Burnout

It creeps up unseen. If you think you're burning out, you probably have been for a long time. It’s not just exhaustion but something more existential. Think of a car motor running so hot and long that the lubricant fails—if you don’t do some emergency maintenance, everything could lock up.

Burnout is different for everyone. And typically there’s more than one cause.

• 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 work we love. 

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

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

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

What are the symptoms? Cynicism, anxiety, depression or sleeplessness are just a few. Sometimes motivation wanes. Continuing this way puts stress on our families, which then reflects back on our work.

If any of this sounds familiar to you now, you’re in good company: There's nothing “wrong” with you—as much as it may feel that way. But there may be something very wrong with your situation. And pushing yourself harder will only make it worse.

Getting away from the grind and into a comfort zone—such as with family or friends back home—is an excellent way to regain perspective.

But for urgent steps and big decisions, your best bet is to talk with a professional coach—one who understands what you’re going through. New options may reveal themselves. Like emergency maintenance, it’s important for your ability to move forward and prevent your career from locking up.

What other ways can you suggest to avoid/recover from burnout?