What is burnout stealing from you? Your health, passion, energy, calm? Burnout is more than just exhaustion; it’s a silent thief that drains your sense of purpose and vitality. Many of us have either faced it firsthand or witnessed its toll on others.
If you’ve experienced burnout yourself, you know that even with the right medication, supplements, therapy, and self-care, true recovery often requires embracing a new way of living rather than merely pushing through obstacles or addressing symptoms. While the experience of burnout and the lessons learned during recovery can be valuable, wouldn’t it be better to prevent the downward spiral altogether?
From my experience, one of the keys to prevention lies in recognizing and harnessing your unique strengths while honouring your deepest, most authentic needs. Because your strengths, story, and traumas are uniquely yours, the most effective approach to preventing burnout is one that is deeply personalized and tailor-made for you.
Knowing your strengths provides a foundation for creating sustainable energy and avoiding burnout. A practical starting point is to take the CliftonStrengths assessment, which identifies your strengths {Ask me about a coaching package with CliftonStrengths discounted access}.These strengths fall into four leadership domains: executing, influencing, relationship building, and strategic thinking. Identifying which domain you lead with can offer valuable insights into your energy flow and where burnout risks may lurk.
For example, I lead with relationship-building strengths. My friend Sonia leads with strategic thinking, while my client Raj leads with influencing themes.
Here’s what we’ve learned about our respective burnout prevention strategies:
Raj’s Story: Leading with Influencing Themes
Raj is passionate about his work in a non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing the creation and sharing of art within neighbouring communities. His strengths lie in influencing (Communication, Command), he’s a natural speaker and fundraiser who thrives on engaging with audiences. Raj’s ability to inspire and connect with people is remarkable; he often finds himself capturing the full attention and engagement of his audiences. However, this strength can sometimes go into overdrive.
Raj discovered that after his speaking engagements, real-time collaboration and interactions often followed. With each event, he would feel less passionate about it. He realized that he was trying to carry the entire room’s energy on his shoulders. His solution? Enlisting a colleague to co-moderate events. This allows Raj to focus on passionately delivering his message while sharing the responsibility of audience interaction and Q&A sessions. By leveraging teamwork, he found a way to sustain his energy while still leaning into his strengths.
Sonia’s Story: Leading with Strategic Thinking Themes
Sonia is a graphic designer, writer, and editor who leads with strategic thinking strengths. Her detail orientation, fantastic ability to gather information (Input), and ability to recall connected relevant information make her exceptional at her craft. However, Sonia often finds it difficult to put down her work because she feels it can always be improved.
An effective strategy for Sonia has been partnering with a colleague who has a Maximizer talent. This colleague can quickly assess whether an article or webpage is great enough, providing Sonia with the reassurance and closure she needs to move on. This collaboration helps Sonia maintain her high standards without falling into the perfectionism trap that leads to burnout.
My Story: Leading with Relationship-Building Themes
As someone who leads with relationship-building strengths (Empathy, Relator), I’ve learned two key strategies to prevent burnout. The first involves leveraging the benefits of a hybrid workplace, and incorporating dedicated time for solo, focused tasks when needed. Without these boundaries, I can easily become emotionally drained, by sensing the emotions and challenges of others.
The second strategy is ensuring close alignment between my personal and organizational values. When there’s a disconnect, I experience barriers to being authentic and genuine, which is deeply exhausting for me. By focusing on roles and environments where my values align with the organization’s mission, I’m able to stay energized and engaged.
Understanding Your Strengths to Prevent Burnout
Whether you lead with executing, influencing, relationship building, or strategic thinking, understanding your dominant domain can reveal key burnout triggers and prevention strategies:
Executing Strengths: you thrive on getting things done, but overcommitting or neglecting to delegate can lead to burnout.
Influencing Strengths: like Raj, you might find that constantly engaging and inspiring others can be exhausting.
Relationship Building Strengths: If you lead with relationship building, as I do, you may find yourself over-investing emotionally in others.
Strategic Thinking Strengths: if you’re like Sonia, who thrives on brainstorming and envisioning the future, you might find burnout creeping in when you don’t take breaks or become consumed by analysis.
The Path to Sustainable Energy
Preventing burnout isn’t about avoiding hard work or challenges, but is can be about aligning your efforts with your natural strengths and ensuring you have systems in place to support your well-being.
By understanding your strengths, you can develop strategies to sustain your energy and prevent burnout, allowing you to thrive without exhausting yourself. Burnout doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of success. By truly knowing yourself and leveraging your strengths, you can pave a balanced and fulfilling path forward.
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." — Aristotle
Hi, I’m Monika, Strengths Coach, facilitator, social-profit organization leader, and photographer. I’m here to help you own your vision for meaningful growth and transformation, uncover your unique leadership strengths, and empower you and your team to thrive and create lasting impact. Passionate about driving change within, around, and beyond, I love supporting fellow change-makers on their journeys.
I hope you’ll visit often, and I look forward to connecting and working together!
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