Burnout is widely treated as an exception – something that only happens to a few people. But Aditi Nerurkar, a lecturer on global health and social medicine at Harvard University, says these days stress and burnout aren’t the exception – they are the rule.
“Stress and burnout are two of the biggest and most universal issues plaguing our modern world,” she writes in The Five Resets. But both, she insists, are fully reversible and can be overcome by using some small, actionable techniques she groups together into five categories.
Dr. Nerurkar warns that stress is not a sign of weakness, an embarrassment you must cover up to yourself and others. Stress is part of life. It happens around the globe, at all ages. Everything good in your life was created because of a little bit of stress. But when it starts having a life of its own and becomes a runaway train, it can become counterproductive and you must manage it using these five approaches just as you might reset a stopwatch, broken bone or computer:
- Get clear on what matters most: Stress and burnout will jumble your navigational tools and set you adrift. So you must shift your brain circuitry from survival mode and get back on course, shifting from asking “what’s the matter with me?” to “what matters most to me?” Write a short list of your goals and from the list choose one that feels motivating and within reach in the next three months, offering a sliver of hope.
- Find quiet in a noisy world: The most detrimental relationship in your life, adding to stress, she notes, is glowing regularly in the palm of your hand. You need to create practical and actionable boundaries around digital distractions. She recommends going on a media diet: Put strict time limits on non-work media time, replacing constant scrolling with reading a book, and keep a physical distance from your phone, with it at least an arm’s reach away and preferably out of sight.
- Sync your body and brain: Most of us live in our heads so we must strengthen the body-mind connection to overcome unhealthy stress. When starting repetitive tasks that might lead to a cascade of events that cause stress in your life – for example, checking e-mail, logging into a virtual meeting or picking up your briefcase at the start of the day – say to yourself: STOP. You want to be motionless and aware of the stillness of the moment. Then say BREATHE, becoming fully aware as you take deep breaths in and out. Finally, say BE, grounding yourself in the present. STOP-BREATHE-BE is a five-second reset that can be handy throughout your day.
- Come up for air: You probably feel that you are on a treadmill, working harder than ever to stay in place. You need to give your brain a breather, without sacrificing productivity. She recommends integrating five or six short breaks of three to five minutes in your day, doing some gentle stretches, taking a quick walk or doing relaxation and breathing exercises. A good time is between meetings, instead of checking your e-mail. Also, give up multitasking and focus on one task at a time for a time block that is reasonable, perhaps 25 minutes.
- Bring your best self forward: During stress, your inner critic can seem to gain a megaphone. She says you need to take the megaphone out of your inner critic’s grip, reclaiming your power and self-efficacy. Practising gratitude – taking a few seconds longer to stay in a positive experience or keeping a notepad at your bedside to write five things you are grateful for before sleep – can help coax your brain out of a doomsday mentality. Expressive writing, taking time each day to write about important emotional issues is another tool she recommends. Once you start writing, however, you must continue to do so until the allotted time is up.
Those resets make sense in a world of overwhelm, helping to combat stress and burnout, regaining some balance.
Quick hits
- Insecurity is a natural human condition says venture capitalist Sahil Bloom, so open up about your insecurities rather than masking them with bravado. He adds that you have no idea what you are capable of and the only way to find out is to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
- To ensure clarity in your messages, after you have presented an analysis consultant Greg McKeown suggests asking “What am I missing?” and then waiting for people to supply answers.
- While there is considerable attention to how artificial intelligence will change the situation for search engines, marketing consultant Mark Schaefer says nobody seems to be noticing a much more significant and non-obvious trend: Gen Z is now conducting almost as many product searches on social media as Google.
- The pessimist criticizes while the optimist creates, observes author James Clear.
Harvey Schachter is a Kingston-based writer specializing in management issues. He, along with Sheelagh Whittaker, former CEO of both EDS Canada and Cancom, are the authors of When Harvey Didn’t Meet Sheelagh: Emails on Leadership.
Harvey Schachter