Find the Love
I was listening to a podcast the other day about work and burnout. Marcus Buckingham was being interviewed and he was talking specifically about healthcare workers and said that what they had found was that technical skills without love brought about burnout. Thus my above equation.
I am a member of a facebook group for Dental Hygienists who have or are experiencing burnout. It is a thing. for sure. And to prove this theory true, one would only have to spend a short time scrolling the threads on this group to find the absence of love {for the profession} and lots of burnout. So much venting followed by validation from others. There is a lot of negative energy coming off that page.
When I posted the above graphic in that group, a few people responded and one had positive things to say about the quote and then ended with…”this post is going to be underrated though, because all simple things are. Great post!”
So, unfortunately true. The raw truth is rarely complicated or obscure. It is simple.
Not easy though.
And nearly always requires introspection and taking accountability for the results we are not happy with.
I think most of us have experienced burnout. It does not have to be work related per se. It could be in a relationship or getting tired of menial tasks like housework, organization, budgeting etc.
I would like to propose a three step process to getting yourself out of burnout and back to thriving. {aka find the love}
Recognize that you are no longer “feeling it” and determine you are willing to change that.
Think back on a time when you did feel the love while performing said task.
Search {within what is true for you} for a thought that could bring you back to a feeling of love, purpose or thriving.
That’s it! You literally are only one thought away from breaking out of burnout.
Here are some examples: Maybe you are a dental hygienist who’s favorite part of the job is connection with your patients and co-workers. You suddenly find yourself in a situation where you are feeling rushed on time or required to perform some tasks that you think are not reasonable within your job description.
And you believe that this why you are feeling burned out. And I know, for sure that your brain can offer up all kinds of evidence to support your hypothesis.
See our brains want two things: safety and homeostasis. They don’t really care about the thriving part. If you have gotten yourself in a pattern of thinking and behavior at work that brings about burnout then you really have to short circuit your brain in order to break out of said pattern.
One way to short circuit your brain with the hygienist example would be to get really curious with yourself.
Thoughts like: How would it be possible for me to complete what is required of me at work and still have connection? What thoughts are getting in my way for that to be true?
The other very powerful thing about our brains is that they like to solve problems, come up with solutions. So for you to say to yourself, how could this new thought be true? That is honestly the first step and a direct invitation to your brain to answer that question. After getting curious…answer your own question, such as: It is possible for me to meet the requirements of my job and still find connection.
I will give you a “hands on” example from my life. Years ago I was working in an office where I kept butting heads with an office manager. I did not want to continue feeling the way that I did at work. I could see that she was a good person and was good at her job but we just were not connecting in the way that I wanted to. There were a LOT of ways she and I were different. Like 1000! But I decided that maybe we needed some common ground. I knew she was really into a particular type of workout I want to say P90X or something like that. Anyway, I suggested that we stay after work and do one of her workouts. Now, I knew it would kick my arse but I was willing to try it out. She was shocked and amazed. First, that I would suggest such a thing and second that I really put in a ton of effort and didn’t 100% suck at the workout.
I don’t remember how many times we worked out together but I do remember that we became allies at work and even friends.
Was the change because of the workout? Actually, the change originated in my brain with the thought, “How are we the same? How could we connect?” I have used this very same thought to connect with many different patients, coworkers, even relatives.
But your “love” at work may not be found in the same place as mine. That is why #2 on my three steps is so important. You need to find your way back to your love.
Do the work…it is so worth it!
Once again, the solution is all in the love. In my equation example…moving love from the subtrahend to the addend, we can create this alternate equation:
Technical skills+Love=Engaged life.
And having love be an addend just feels so much appropriate, don’t you think?
If you need help finding your love again in any aspect of your life, I’d be happy to talk about how I could help you do just that.
Go to my home page and click on “schedule a session”
Click on FREE consult
Find a time that works for you
Happy to help!
xoKathleen
