Burnout

It creeps up unseen. If you think you're burning out, you probably have been for some time. 

It’s not just exhaustion but something more insidious and existential. Think of a car motor running so hot for so long that the lubricant fails—everything feels ready to lock up. It needs emergency maintenance.

What are the symptoms? Cynicism and anxiety are just a couple. Many experience depression and sleeplessness.

It’s different for everyone. But often burnout has converging causes.

• The higher we climb in our fields, for example, the more we time we spend with emails, meetings and bureaucratic battles, and the less we devote to the kind of work we once enjoyed. 

• Maybe our organization's mission has shifted over the years, and we’re struggling to regain a sense of purpose.

• Or maybe we’ve been in crisis mode or dealing with difficult bosses for so long we’ve forgotten what normal is.

Add the constant pressure of life in a foreign culture, as in my case, and that’s a recipe for burnout.

You see, I know what it feels like. Bad central management and policies created an atmosphere of mistrust that trickled to my level. Motivation waned. Just sitting to go through my inbox at the start of the day brought a wave of revulsion. Continuing this way put stress on my family, which then reflected back on my work.

If any of this sounds familiar to you, you’re in good company: burnout is everywhere (especially in the U.S. where working is 24/7.)

There's nothing “wrong” with you—as much as it may feel that way. But there may be something very wrong with your situation. Trying to power through the status quo only makes it worse.

For urgent steps and big decisions, your best bet is to talk with a professional coach. When you do, new options may reveal themselves.

Like emergency maintenance, it can prevent your career from locking up.