CASE STUDY > Burnout
"Most people chase sucess at work, thinking that will make them happy. But the truth is that happiness at work will make you successful".
Alexander Kjerulk, "Chief Happiness Officer".
How can I get a better work life balance?
The biggest reason people leave jobs is cited as work life balance. But if you are in the medical or caring professions - you've probably worked for many, many years with an understanding that the dedication needed, can come at your own personal expense. Being seen to 'not be coping' with a role that is now part of your DNA and identity, with the accolade of being a selfless hero who seemingly walks on water, is something that doesn't come easily. Work life balance in this context is increasingly tied up with the culture at work, as well as the individual.
Managing your own work life balance, is often about communicating and sharing honestly, and without blame or fear of reprisals, what you are feeling and what the organisation needs to do to change, to support you better. Many larger organisations are changing the way they work to understand more about psychological safety and their working culture through the compassionate organisation model. The NHS is working with coaching organisations like Coaching through Covid' to create a better work life balance for everyone concerned.
Simon's Story: How a workaholic doctor allows himself to relax
Simon was a textbook case of a healthcare professional who'd worked extremely hard all his life, and was now looking around and wondering what life was all about. As a consultant at a busy city hospital trust, he was suffering along with the rest of the medical profession with post-covid backlog and the chronic effects of over-work. He was extremely resilient and focused on patient care and medical excellence despite the hospital struggling in the new VUCA world (the term for the post-pandemic world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity). This had however, resulted in a wildly unsustainable work life balance, as he was mentally and emotionally on call 24/7 to respond to his patients, his team, and the hospital's ever-increasing needs.
How to stop being a workaholic and still get things done
He wanted to get a better work life balance, and avoid the damaging consequences of burn-out. He was coming into the hospital feeling resentful and depleted, with admin stacking up, a research project and mentoring medical students adding to the pressure. However hard he tried, he simply couldn't get everything done. He also felt unable to speak up, to say that he wasn't coping, to 'let everyone one down'. His crisis came to fruition when he realised that he was staying up late at night wired with adrenalin and coffee, and driving home too tired to focus properly. To 'do his best or die trying'.
Accountability coaching
During the coaching sessions, he came to see that time management and resilience at work was more about ring-fencing dedicated time to keep himself fit and well, so he could do his job to the best of his ability. Balancing all priorities in his life, would release pressure in his life. He came to realise the fine line between perfectionism and professionalism, and where 'getting it done' was needed rather than finessing and obsessing over details. Getting to bed on time was more important than reading an extra research paper that would add to his knowledge, but not impact on his competency as much as a good night's sleep.
The coaching was an accountability exercise that gave Simon a framework to develop some resilience and do the best for himself, his team and for his department's patients.
Simon's Testimonial:
“I was struggling and didn't want to admit it to anyone. I was getting obsessed with work, and couldn't see how burntout I was becoming,
or what I was sacrificing in my personal life, and my family.
Ella is professional, perceptive and insightful and helped me feel that I could deal with everything better.
Interesting reads & watches:
Why It's wrong to look at work life balance as an achievement (BBC online)
3 rules for better work life balance
High Performance Teams need psychological safety: here's how to create it (Harvard Business Review)
The role of compassion in the work place - CIPD
Beneath the White Coat: Doctors, their minds, and mental health (Clare Gerada) and a review in Nursing Times
Try this at home:
Draw a clock face with 10 segments. Write in areas that are important to you, to cover all aspects of your life. The Wheel of Life here shows:
Money & Finance, Career & Work, Health & Fitness, Fun & Recreation, Home environment, Community, Family & Friends, Partner & Love, Growth & Learning, Spirituality (purpose in life).
Score each area from 1-10, with 1 being the lowest in the middle, and 10 being where you'd ideally want to be.
Add activities in each area with SMART goals to help you achieve them. Some daily, weekly monthly or even seasonly. e.g. start training for park-run every Saturday; volunteer with local charity every month.
Review each week and focus on getting the lower scores increased in all segments for a balanced life.
This is just one of models, tools and approaches that can be used in the coaching sessions. Some are from neuro linguistic programming, cognitive behavioural techniques, career coach framework or positive psychology. All are evidence-based and tailored to fit each client.