Leadership expert John Colbert – who sees clients suffering with burnout every week – tells those at risk how to turn their lives around.
Corporate Edge director and author John says: “Own it first and then you can beat it.”
He tells the latest Australian Conveyancer magazine of the burnout warning signs to look out for, which include:-
- Feeling distracted and less patient,
- Having low energy and being more tired earlier than usual,
- Finding it hard to listen to loved ones,
- Being easily agitated and frustrated,
- And feeling more anxious than usual.
“At work sufferers will find it difficult to focus for long periods, struggle to get momentum in complex problems, or challenging matters,” he says.
Simple tasks take longer than usual as sufferers procrastinate or avoid difficult decisions.
“They have a more cynical or negative view of the future; and feel unmotivated by things that are core to their business.”
The way to own it to beat the often-crippling condition includes implementing non-negotiable musts.
To help conveyancers return to some life balance, John says they:-
- Must maintain or increase physical health activities – walking/exercise/gym.
- Must set a boundary or cut-off for when work time finishes at night and on weekends.
- Must get seven hours of sleep.
- Must get off the computer and phone at least three times a day at work and get outside (even five a minute walk – look at the trees not a screen).
- Must book a holiday for at least four days (ideally a week) every three months.
- Must turn off devices at home.
- Must think about trying meditation or other relaxation methods.
“The other thing that helps massively is to recognise the link between energy, productivity and focus,” says John, who observes many conveyancers will stay at their desk for an entire day to churn through work and feel productive.
“Working at such an intense pace means you’re desk bound and not moving, you’re eating at your desk and choosing more processed foods or less healthy snacks with more sugar, which impacts us negatively in terms of energy spikes, crashes, motivation, focus and memory.
“Giving yourself a break from thinking about work, makes us better able to do it – faster and smarter – when we come back to it.”
Read the Australian Conveyancer to get more of John’s insights on success, including his Top five workflow solutions and how to Get organised and reap the benefits
