Recognize burnout (before it happens) to bounce back strong

August has notoriously been prime time Burnout Month for me. I work hard all spring and spend the extra-long days of summer working and catching every ray of sunshine I can find.

Despite my well-established self-care practices, by mid-August I feel fried. It has taken me years to recognize this pattern and put practices in place to mitigate it. I have a feeling that I am not alone.

Let’s talk about the ‘B’ word: Burnout

In the real estate industry where work-life boundaries are nebulous and elusive at best, the chance of experiencing burnout is high if not inevitable. It often creeps up on us and suddenly we feel like we are in a cloudy abyss and can’t find our way out.

We start asking ourselves questions like

• Am I depressed or sick?
• Do I just need a vacation?
• Maybe real estate isn’t for me after all?”

At times, our experience may need medical attention and it’s important to recognize that. Other times, we are in the depths of burnout, and we just can’t see it. 

What is burnout and what are its symptoms?

According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, burnout is defined as “physical, emotional or mental exhaustion, accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance and negative attitudes towards oneself and others.”

Symptoms of burnout can include: 

• Fatigue that you can’t seem to shake 
• Anxiety about work performance
• Overwhelm over formerly achievable tasks
• Feeling dissatisfied with your work
• Change in diet or sleep patterns
• Headaches
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling unmotivated
• Decreased work productivity

The good news is that once we recognize burnout, we are on our way to turning it around. We can put practices in place that can help us prevent it in the future. What are some of those practices?

Steps to bounce back stronger 

1. Take a much-needed vacation and completely unplug
2. Step away and attend a retreat, conference or summit that lights your fire about real estate
3. Establish a daily routine and stick to it
4. Timeblock short breaks in your day to regroup
5. Incorporate mindfulness practices like meditation or prayer into your day
6. Seek out an ongoing support system like a mentor, coach, therapist or professional group
7. Take care of your physical self: Eat well, exercise and set the stage for sound sleep
8. Volunteer in your community: Find a passion project
9. Delegate the more unexciting parts of your daily business
10. Think forward! Plan your vacations for next year 
11. Take interesting CE classes or earn a new designation
12. Make a list of why you chose real estate and what you love about it.

It is important to remember that burnout is never failure, despite how it feels. We simply got out of balance and need to find our way back. The key to avoiding burnout is establishing habits that sustain us and creating a schedule that supports work-life balance so that we can thrive in a holistic way despite the outside demands and circumstances.