why it’s better for all parties.

We seldom want to say, this is too much, I can’t cope, we want to come from a position of strength.

This is exactly what my new ENERGY programme is designed to do. To help you create clarity and new action around those things that are most holding you back from creating the energy you want.

Want to know more? Response YES. We start May 11. A few spaces left.

Ed Ley9 May 2024