The real reason you may be burnt out…

There is source of burnout that no one talks about. 

In my social and professional circles the topic of burnout comes up frequently - especially amongst executives. It wasn't a term I heard a lot about pre-COVID, but since then it feels like I know at least a few people at any one time who would describe themselves as burnt out.

A Deloitte study from the UK reported that 63% of professionals reported at least one sign of burnout in 2024 - a 12% increase from 2021. That is a lot of people!

When I ask folks how they got there, I often hear about the long hours, the extensive business travel or the demanding bosses. 

Over-working can 100% cause burnout.

But there is a 2nd reason that is less commonly discussed. Many people have a hard time pin pointing it for themselves. 

Mis-alignment.

If your work is not longer aligns with your personal values, or you no longer find meaning in your work you can become disengaged and feel burnt out - even if you are not over-working.

You can feel exhausted all the time, have a hard time focusing, struggle with your mental health, get sick more frequently, etc. 

I have been in jobs that are mis-aligned and I remember dragging myself out of bed in the morning - even with a solid 8 hours of sleep, getting constant headaches, and feeling like nothing I did at work out outside could shake me out of feeling tired and disengaged. 

It took some introspection to be able to identify what was going on. 

Do what sound familiar? 

If this is you, there are a few things you can do:

1. Take a break - getting time away from the office to truly disconnect can help you think about what you need to do to find meaning again 

2. Look for ways to find more meaning outside of work - volunteer for a cause you care about, take up a new hobby, etc

3. Re-discover the meaning in your current work - get clear on what your why is behind doing your job

4. Look for a new opportunity - this may be finding another similar job in a company more aligned to your values, changing functions or industries or starting your own business. For this to work you need to take the time to truly figure out what your values are and what you want from this next chapter of your career.

You deserve a career that makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning! It is 100% possible for you.

When you are feeling burnt out it can be hard to find the motivation to actually get started. If this is you, I get it. But nothing changes, if nothing changes. Do your future self a favour and start taking baby steps to make a change. 

If you are feeling mis-aligned and you want a partner to help you leave an unfulfilling job and create a new exciting career path that gives you the income and impact you desire, I would love to hop on a FREE 30 mins clarity call with you to help you make that your reality. Comment BURNOUT and we can get a call booked.