Don't repeat the burnout cycle this Fall

I hope you had a lovely Labor Day weekend!

Ironically, just as we come back from a long weekend meant to honor the labor movement’s fight that brought us weekends, evenings, and breaks free from work, many of our workplaces kick back into a level of high gear that leads to burnout. 

Summer downtime is ending, and we have just a few months before the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years spree of downtime begins. Better get everything done NOW!

While it can feel great to have some concentrated work time again, it can be easy to overdo it. And it does us no good to come back from a vacation feeling rested just to burn ourselves out again, repeating the cycle ad nauseam. Our workplace problems don’t go away just because we go away for vacation.

What can you do instead? Here are three tools to help you approach this work spree more sustainably:

Too many meetings?

If your team struggles with too many meetings, change your meeting invitation template. 

One of the simplest adjustments I see organizations make to help meeting-heavy cultures is to make sure that everyone who is invited to a meeting is told, in writing, what their role is in the meeting and why they’re being invited.

Not just “Subject matter expert” or “Observer,” but “Share subject matter expertise on sustainability so we can ensure the project incorporates sustainable best practices,” and “Observe this meeting to better understand how we are approaching this project to avoid duplicative efforts with your project.”

Detailed explanations allow people to make better calls about using their time efficiently and ensure that people actually move forward together toward shared goals with the limited time they do have.

Want to figure out how to implement this on your team? Grab some time with me and let’s customize it for you.

Exhausted?

If workdays routinely leave you feeling exhausted, schedule your breaks (big and small) in advance. That means now. 

Schedule your lunch breaks for the next month. Schedule the time you’re going to leave work for the next few weeks. Schedule the days off that you need to get to those doctor appointments and school events between now and New Years. Block them off in your calendar so nobody can book over them. Include your commute time.

You’re holding yourself accountable to taking those breaks as much (if not more than) you are telling others you’re not available.

And if you supervise others or hold power in any way in your organization, you’re setting an example that breaks are an important part of making a workplace sustainable, and everyone is expected to take them.

Want help scheduling these or figuring out what the right pace is for you? Schedule a coaching session and let’s do it together.

Sensing tension?

If you're feeling tension in your office culture or interpersonal dynamics, up-level (or initiate!) your routine check-in meetings with your teammates. Use the time to give each other substantive, constructive feedback (positive feedback should be constructive, too!) that will proactively improve your work and your working relationship -- not just to give project updates. These small, sustained changes often go a lot further than major one-time interventions.

Reach out any time for help improving these sessions.

As you get back into the swing of things this fall, I hope these reminders will help you take on the work in ways that are sustainable for you, your team, and your mission. 

Don’t hesitate to reach out for support, any time.