When we expend energy, we draw down our reservoir. When we recover energy, we fill it back up. Too much energy expenditure without sufficient recovery eventually leads to burnout and breakdown (Overuse it and lose it). Too much recovery without sufficient stress leads to atrophy and weakness (Use it or lose it).
-Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, The Power of Full Engagement
There needs to be an equal balance between stress and recovery- too much of either one has negative consequences
Nature is constantly oscillating- think of tides moving in and
out, the seasons changing, or the sun rising and setting. We as human
beings naturally follow a similar rhythm with our energy levels. Our
natural state is to oscillate between rest and activity, similar to a sprinter. Unfortunately, our society of technological innovation socially sanctions living like a long distance runner- we ignore rest and fail to recognize its necessity for preventing burnout and sustaining high performance.
Ignoring recovery for too long causes burnout- symptoms of being
burned out include emotional exhaustion, loss of motivation, detachment,
isolation, and irritability.
Are your addicted to living like a long distance runner?
Living in a state of stress produces an adrenaline rush, and over
time, this becomes addictive, and we lose the ability to relax. Common
sense would tell us we need to take breaks and rest, but instead we
overindulge in work, and face the consequences. Researchers have found
that self-described workaholics have a significantly higher than average
incidence of stress-related illnesses, divorce, and alcohol abuse.
Are you creating artificial relaxation and alertness?
If you regularly rely on alcohol, marijuana or sleeping pills to calm
down, you may be trying to create relaxation (artificially). Similarly,
if you rely on stimulants such as caffeine or amphetamines, you are
trying to create alertness (artificially). Both of these artificial
means of oscillation are masking the bigger problem- you are still
living life like a long distance runner.
Are you creating artificial importance?
Do you like the feeling of importance when you become busier? Even
when it means being unavailable to your friends and family? This
artificial importance will only create artificial success, as you are
still living life like a long distance runner.
Are your work habits putting you at risk to karoshi?
Karoshi
is the term in Japan which means “death from overwork”. This is
apparently a fairly common occurrence. In fact, I just read about a
Toyota engineer who worked himself to death today (he died of heart
disease). Additionally, I have known several people in the workforce who
have had heart attacks after working extreme long hours under high
pressure.
Research shows that these five key factors contribute to karoshi:
- Extreme long hours that interferes with normal rest patterns
- Night work that interferes with normal rest patterns
- Working without holidays or breaks
- High pressure work without breaks
- Extremely demanding physical labor and continuously stressful work
Here are some tips for preventing burnout (or karoshi!), and living like a sprinter:
Tips for Preventing Burnout from Stress and Living like a Sprinter
1) Balance stress and recovery to achieve your best performance
Push yourself beyond your ordinary limits, and regularly seek
recovery, and you will grow. This is similar to lifting weights at the
gym. The problem with people who live like long distance runners is that
they don’t allow themselves to recover, and get burned out as a
consequence. This brings us to the topic of tip 2.
2) Create a ritual of disconnecting
New technologies such as Blackberries/PDA’s, and social networking
tools (ex. Facebook, Twitter), make it easy for us to never truly
disconnect. Several people I work with will bring their work
phones/laptops with them on vacation, and check e-mail/take phone calls
the entire time. This is faulty, socially-sanctioned “live life as a
long distance runner” logic.
It is a very good plan every now and then to go away and have a little relaxation… When you come back to the work your judgement will be surer, since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose the power of judgement.
-Leonardo Da Vinci
Da Vinci’s advice still applies to us today. To prevent work burnout, create a daily ritual (read my post on creating consistent daily habits)
of completely disconnecting- have a daily stopping point. For example,
if you are a business traveler, make a habit of not working during your
commute, and instead, relax and read books/magazines. If you are on
vacation, completely disconnect from your work- don’t bring your PDA or
laptop.
Another option for preventing work burnout is to disconnect during
your lunch. A lot of people fall into the habit of eating at their desk,
or eating with coworkers and discussing work-related topics. To truly
disconnect and use your lunch break to recover, you may need to eat by
yourself.
3) Create healthy breathing, eating, sleeping, and exercising habits
Breathing: This is an easy way to relax and prevent
burnout- throughout your day, make a habit of breathing in to a count of
three and out to a count of six, for several minutes. This will help
you relax deeply.
Eating: Eat small meals at regular intervals (five
to six times a day is recommended), in amounts that are satisfying (not
over or under filling). Try to eat primarily foods that are low on the glycemic index, as these will provide a steadier source of energy. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water!
Sleeping: Get 7-8 hours of sleep. If you are able
to, take at catnap in the afternoon. Winston Churchill was a proponent
of this, explaining that a catnap helps you get two days in one, as you
wake up more alert and sustaining energy.
Exercising: Work out 3-5 times per week, and add some form of strength training to your routine (read my post on losing weight by gaining muscle).
Strength training is just as important as cardiovascular training,
especially as we age- on average, we lose one-half pound of muscle mass
each year after the age of forty in absence of exercise.
