Burnout Coach: BEFORE You Hire a Burnout Expert [EVERYTHING To Know]

How a Burnout Management Coach Can Support You Along The Easy Path To Prevent, Manage And Recover From Burnout So You Can Get Back On Track With Your Job, Career And Life…

How can a burnout coach help you easily prevent, manage or recover from burnout without quitting your job?

If you’re dealing with long-term stress, feeling burned out and not sure who to turn to… a doctor, counselor, therapist or a coach…

In this article I’ll show you how you can overcome burnout with guidance and support from someone who’s been where you are now.

If you’re:

• Feeling exhausted by work, unrealistic deadlines, long hours and a lack of support or recognition from management
  
• Worried about the long term effects of burnout and would just like it to end today

… you’ll discover what professionals offer in supporting you to prevent, manage or recover from burnout… so you can get past burnout quickly.

Anti-Burnout Starter Guide Reveals The 3 Biggest Mistakes People Make In Trying To Stop Burnout (That Actually Make It Worse)

In This Free 5-Page Anti-Burnout Starter Guide You’ll Discover:

• What keeps people stuck in stress and burnout mode
• The biggest ‘vice’ that people are addicted to
• What to say to yourself to stop falling for “it won’t happen to me” syndrome
• The right way to use pharmaceutical drugs for burnout (if you choose to)
• How you reached burnout and the crucial next step to take to fix it

Download Your Free 5-Page Starter Guide Now…

You’ll also find out how fast you can expect to reboot, refresh and reset from burnout by hiring, working with and being supported by a burnout expert 1-on-1.

So if you’d like turn mental thunderstorms from stress and burnout into blue skies and sunshine without giving up your job or career, read on to find out the true secrets to getting past burnout the easy way.

In this article we’ll discuss…

• Am I burned out? (Common early warning signs you can’t ignore)
• The causes of burnout (the ultimate list to check your triggers)
• How personality and mindset impact burnout (is it you or your personality?)
• Tests for burnout a coach could use with you (what stage are you?)
• Ways to not burn out (avoidance tips to thrive, not just survive)
• Tips for battling burnout at work (and winning the battle without quitting your job)
• Ways to get over burnout (recover, reset and start anew faster than you think)

Common Myths About Burnout: Are You Believing Your Beliefs?

We all live too much in our own heads, convincing ourselves of things that may not be objectively true or valid.

These can act as pain relievers to disconnect us from the reality of our situation.

Do you believe these common beliefs about burnout…

• “If I find a new job, I won’t feel stressed/burned out anymore”
• “It will go away”
• “It’s my boss, my employer, my co-workers that are causing my burnout feelings and symptoms”
• “My employer should help me with my stress and burnout”
• “I’ll just take something to fix/treat this”
• “If I ‘slack off’ and relax, I won’t reach my goals”
• “I can only get what I want by working long hours”
• “Hard work is the only way to achieve my goals”

Along with physical and mental symptoms of burnout comes all-important self-talk and self-expression in general, as the words we think or repeat are windows to our deeper thoughts, feelings, beliefs and values.

Are you repeating these thoughts to yourself or others…

• “I just feel so tired all the time”
• “I’m exhausted”
• “I need a vacation”
• “I need a new job”
• “I’m at the end of my rope”
• “I’m burning the candle at both ends”
• “I’m burned out”
• “I can’t do this anymore”

To self-assess burnout, reflect on any new behaviors, specifically negative behaviors that on the surface provide relief, but over the medium to long term may exacerbate burnout.

These are known as maladaptive behaviors.

What are some maladaptive ways people cope with burnout?

• Increased food and/or alcohol consumption
• Beginning or increased vaping or cigarette smoking
• Over-indulging in sugary foods and beverages
• Over-indulging in salty foods
• Increased anger or rage
• Increase watching of violent movies
• Increased watching of pornography
• Physically lashing out on others (or imagining it)

The tricky part with burnout is that it affects everyone differently.

You can have two people doing the exact same job at the exact same company, doing the same amount of hours… and one person could become burned out, while the other person sings their way into and out of the office each day.

But before your flame is extinguished, it’s best to get to the root cause of the problem.

Burn Out Coach:

EVERYTHING You Need To Know Before You Hire a Burnout Specialist For 1-on-1 Coaching

Here are the most common questions about burnout coaching and how finding the right coach can help you beat burnout and get back on track…

(And further on… we’ll compare a coach against doctors, counselors and therapists so you’ll know which one can help you best)

How long would my ‘stress loss program’ continue, even after coaching?

A stress loss program, just like a weight loss program can vary from as little as one session, to a 7 day program, 28 days or more depending on how much stress you’re trying to ‘lose’ to prevent or overcome burnout.

You may choose to work with a coach for a week or two to get a feel for them, their style and personality, and if you’re happy with how it’s working you can continue on from there.

Aiming for an initial 90 day plan ensures you have enough time to work with a coach and begin new habits that put you in control.

After coaching, you’ll have a plan to follow to help you easily manage the stressors that we all encounter on a daily basis.

Just like a healthy eating plan keeps illness at bay, a stress management plan can keep burnout at bay.

Will a burnout prevention coach recommend taking burnout supplements?

A burnout coach may recommend that you take supplements for burnout if they feel it will help with your mental or physical well-being before or during the coaching period.

A coach should have knowledge of supplements that are effective for managing or treating stress and reduce burnout symptoms as well as applying techniques for burnout.

What results can I expect from burnout coaching?

The results you can (and should) expect from burnout coaching should be a complete elimination of burnout-related thoughts, feelings, sensations and symptoms.

Secondly, the burnout coach you work with should have the goal to get you to a point of absolute resiliency against burnout, where stressful situations that used to affect you, no longer even bother you, let alone manifesting as mental or physical symptoms.

5 ‘Deal Breakers’ To Consider Before You Begin Stress Coaching

Working with a coach is an exciting crossroad in your life, and one that can result in greater health and happiness… if you choose the right coach.

Here are 5 crucial things to consider before you begin…

1) Coach’s Results

Has the coach dealt with and beaten stress and burnout themselves or have they just ‘learned’ about it at university or through some form of certification?

Choosing an authentic coach who’s been where you are now, can empathize with you and guide you step-by-step into greener pastures is more likely to bring you the results you’re looking for.

Consider requesting an 8 or 12 week trial before you commit further.

2) New Habits

If your past or current habits have led to stress or burnout, it makes sense that new habits will need to be adopted in order to produce healthier outcomes like peace, calm and stability.

Anything new is generally scary at first (think of the first day of a new job).

But after you begin, fear dissolves quickly because your mind and body are designed to adapt fast to any new environment (think of how easy your job became after just a few weeks).

Entering coaching feeling fear, doubt and concern is normal… as is coming out of coaching feeling calm, strong and empowered with new knowledge, habits and confidence.

3) Contact Time

Do you have approximately 1-2 hours per week to meet with your coach via video chat?

That’s the ideal amount of time, and you can increase the contact hours at any time if you feel you need to.

4) Homework

Your after-work habits also contribute to stress, burnout and other unhealthy outcomes.

Adopting techniques, strategies and exercises that become new positive habits is what will take you from stressed to calm to control.

They could take as little as one minute up to thirty minutes or more, but most will be quick and easy.

This is the fun part of coaching because you’re creating your new, healthier, happier lifestyle yourself, but with the guidance and support of an expert.

5) Budget

Some coaches charge more based on their expertise, so it’s more important to work with a coach who you believe can put you in control of stress as soon as possible.

You’ll likely only need coaching for 90 days so a flexible budget is ideal to ensure you hire the best coach possible.

How long will I need to work with a burnout reduction coach?

The length of time you’ll work with a burn out coach should be as short as possible but will depend on your current mental and physical state and the work you do together with your coach.

Once the coaching sessions begin (after an initial assessment) you can (and should) expect to experience changes in you mind and body quickly.

These may be subtle at first, even outside your conscious awareness, but the cumulative effect of repeating the prescribed techniques and exercises, the changes should be very obvious between 1 to 30 days.

A 90 day plan is an ideal amount of time to work with a coach.

How long is a burnout coaching session?

A burnout coaching session can be as little as 30 minutes up to 2 hours depending on what you arrange with your coach.

Session duration may increase or decrease throughout the coaching period depending on your needs and or the time availability of yourself or your coach.

What do you talk about with a burnout coach?

You’ll talk with your burnout coach about your current situation that’s led to burnout, your history, your lifestyle and general habits.

A seasoned burnout expert will be able to assess and determine the best way forward to work with you to eliminate burnout symptoms, thoughts, feelings and sensations in order to get you back on track as soon as possible.

Will my coach recommend taking medication for burnout?

A burnout and mental health coach may or may not recommend that you take medicine for burnout, depending on your state of mind.

If you’ve tried to overcome burnout before or if you’ve taken or are taking medication it’s ok.

We’re not taught about burnout at school so it’s an unknown for everyone. And unknowns can be scary.

It’s normal to not know what to do next.

While a coach can’t prescribe medicine directly, they can of course refer you to a doctor if needed.

A good coach however will work with you using effective methods, techniques and strategies over the medium to long-term.

How often would I meet with my anti-burnout coach?

You’ll meet with your burnout coach as often as you need or as part of a recommended schedule laid out by your coach.

The regularity of your meetings may also depend on the level or severity of your burnout symptoms and/or your desire in getting rid of burnout as soon as possible.

How does coaching help me stop or avoid burnout?

Burnout coaching stops or avoids burnout through the implementation of effective, proven techniques, strategies, exercises, activities or therapies.

A true burnout guru will have knowledge of and experience using multiple therapies or healing techniques in order to help their client end burnout or prevent it from even occurring.

I’m feeling nervous about the burnout coaching process. Is this normal?

Feeling nervous about your first burnout coaching session is normal.

Remember, with each session you have, you’ll feel better at the end of each session thanks to your coach’s ability and skill in guiding you through the various steps and exercises that will help you inhibit burnout.

Think of it more like catching up with a close friend for a chat (but with structure, plan and purpose)… and a friend who knows how to help you out of burnout and into feelings of clarity, calm and peace.

How many burnout coaching sessions will I need?

The number of burnout coaching sessions you’ll need depends on many factors including:

• the current severity of your symptoms
• your coach’s skills
• and using the right solutions suggested to you by your coach.

An expert employment burnout coach will have the goal to take you from burnout to bliss in the shortest time possible so that you can get back to normal and start enjoying your work and life again.

When can I expect to see changes from ongoing burnout coaching?

Working with a true burnout specialist, you could feel changes in thoughts, feelings and behaviors within days, hours and even minutes.

But just like starting a weight loss program, it can take a few weeks before more obvious changes are visual or where behavior changes become evident (either to yourself or to those around you).

For faster results, a coach will have multiple tools and methods and will work with you side-by-side to either overcome or prevent future burnout.

Will I follow a specific burnout management program during coaching?

An expert burnout coach will likely have many ways in which they can service their clients, whether that be through a burnout management program in 1-on-1 coaching or through an online training course.

A coach will likely have various ways with which they educate and help their clients, including:

• online webinars
• live seminars
• online training sessions
• online courses
• self-guided programs
• workshops
• in-house training
• PDF downloadables
• books
• e-books
• checklists and
• worksheets

A coach will guide you through their own burnout program that’s proven to work.

The duration of the program will depend on your current situation, your time availability and the number of coaching sessions you have each week or each month.

Can I claim burnout coaching from my health insurance company?

Burnout coaching could possibly be claimed through your health insurance company depending on which company you have health insurance with as well as the level of coverage you have as part of your insurance plan.

Even if it is covered, there may be a monthly, quarterly or yearly financial limit on the amount you can claim.

So it’s best to contact your insurance company directly to ask about the specific terms of your plan.

What will a burn out coach teach me?

A burnout coach will teach you ways to manage, prevent or treat burnout using natural techniques, strategies, exercises and activities.

If you’re suffering from burnout currently, your coach will focus on methods that will stop burnout in its tracks so that you can continue to work while feeling good and building mental and physical resilience to the point where stress and burnout bounce off you.

Do burnout coaches guarantee results from coaching?

A burnout coach will teach you ways to manage, prevent or treat burnout using techniques, strategies, exercises and activities.

If you’re suffering from burnout currently, your coach will focus on methods that will stop burnout in its tracks so that you can continue to work while feeling good and building mental and physical resilience to the point where stress and burnout bounce off you.

Can I hire a job burnout coach from anywhere in the world?

Yes, most burnout coaches will work with their clients online unless they happen to be in the same city as you.

But a virtual burnout coach will be able to work with almost anyone worldwide, with the only limitation being time-zone.

Is there such thing as an accredited burnout coach?

Working with a certified burnout coach is ideal from the perspective that you know they’ve completed some formal training and have received formal certification to work as a ‘licensed’ burnout coach.

However, it’s important to note that this certification is currently only available through private training organizations.

A certified, licensed, accredited or qualified burnout coach has received such credentials through private organizations, and not through Government certification or accreditation.

Ultimately, finding a coach who has achieved the health outcomes you’d like to achieve is the best way to choose which coach to work with.

Can I hire a life coach for burnout help?

A life coach may help with managing burnout but it’s not likely to be their primary area of knowledge or expertise.

Therefore they likely won’t have the skills to help you manage burnout, or more importantly, alleviate burnout from your life.

A career practitioner or career guidance counselor will be limited in the same way.

A work-life balance coach may be slightly more equipped to help with burnout but it really depends on their background and level of personal experience with burnout.

A true burnout management guru however will have all the skills, techniques, strategies and exercises to help you end burnout as soon as possible.

How do I choose the best burnout coach for me?

Choosing the ideal burnout coach for you will involve several factors including the coach’s expertise, their personal journey and results, their availability and their coaching fee.

Ultimately, only through working with a coach one-on-one will you truly know the level of expertise the coach has and the effectiveness with which they can help you avoid, handle or reboot from burnout.

Can I overcome burnout without a coach?

You could overcome burnout without a coach if you have the time, the skills, the motivation and ultimately the techniques and strategies to beat it.

It will take longer than if you hired an expert because you’re starting fresh, without a knowledge-foundation to work from.

Also, because you’ll be emotionally invested, it will be more difficult to objectively analyze your situation, your feelings, your sensations and symptoms.

What will an initial burnout coaching consultation involve?

An initial burnout coaching consultation will involve your coach getting to know you and your history and current situation with burnout.

It may involve:

• a questionnaire, survey or worksheet
• your general health history
• current symptoms you’re experiencing

They will also ask about your job role, tasks, responsibilities, co-workers, managers… anything that will help to give the coach a solid understanding of how you reached a point of burnout.

Only with an understanding of your overall lifestyle can they then begin to move forward with you to beat burnout and build resilience so that burnout is eliminated from your life.

How can an occupational burnout coach help me deal with work stress?

A top burnout coach can help you by giving you the knowledge, techniques, exercises and confidence for you to get through burnout and get back to feeling good again.

They’re there as a source of inspiration as well as for accountability through the use of a structured plan that will help bring confidence and clarity to your situation.

Your coach will support you to build positive lifestyle habits that promote resilience instead of stress, thereby helping to eliminate the possibility of burnout reoccurring again in the future.

What burnout coaching is not

Burnout coaching isn’t an outlet for complaining or moaning about your current situation, your boss, your co-workers or your life in general.

Coaching is an opportunity for you to heal… mentally, physically and emotionally using proven burnout-busting techniques, strategies, exercises and lifestyle changes.

Your work burnout mentor will guide you on to the right path and they’ll help you to stay on the path that leads you to and helps you to maintain optimum physical, mental and emotional well-being.

There’s a difference between ‘venting’ and ‘complaining’.

Venting can be extremely valuable and healing in some ways. It’s just when it’s repeated that it turns into complaining.

Is it worth hiring a burnout guru?

Whether it’s worth hiring a holistic burnout management coach or ‘guru’ depends on the severity of burnout you’re experiencing and how much burnout is costing you mentally, physically, emotionally, financially as well as in your career and even personal relationships.

If you’re above a 5 of out of 10 in terms of burnout feelings and symptoms, engaging a coach could help you avoid a health scare, financial problems, relationship breakdown or mental breakdown.

Stress and burnout can be scary, especially if you don’t know how to fix it.

We often ‘freeze’ if we’re in fear, and then maybe reach for a pill of some kind, a bottle, a cigarette or otherwise.

Should I go to a burnout retreat or hire a burnout recovery coach?

If you’ve hit rock bottom it can seem like the only solution or way out of pain is to immerse yourself in an environment that allows you to rest, recuperate and restore your mind and body.

A burnout recovery retreat is certainly an option and could be a first step in your burnout healing journey.

A few things to consider are…

• What techniques or strategies will they teach you at the retreat, if any?
• What’s the plan for when you reconnect with the world?
• How will you return to work after burnout and be able to manage your mind and body to prevent another burnout re-occurrence?

Considering a visit to a burnout treatment center, clinic or retreat vs engaging a burnout rehab coach will depend on how long-lasting you would like your results to be.

Ultimately, without the tools to self-manage your mind and body, the probability of a burnout repeat is unfortunately high.

How to choose a post-burnout coach?

You should choose a burnout and wellness coach who has achieved the health outcomes you’re seeking, that being, natural healing from burnout and completely resilient to burnout through long term lifestyle changes.

Other factors that will influence your choice of recovery coach will be your budget, time-zone or location (if seeking face-to-face meetings), and availability.

How is anti-burnout coaching different from psychotherapy?

You should choose a burnout and wellness coach who has achieved the health outcomes you’re seeking, that being,  complete healing from burnout and completely resilient to burnout through long term lifestyle changes.

Other factors that will influence your choice of recovery coach will be your budget, time-zone or location (if seeking face-to-face meetings), and availability.

Who hires a work burnout coach?

Everyone from employees to managers, executives, business owners, entrepreneurs, athletes and leaders hire a burnout coach to help them stay on top of their game.

Whether the client wants to just stay sane to keep their job, grow their career, dominate their market or reach the pinnacle of their sport or industry, a true burnout guru can help their client achieve their goals through eliminating burnout as an obstacle and building bullet-proof resilience.

What’s the difference between a coach and a burnout psychologist or counselor?

The difference between a psychologist or counselor vs coach for burnout is their qualifications, training, skills, methods and their range of tools to help you overcome, prevent or regroup from burnout.

A burnout therapist or counselor will typically work with the mind whereas a coach will work more holistically, with both the mind and body.

Life without burnout is possible when you’re working with the right specialist who has sustainable solutions to help you defeat burnout permanently.

How can I assess and measure the success of burnout coaching?

There are several ways to assess and measure the success of burnout coaching.

These include a subjective assessment using the Maslach Burnout Inventory for example.,

Or through more objective assessments such as a blood test to measure cortisol levels, blood pressure and a resting heart rate test.

A simpler approach is through noticing changes in feelings and behaviors when you’re in a stressful situation.

The best assessment that indicates coaching is working for you is the fact that you literally ‘forget’ to react to what used to be trigger-situations for you in the past.

During your coaching for burnout, you may notice that you don’t dread going to work or that your energy levels are greater, you feel more relaxed and at peace.

You may find that you feel stronger physically and mentally because of the changes that have occurred in your mind and body through the coaching process.

Matt Adams – Expert Burnout Coach

As far as burnout recovery stories go, mine started at 24 but didn’t truly begin until the week after a life-changing panic attack at 27.

You can read my full story on my Bio page here. (link opens in a new browser window)

This is when everything changed.

My subsequent 10-month self-rehabilitation after the panic attack is where I rebuilt my mind and body using techniques and strategies I either found or created.

These techniques number around 100 these days and they’re how I help my coaching clients blast through stress, burnout and anxiety and take full control of their health and well-being.

“When I experienced my severe work-related anxiety panic attack at 27 (my ‘stage 2’ stress event) and that same day accepted a job offer for a well-paid, stressful job I remember thinking “how am I going to do this?”.

The next day, Friday, I went into the office to meet the team and be shown around the office.

I was due to fly on the Monday for a 1 week training induction course.

By Saturday I was really worried and freaking out about being ‘trapped’ in the training room all week.

By Sunday I was totally messed up.

I called my Mum crying and I told her about the panic attack I’d had three days prior and told her I was booked to fly out the next day for the week-long training course.

The exact words I said to her were: “I don’t think I can ever work again”.

That’s how messed up I was and how bad I was feeling mentally and physically.”

–Matt Adams

How does an employee burnout coach differ from a business burnout coach?

The difference between a business burnout mentor and a coach who works with employees is that a business burnout practitioner should have real world business experience.

Only if the coach has true business experience will they know and understand the challenges you face on a daily basis as a business owner and be able to act as a credible adviser for you.

Responsibility, finances, employees, lead generation, sales targets and not being able to ‘switch off’ will take a toll on just about anyone.

A business burnout expert can act as your ‘Chief Health Officer’ by guiding, instructing and holding you accountable to your health targets so that you and your business can continue to grow and thrive in any environment.

While the techniques or strategies used with either a business owner or an employee may be similar, it’s more the language and mindset that will be different when working with an employee vs a business owner.

Working With Your Coach (The Specifics)

What therapies will a burnout practitioner use with me?

A burnout practitioner could use many different therapies depending on their training, qualifications or personal experiences with overcoming burnout.

Common burnout therapies include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychotherapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) along with complementary treatments such as relaxation techniques, breath work, yoga, qigong, mind-body therapy, music therapy and meditation.

Do I need a burnout coach?

Whether you need a burnout coach or not depends on your time availability to attempt self-healing or if you’d just like to combat burnout as soon as possible.

The main factors in your decision to engage a burnout mentor or not include: time, money and your mental and physical state.

If you’ve ever thought or said: “Having a drink at the end of the day relaxes me” (that’s my stress management)

That’s unfortunately not the case.

What’s actually happening is not relaxation, but suppression.

Alcohol has a numbing effect on the brain and body which gives you a false feeling of relaxation.

What is a burnout coach?

A burnout coach is a work-related stress expert who can educate, guide and support you to prevent, manage or recharge from burnout.

While eliminating symptoms is one priority, building long-term resilience (mental/emotional/physical) in their client is the focus of an ethical coach.

A coach has the tools and techniques to help their clients prevent burnout, manage it effectively or bounce back from burnout if it’s already occurred.

What are the pros of having a stress burnout coach?

There are many pros of having a stress burnout coach working with you to either prevent, manage or reset from burnout.

Depending on your current state and your desire or motivation to take control of your mental, emotional and physical well-being, a coach can help you put yourself in the driver’s seat.

The pros of burnout coaching include:

• Instant relief from feeling burnt out through the elimination of sensations and symptoms (mental or physical)
• Ongoing learning of burnout management techniques and exercises that you can do to take control of your mind and body
• Increased confidence in yourself and your ability to erase burnout and live healthier (without having to quit your job)
• Feeling more relaxed about your job, your career and your life
• Being in control of your thoughts and feelings in the present and into the future

The SoleStone Technique™ is one of the best ‘before’ and ‘after’ work burnout-busters because it releases physical, mental and emotional ‘stress toxins’ from the mind and body… leaving you feeling relaxed, calm and peaceful at the start and end of every day.

How does a burnout management coach work with their clients?

A burnout management coach helps their clients to prevent, manage, treat or get past burnout through guiding their client to make subtle lifestyle changes while implementing proven anti-burnout techniques, strategies, exercises and activities.

They work with their clients on a consistent basis to help ‘turn the ship around’ from a state of burnout to a state of peace and well-being.

The process can take weeks or months or be an ongoing arrangement if the client feels they need ongoing support or accountability to keep their health on track.

What are the benefits of burnout coaching?

The benefits of burnout coaching are numerous, from prevention to management and ultimately treatment and restarting after burnout.

An expert burnout coach can help you with:

• Primary prevention to halt burnout from occurring in the first place,
• Secondary prevention by removing burnout through effective techniques and lifestyle changes through to tertiary prevention involving management of stress and burnout.

An effective coach will have the knowledge, tools and ability to educate you, guide you and work with you to win the battle with burnout in the shortest time possible.

How much does a good burnout coach charge?

A burnout coach will charge a fee based on their training, qualifications, expertise and ultimately their ability to get results for their clients.

The amount charged could be anywhere from $200 per session to $1000 or more per session.

If it’s a monthly charge, it could be from $2,000 to $5000 per month depending on the number of sessions per month and their expertise, reputation and ability to get effective results for their clients.

A famous burnout coach who’s recognized as a top expert in their field could charge over $10,000 p/month

There’s a coach at every price level to help you.

How Does The Matt Adams Method™ Help With The Prevention, Management And Recovery From Burnout?

The Matt Adams Method™ is a methodology for the effective prevention, management and recovery of stress, burnout and anxiety.

After suffering severe burnout at age 24 while managing two real estate sales offices and a life-changing panic attack at age 27 that resulted in up to 100 heart palpitations per day along with lightning-shock sensations in his heart, Matt embarked on a 10-month self-rehabilitation without the use of:

• drugs
• doctors
• counselors or
• therapists

Throughout this period and in the following years Matt created a tool-belt of anti-burnout exercises, techniques, strategies and activities.

The step-by-step system is a program for the prevention, management and recovery from burnout through the implementation of Matt’s proven exercises and techniques.

The method is a lifestyle-program designed to help the individual improve their mental, physical and emotional well-being.

Matt is a contributing Author to a #1 Best-Selling book on Amazon: ‘Activate Your Life’ (Volume III)

…and is currently writing a book about his journey and recovery from stress and burnout.

Burnout crept up on me when I was running on adrenaline selling real estate.

As a sufferer and survivor of extreme burnout, my personal definition of burnout is:

“Burnout is the end result of an unknowingness or inability to identify and/or acknowledge stress symptoms and a lack of appropriate actions to reduce stress or implement effective techniques, strategies, activities and exercises to manage stress.”

–Matt Adams

Should I go to a burnout clinic or get burnout coaching?

Going to a burnout clinic vs burnout coaching is an important decision, and likely one that needs to be made quickly if you’re in a severe state of burnout.

Every form of healing has its place, from conventional medicine to alternative healing modalities.

Comparing the difference between a clinic for burnout sufferers and a burnout coach, the clinic will likely use pharmaceutical drugs as a first step in their treatment process whereas a coach will use other methods.

The reasons for this is that the burnout management clinic will have licensed doctors including medical doctors and psychiatrists who are licensed to prescribe pharmaceutical medicine for the management or treatment of burnout and other conditions.

A burnout coach isn’t licensed to prescribe pharmaceutical medicine but instead will have several healing techniques they will work on together with their client to shift their thoughts, feelings and negative sensations within minutes if they’re an effective coach.

With the right techniques, change can happen in a matter of seconds or minutes.

In summary, the decision to visit a burnout clinic versus getting burnout coaching is a personal decision that will involve many factors, the primary one being the decision to take medicine vs using effective healing techniques, as well as time and cost considerations.

How do I decide which burnout professional to work with?

You can decide which burnout management professional to work with based on location, expertise and your budget.

Counselors will be most affordable followed by therapists, while expert burnout coaches will command higher rates usually because of their greater range of skills, techniques, strategies and abilities to help their clients rewind burnout and build resilience faster due to the specific techniques they’ll be implementing with you.

What does a burnout master coach do exactly?

A true master burnout coach is at the top of their field in terms of being able to help their clients avoid, manage or come back from burnout with a success rate of 99%+.

A master coach specifically helps you to replace thoughts, feelings and physical symptoms of burnout with feelings of peace, self-control and confidence along with the skills to sustain these feelings and behaviors over the long term.

A coach will work with you through a structured plan that involves the weekly execution of simple steps, techniques and exercises that will serve as catalysts for growth, helping to build your resilience against burnout.

The title of occupational burnout coach could be more appropriate given the World Health Organization’s categorization of burnout being:

“Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”

The WHO has even labelled burnout as a ‘syndrome’.

The 360 Technique™ I came up with gives you an entirely new perspective on burnout so you can get past your ’emotional filters’ and see things for what they really are… so you can change things quickly and step out of the ‘burnout soup’ you’re currently simmering in.

What skills should a burnout management coach have?

A burnout coach should have skills in communication, pattern recognition, be highly analytical and of course, have an extensive range of burnout prevention/management/treatment techniques and strategies.

Some coaches may have formal training and qualifications in one or more areas of psychology, counselling or alternative healing modalities.

But most will be burnout survivors that have recovered and are now helping others do the same.

Do burnout coaches guarantee the privacy and confidentiality of their clients?

An authentic burnout coach will guarantee the privacy and confidentiality of their clients as part of the sacred coach/client relationship, just as any professional is obligated to.

Do I need to sign a coaching contract?

Some coaches may ask you to sign a contract. As the client, you should see the signing of a coaching agreement as a cementing of your commitment to yourself by engaging in coaching over the medium to long term.

Where would I meet with my burnout coach?

You will meet with your burnout coach mostly online via live video chat or by phone unless you’re both living in the same city and would prefer to meet face-to-face. This may be using Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, Facebook Messenger or one of the many other chat apps.

But the most common way to meet with a coach will be virtually over the internet.

Will my coach give me ‘homework’ to do?

A good burnout management advisor will give you some homework to do because it’s outside of your coaching sessions that change really happens.

Although a coach will work with you to implement various techniques, exercises and strategies within the session, it’s through repetition of those exercises that will lead to healing from burnout and the building of resilience.

Just like a once-off dentist appointment won’t lead to healthy teeth… it’s through daily brushing of your teeth that healthy teeth happen.

How often should I have a burnout coaching session?

The frequency of your coaching sessions will depend on your symptoms, time availability and your budget.

Generally you’ll have 1 session per week of around 1 – 1.5 hours, or you may choose to have several 30 minute sessions.

You should be able to negotiate this with your coach prior to beginning coaching as well as at any time during the coaching period.

What if I want to end my burnout mentoring engagement?

If you’d like to end your coaching engagement it will either be required to give your coach 30 days notice in writing if you have a contract in place, or if no contract is in place, giving your coach the courtesy of 30 days notice before finishing up your coaching is good practice.

How can I pay for burnout coaching?

Payment for burnout coaching is usually made by either credit card via an online payment processor such as PayPal or Stripe (via the coach’s website) or via direct bank deposit.

In the case of monthly ongoing coaching, usually a direct debit arrangement will be put in place to allow for the automatic deduction of your coaching fee to be made.

Who do I see for burnout if it’s urgent?

You could see a counselor, therapist (psychologist or psychiatrist) or a coach for burnout depending on your time, budget and severity of symptoms. Some coaches will offer ‘emergency sessions’.

Each professional has value and each will have their own way of working with their clients/patients depending on their qualifications, training and personal experience with burnout and with their client’s/patient’s experiences and results.

An expert in burnout management should have the tools and techniques to teach you quickly so that you can use them immediately as well as continue to use them as and when needed in the future.

I’d like my employer to pay for my coaching. Can you provide a proposal?

My website is filled with information about me and my burnout coaching services and therefore it’s the best form of a proposal for your manager to review.

Upon approval, I can create an invoice made out in your company’s name, and once payment is made, we can begin our coaching sessions.

Who does a burnout coach work with?

A burnout coach works with people at all levels of businesses and organizations such as employees, contractors, freelancers, managers, executives and company directors or owners through either training or 1-to-1 sessions.

Let’s go through each one by one and discuss how a coach can help…

Executive Burnout Coach

An executive burnout coach works with mid-level management, senior executives and emerging leaders of corporate organizations in high responsibility, high stress job positions.

A coach acts as a guide to high achievers such as CEOs, CTOs, CFOs and COOs to help them balance their mental and physical health while they achieve their larger personal and organization goals.

Given that an organization is a reflection of those running it, being in control of your mental and physical well-being means you can be present in your role, be in touch with employees’ needs and create a workplace that people want to be part of.

Leadership Burnout Coach

With senior leadership comes increased responsibilities bringing increased stress which if left unchecked can lead to burnout among leaders.

Leaders can be leading in any form or capacity, whether it’s leading an organization, leading a political party or leading an industry.

Although being a high-functioning, high-achiever can provide a level of fulfillment and validation, if it ultimately comes at the cost of your mental and physical health, is it really worth it?

A leadership burnout coach can help you assess, identify and take a stand against burnout to ensure you and your career stay on track.

Leadership development includes improving one’s own resilience which, in order to do so, a leader needs to learn new skills. And one of the most important skills a leader can learn and lead others with is through eradicating stress and burnout from the workplace.

Really… the burnout conversation needs to happen sooner rather than later with both management and employees because there may not be a later.

Especially now that more people are working from home, personal conversations about important matters feels a lot less personal through a screen.

Putting a remote work burnout prevention plan in place ensures you and your team are healthy, feeling connected and thus able to perform at a higher level.

And ultimately, if your team is burned out, you simply can’t achieve your personal goals as a leader or your collective organizational goals.

Manager Burnout Coach

A manager burnout coach works with managers at all levels and environments where overseeing people is your primary responsibility.

Putting out fires all day is a fast track to burnout as it can feel like you’re a part-time psychologist and part-time babysitter. It’s tough.

But while you’re looking after them, who’s looking after you?

Denial is one of the biggest factors when it comes to stress exhaustion and burnout. It’s easy to just waive-off the signs and symptoms and just keep pushing forward, especially with the help of medication or alcohol.

But these short-term patches only lead to a bigger wound opening up beneath the surface.

Something has to give. And you don’t want it to be you.

A burnout coach for management can be there to prevent a disaster from happening that could cost your company thousands or even millions of dollars.

Business Owner And Entrepreneur Burnout Coach

Running a company is tough, especially if you’re wearing different hats to keep it all together and keep everything going in the direction you know it needs to go.

But while you’re focused on your business, how much are you focusing on your health?

Health issues can bring not only you down but your company down too.

Don’t wait for hindsight before you ‘figure it all out’.

By the time you see everything clearly, it could be too late.

A business burnout coach can help you identify the signs of stress and burnout and work with you to not just ‘manage’ the symptoms but get you to a point where stress is irrelevant, where you’re truly ‘resilient’, mentally, physically and emotionally.

If you put your health at a similar priority as you do your business’s marketing, you can achieve ‘true’ success, meaning success in business and in health and well-being too.

An entrepreneur burnout coach helps high flyers keep flying.

As a visionary, you can see your company’s future, and you’re working 8, 10, 12 hours a day to make it a reality.

But working those hours leaves 2, 1 or 0 hours a day to focus on your health.

The reality is that most diseases today are ‘lifestyle diseases’, self-inflicted.

What’s the point of achieving success in your business and finances if you’re not around to enjoy it?

A burnout prevention coach can act as your CHO (Chief Health Officer) by working alongside you, reminding you about daily tasks you need to do to keep the health side of your business (‘YOU’), performing optimally.

If your company balance sheet had a section labelled ‘Founder’s Health’, what figures could you put in the columns labelled ‘Mental Well-Being’, ‘Physical Health’ and ‘Emotional Well-Being’ on a monthly or quarterly basis?

Prioritizing your health IS prioritizing your business’s future.

Burnout Management for Employees

A workplace burnout coach works with employees one-on-one through the company they work for or through a private coaching arrangement directly with the individual.

An expert coach will have the skills to work across multiple burnout-prone industries such as: Healthcare, Education, Law, IT, Finance, Real Estate and others.

Well-known burnout professions include: Teachers, Doctors, Physicians, Attorneys/Lawyers, Bankers, Stock Brokers & Day Traders, Realtors/Real Estate Agents, Tech (Software Developers/Programmers) and more.

You can protect yourself against burnout and thereby protect your career and income by consulting with a burnout expert who’s been in the same situation you’re now facing.

Do you work with both men and women?

I work with men and women. The method, processes and techniques I teach can be used by anyone wanting to change the way they feel in terms of burnout reduction and elimination.

Which Burnout Professionals Can You See About Burnout?

There are a number of burnout syndrome professionals you can see about burnout, whether it’s avoiding it, managing it or overcoming it.

Burnout Psychology is an emerging field in the world of Psychology bought about by our 21st Century lifestyles that have us burning the candle at both ends.

If you’re wondering; who should I see for burnout? …the information below outlines each of the professionals you can see for burnout and what services or treatments they offer, from doctors to psychologists to coaches.

Let’s find out about each one now…

Can I see a Doctor for managing burnout?

Going to see a Doctor about burnout is usually the first place people will go for help, but a General Practitioner (GP) is just that… a generalist.

This is why GP’s will refer you on to one or more specialists if you have symptoms above what might be considered ‘mild’.

How do doctors treat burnout?

A Doctor will treat burnout through providing general lifestyle advice such as; do more exercise, get more sleep, take time out, etc, but their main focus (and training) is on prescribing medicine to treat the symptoms of burnout.

Taking medicine for burnout has an upside and a downside.

The upside is you’ll likely get immediate relief from the symptoms.

The downside is you’re not addressing the root cause of burnout. You’re working at the surface instead of at a deeper level where the problem is coming from.

So, can you see a doctor about burnout? (and should you?)

You can see a Doctor about burnout, but for more specialized advice, it’s best to see a specialist in the field of burnout if you’d like to get to root cause and fix the problem once and for all.

Let’s now discuss other professionals that people typically turn to for help with burnout…

Can I see a Counselor for treating burnout?

You can see a licensed counselor for help with burnout if you’d like to have someone to talk to about burnout and talk through some of the problems you’re facing at work or in other areas of your life that have led to burnout.

Speaking to a burnout counselor through your employer, perhaps as part of their Employee Assistance Program (EAP) may be a good first start, especially if you’d like to avoid the cost of private counselling services.

How can a Counselor help with burnout?

The training or certification a counselor receives may not give them the tools to fully help you in dealing with burnout, specifically, helping you get out of burnout.

As a first step, talking or ‘venting’ can be extremely helpful in releasing some of the pent up emotions you have about your work or your life in general.

With burnout counselling, counselors generally work with ‘talk therapy’… by acting as a guide and supporter, helping you to express your thoughts and feelings and thereby healing, in a sense.

And this may be adequate for some people in handling burnout and getting on with life. For other more severe cases, it may not be.

Can I see a Psychologist for overcoming burnout?

You can see a Psychologist for assistance with burnout if you’d like a degree-qualified professional to help with treating burnout firstly by getting a new perspective on your situation from someone who’s not emotionally connected or invested in your situation.

A burnout psychotherapist will be able to offer a number of solutions to you in the form of tools and techniques that you can implement together and/or by yourself, in-between sessions.

Healing from burnout is a joint effort because it’s difficult to see your own problems when you’re swimming in them on a daily basis.

How can a Psychologist help with burnout?

A trained Psychologist can talk through issues with you to arrive at some practical decisions and potential lifestyle changes that might need to be made if you’re to eradicate burnout.

They will also have many cognitive tools to help you undo burnout and possibly re-frame it in a way where you can see stress as an unavoidable part of life that may just require some minor changes to your thoughts or habits in order to get past the problem.

Can I see a Clinical Psychologist for beating burnout?

You can see a Clinical Psychologist for aid with burnout if your mental health has reached a more severe point as a result of burnout or long-term stress that has been left untreated.

Clinical Psychologists work with people who are at more advanced stages of mental health challenges, as opposed to a general Psychologist who is more suited to those with emerging and medium level issues.

It’s often our unconscious beliefs that can allow us to ‘misinterpret’ situations, events and circumstances in a way that results in pain, either mental, emotional or physical pain.

How can a Clinical Psychologist support you with burnout?

They can assist you through helping you articulate and express the challenges you’re facing as well as through the implementation of one or more mind techniques that can help shift your thoughts or feelings.

And with simple shifts in thoughts and beliefs come different interpretations of those same situations, events and circumstances.

Can I see a Psychiatrist for handling burnout?

You can see a Psychiatrist for relief of burnout if you have several symptoms and advanced mental challenges from burnout that potentially require medication.

Also known as Burnout Doctors, Psychiatrists are licensed to prescribe medicine for burnout whereas Psychologists aren’t licensed to prescribe medication, although this may change in the future depending on the country you live in.

As mentioned above in the section about Doctors prescribing medication for burnout, a Psychiatrist may do the same which can provide temporary relief from symptoms.

A Psychiatrist however is also trained in helping you get to the root cause of an issue through the proper treatment of or even ‘cure’ for burnout… where the symptoms don’t reappear and you’re able to continue on with your pre-burnout life.

So, how can a Psychiatrist assist with burnout?

A good Psychiatrist will have many tools and techniques that can use together with you to help you overcome burnout.

Every form of healing has its place. It just depends on which professional or which healing methodology is appropriate for you at the current time.

And if you feel you need to take medicine to regain a sense of ‘normal’, then that’s what’s appropriate for you at this time.

An ethical GP or Psychiatrist will want to see their patient healed and not reliant on medication just to live a normal life, so be sure to choose such professionals so you know they have your best interests in mind at all times.

Is burnout a psychiatric diagnosis?

No, burnout isn’t currently recognized as a distinct mental disorder as per the most recent revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5, from 2013).

Burnout is more closely associated to the DSM’s definitions of Adjustment Disorders as well as ‘Unspecified Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders.

Can I see an Occupational Health Psychologist for preventing burnout?

You can see an Occupational Health Psychologist for guidance with burnout either through the company you work for (if they have an EAP in place or general employee support services) or privately of your own accord.

Occupational Health Psychologists (known in the USA as Industrial-Organizational Psychologists) work with organizations to create and implement one of more wellbeing programs designed to improve health outcomes in the workplace.

These include mental health as well as physical health and often involve various exercises, tests, challenges, and personal and professional habit changes such as work-life balance and improved mindfulness.

Handling the psychological burden of burnout is a struggle, even for the more mentally resilient among us, which is why more and more organizations are employing OHP’s to implement and manage programs that help to improve the mental and physical health of employees.

OHP’s will have a degree in Occupational Health Psychology or Occupational Health Science (or Industrial-Organizational Psychology in the USA), providing them with the knowledge and skills to assist employees in coping with workplace stress and conducting stress or burnout interventions in some cases.

Can I see a Burnout Relief Coach for avoiding burnout?

You can see a coach to avoid burnout as well as managing and ultimately eliminating burnout so that you can continue on with your current job, career and life in a more empowered way.

A top burnout syndrome coach will have a wide range of skills so that they can work with you to implement various burnout stoppers that are proven to prevent or dissolve feelings, symptoms and sensations associated with burnout.

They can work with you over a period of either weeks or months to hold your hand through building positive health habits that build resilience against burnout so that you remain strong in the face of stressful situations and environments.

Common Questions About Dealing With Burnout
(Pre-Coaching Info And Tips)

How do you treat burnout quickly?

You treat burnout in many ways depending on the severity. Treatments could include psychotherapy, alternative healing methodologies, cognitive healing methods, physical exercise and mindfulness or relaxation techniques.

Just as there was no one quick cause of burnout, the solution will likely involve several techniques or strategies working together to dissolve symptoms and feelings of burnout.

What is burnout management?

Burnout management is an ongoing monitoring, assessing and ultimately healing from feelings and symptoms of burnout.

A burnout management expert is the most qualified person to help you solve the mystery of burnout, what’s causing it and how to smash through it and come out stronger than ever.

With deadline pressures, heavy workloads and increasing work responsibilities, burnout management is more important than ever.

Are you going to be one who just manages burnout, or are you going to be one of the few who overcomes burnout and goes on to thrive?

How to prevent burnout before it happens?

A burnout and resilience coach can help you avert burnout by guiding you to make minor lifestyle changes, mindset shifts, build new healthy habits and implement prevention techniques that counteract burnout.

A coach will work with you to build your resilience so that you essentially become immune to burnout.

Does therapy help with burnout?

Therapy helps with burnout because you’re working with a third party expert who specializes in one or more therapies for treating burnout.

They will be able to assess you and ask questions to determine which therapy or method will be most effective for your particular makeup and situation.

What is the best therapy for burnout?

The best therapy for burnout is the one that reduces or eliminates your burnout symptoms, thoughts and feelings.

Given the unique genes, lifestyle, thoughts and beliefs of an individual, the ‘cure’ or successful treatment of burnout will likely be specific to the individual.

However, some therapies or healing methodologies will be more successful than others across the board, and working with a burnout management practitioner will ensure you’re guided using a therapy or healing method that is most likely to be effective for you.

What do experts recommend for burnout relief?

For burnout relief, experts will recommend the therapy or method they’re trained or qualified in or have the most personal experience and results with (either with their clients or with themselves if they’ve self-healed from burnout).

A burnout relief coach can help guide you through the difficulties of burnout by showing you strategies, techniques and exercises to relieve burnout and get you back to full strength and become more resilient for the future.

What can cause burnout?

Burnout can be caused by prolonged stress that goes unnoticed or unacknowledged which subsequently worsens with time and burn you out by reaching a state of mental and physical fatigue.

Improving your interoception abilities is key to becoming aware of not just burnout signals but for your overall health and wellbeing.

What are the effects of burnout on the body?

The effects of burnout on the body are numerous and the severity of the side effects worsens the longer your mind and body are in a state of burnout.

Initial effects of burnout may include: Headaches, muscular pain, lethargy, prolonged fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, heart palpitations, low libido, pimples, skin rashes, depressive symptoms and more.

Long term effects of burnout on the mind and body could include: coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, respiratory problems, circulatory system problems, musculoskeletal disorders, hypercholesterolemia, depression, mental health disorders, working memory decline, and premature death.

Hospitalization is common for many where burnout has caused breaking point for the mind.

Who offers burnout counselling services?

Many people offer burnout counselling services, from individual consultants to private organizations to Government organizations.

The cost of burnout counselling will vary depending on who you choose to work with.

Government services will usually be free of charge but you may not necessarily receive the most effective help when compared to working with burnout specialist either through a private organization or with a freelance consultant in their own practice.

What are the 5 stages of burnout?

The 5 burnout stages are defined differently by various experts, many of which I don’t agree with due to my personal experiences with burnout.

I define the five stages of burnout as follows:

1. Chronic Stress –Ongoing stress without any outlet will create a build-up of cortisol in the body, marking stage 1 of the burnout phases.

2. Unexplained Symptoms – these could be emotional or physical symptoms such as skin rashes, pimples, lowered libido, increased anger or decreased motivation.

3. Exhaustion – this is where burnout really starts to set in. Unexplained tiredness, apathy and dragging your feet will be common signs at stage 3.

4. Fatigue – this could be considered your last warning, where your mind and body have reached breaking point and coping resources are now completely depleted. In an effort to restore balance, your body becomes completely fatigued and heavy, to the point where you just can’t be bothered doing anything, because your body wants rest.

5. Breakdown – this is it. Your brain and body have packed it in. Reaching the breakdown stage 5 will usually mean a hospital visit, possibly even to the emergency room. Having your body pumped full of drugs will provide the temporary relief you need but what you really need at this stage is time off.

The old saying ‘prevention is easier than cure’ is certainly poignant when it comes to burnout as evidenced by the stages I’ve outlined above.

While a good coach can help you recover and recuperate effectively regardless of the phase of burnout you’re at, taking care of yourself in the meantime can help you avoid serious health problems.

Burnout Effects:
Have You Noticed Your Subtle Coping Behaviors?

What happens during burnout?

During burnout your mind and body are in a constant state of flight or flight. An ancient part of your brain interprets environmental or social stressors as ‘lions wanting to eat me’.

Blood is sent to your legs and arms as well as your vital organs in preparation to fight or flee.

The body shuts down non-essential processes such as digestion, reproduction, tissue repair and prevents sleep in order to remain on high-alert for the perceived impending threat.

Blood pressure increases, heart rate increases and the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) is activated by signalling the adrenal glands to release hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline (epinephrine).

So with chronic work stressors occurring 5 or 6 days a week, the brain is on full-time life-or-death watch from these perceived threats and emergencies.

The associated catastrophic thoughts running through your modern brain colors everything into dark mental images and feelings which in turn crowds out any hope of experiencing positive emotions.

Your job becomes emotionally draining work that sucks the life out of you making everything seem meaningless and filled with misery… just some of the hallmarks of burnout.

The end result is that the stress response suppresses the immune system, making you more vulnerable to colds, flus, viruses and other illnesses in general.

Chronic burnout can lead to autoimmune disorders/diseases as well as adrenal burnout or adrenal fatigue.

Constant overwork issues often start with more subtle symptoms such as reduced sleep (trouble falling to sleep or staying asleep), less self-care, bad diet, overeating, zero exercise, and unreleased tension that sucks your energy and coping resources.

This ultimately leads to suppressed emotions including resentment that often manifests as cynicism or sarcasm towards work or people and a constant fixation on problems.

The longer burnout persists, the more damage it can have on your mind and body by depleting resources, with a worst-case scenario being a complete breakdown or the manifestation of a physical disease.

How can burnout lead to false beliefs or false conclusions about work or life?

Burnout is dangerous in the short-term but particularly the long-term as it can lead to the creation of many false conclusions or false beliefs about life to form in your mind and body.

How and why does this happen?

Because your brain ‘links’ the physical or emotional pain to the immediate environment in which the pain was perceived to have been created.

Common negative link-ups and associations that can occur include:

• “Work is dangerous”
• “The office is dangerous”
• “Life is hard”

These beliefs or conclusions can also be linked to an organ or a body part, that when you think of the ‘dangerous office’, for example, your heart starts to beat faster, or you get a tingle in your arm.

This is the stage of burnout that you want to avoid, where it ‘gets into your body’.

How does mindset and personality type relate to burnout?

An overly idealistic person can be more likely to suffer from burnout as they constantly strive to make their utopian world a reality.

Walking through life with rose-colored glasses on can have positive effects in some cases and negative effects in other cases.

Continual disappointments with other people, with their employer and with themselves can lead to feeling defeated, worn out, drained of energy and completely exhausted.

Trying to force your way of thinking, your ideals, your goals and your beliefs about what should be done and how it should be done is also a fast-track to burnout.

The classic ‘Type-A’ personality type is particularly susceptible to burnout because of their inherent drive, desire for control and go-go-go approach to work and other areas of life too.

As part of a burnout evaluation, either of yourself or if someone else is assessing you, it’s crucial to have an understanding of your personality type(s) and underlying patterns that could be creating, supporting or amplifying your stress or burnout response.

Burnout Vs Depression

Is burnout a form of depression? Many researchers are beginning to think so.

A study of the burnout-depression overlap conducted in 2020 by Bianchi, Schonfeld and Verkuilen indicates that exhaustion as a component of burnout is more closely related to depression that the components of depersonalization and personal achievement. [Bianchi, R., Schonfeld, I. S., & Verkuilen, J. (2020). Journal of Clinical Psychology, 76(4), 801-821.]

I disagree however.

As a sufferer and survivor of burnout I place burnout under the umbrella of ‘exhaustion’ while I place depression under the umbrella of ‘melancholy’. They’re completely separate in my opinion.

However, the techniques, strategies and exercises I use for burnout could easily be used by anyone suffering from depression.

How Is Burnout Assessed, Measured And Diagnosed?

There are several ways to assess, measure and diagnose burnout, either in yourself as an individual or from someone else’s perspective, whether it be someone close to your or a professional you’re consulting with.

The first form of burnout diagnosis is through identification of symptoms and their intensity which I’ve already outlined above.

This allows an individual to determine their position on the burnout spectrum as a whole, from which decisions can be made about management or treatment of symptoms.

In addition there are several tests and conceptualizations developed by various experts and researchers over the past few decades.

Burnout Tests Used By Coaches

Before you start working with a coach they will likely want to test for burnout, specifically the level or stage of burnout you’re currently in, as this will help them decide the best path for coaching.

If you’d like to prepare for this test, you could make a list of all the things that trigger negative feelings in you, whether it be stress, anger, apathy or cynicism.

The various burnout symptoms tests will help you and your coach identify triggers, health outcomes and ultimately which burnout busters can be used to help you solve the problem as soon as possible.

A burned out test could include a general questionnaire, quiz or worksheet that will help you and/or your coach to determine your current burnout stage.

Testing methods include…

Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)

The MBI is an instrument for assessing burnout developed by Maslach and Susan Jackson in 1981.

The MBI model offers a structured framework for surveying individuals about their beliefs, ideas and behaviors in the workplace.

The discovery process and calculation of burnout is assessed using the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS) which seeks to analyse an individual in six areas: workload, control, reward, community, fairness, values.

A similar conceptualization of burnout was adopted by the World Health Organization with the difference being that the WHO doesn’t label burnout as a mental disorder.

Meta-analysis research indicates that burnout may be best viewed as a depressive syndrome.

Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure (SMBM)

Conceptualize burnout in terms of emotional and physical exhaustion along with weariness.

Oldenburg Burnout Inventory

Researchers Demerouti and Bakker’s concept of burnout involves measuring two primary factors: disengagement and exhaustion.

This inventory can be used by employees across any industry to measure both cognitive and physical characteristics.

Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI)

Based on the severity level of work-related depressive symptoms.

Other well-known conceptualizations include:

Hamburg Burnout Inventory, Malach-Pines’s Burnout Measure, Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, Kristensen et al. and Malach-Pines.

Job Demands-Resources Model (JD-R)

An occupational stress model that suggests that strain is a result of or response to an imbalance between job demands and the individual’s resources available to perform their job.

And lastly, in an effort to help individuals self-diagnose burnout, the Mayo Clinic in 2010 created the Well-Being Index, which consists of a 9-item self-assessment tool.

These frameworks, methods and models for assessing and measuring burnout should form part of a greater burnout profile which should also take into consideration an individual’s:

• Personal health history (mental, physical, emotional)
• Beliefs and Values
• Personality Type(s)
• Personal Goals
• General Mindset
• Lifestyle (Activity level, Diet, Environment)

Which is why burnout interventions by organizations are becoming more popular to prevent employee burnout through the implementation of effective programs and support systems.

How To Avoid Burnout With a Coach

Circumventing burnout is just as important as treating it or recovering from it. In fact, avoiding it is even more important because it can save you enormous amounts of pain and suffering, mental, physically, emotionally, as well as financially.

To avoid burnout it’s important to implement foundational lifestyle habits that are known for evading burnout in the first place.

Some of these include regular exercise, meditation, mindfulness, healthy eating, a positive social network and contributing to something greater than yourself.

If you’re not sure exactly how to start or in what volume or frequency each of the above mentioned activities should be done, a coach can work with you to design a program that is in alignment with your lifestyle, age, work timetable and general likes and dislikes.

A detailed burnout prevention plan will give you a structured path to follow which is important because you’ll have something to be accountable to, and your coach can support and motivate you in sticking to the plan so that you maintain health and vitality.

What is remote work burnout and how can I avoid it?

The Covid pandemic accelerated the work from home arrangement between many employers and employees worldwide.

And while many welcomed the change, for others it resulted in work from home burnout caused by isolation, fatigue, increased screen time and less boundaries between work and home life.

Combating burnout is challenging enough in normal times, but when physical isolation and being disconnected from one’s social network are added to the mix, it’s a recipe for burnout.

Working with your coach, it’s possible to take control of your thoughts and feelings quickly so you can actually enjoy and prosper in your new working environment.

Remote work burnout is growing fast as workers simply don’t have the knowledge or tools to prevent or dissolve it.

How do you know you’re being affected?

Here are some common remote work burnout symptoms to watch out for:

• Reduced ability to ‘switch off’ from work
• Increased eating, especially of salty and sugary foods
• Procrastinating about starting work
• Problems staying at your desk to continue working
• You feel like there’s no point to anything, no reward for effort
• Increased desire to ‘get out’ of the house
• Increased reliance on alcohol, cigarettes, vaping or other substances

To stop remote work burnout in its tracks, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Take regular exercise breaks (short 60 second stints will get the blood flowing and keep your energy levels high)
• Switch from coffee to green tea (to avoid emotional highs and lows and an increased heart rate)
• Reduce your sugar intake (especially from processed foods)
• Reduce your salt intake (for hormone balance)
• Reduce screen time, especially in the two hours before bedtime (and use a blue-light filter on your screen and smartphone)
• Practice meditation or yoga to relax your mind and body and release tension

Implementing these simply tips daily is the best way to avoid burnout while working from home and enable you to stay focused and enjoy your new working environment.

“I have quite a strong opinion when it comes to who’s responsible for preventing burnout.

Is the organization responsible or is the worker responsible?

It’s easy to put the load on the employer but the way I look at it is that if burnout or stress is likely, it’s the individual that will be affected first and be affected the most.

Just like a landlord/tenant relationship requires the landlord to provide a safe living environment, it’s also the responsibility of the tenant to keep the property tidy and avoid damage to the property. It’s a two way street.

If either party strays from their responsibilities, costs increase, pain and suffering increase and the relationship is likely irreparably damaged.

Therefore, the primary responsibility is on the employee to manage their health as effectively as possible while the employer fulfils their part of the equation by putting workplace well-being strategies, plans and processes in place to ensure employees are given the best possible opportunity to maintain or even improve their mental and physical health while in the employ of the organization.

This is good for everyone.

The employee can thrive in the job, career and life, and the organization benefits from reduced costs from employee absenteeism while simultaneously improving employee job performance, leading to increased profits and being a sought after place to work.”

-Matt Adams

Treating Burnout With a Coach

What is the best treatment for Burnout Syndrome (BOS)?

When you’re suffering from chronic burnout syndrome, it can seem like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.

Starting your journey to find the best therapy for burnout can be just as difficult, with so many to choose from and each therapy targeting different areas of either the mind, body or emotions.

Finding the right therapy for burnout starts with a list of the most commonly used therapies and depending on whether you work with a counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist or coach will determine which therapy(s) they will use when working one-on-one with you.

I’ve compiled a list of the most frequently used therapies to help you to investigate further to discover which one aligns with you, your personality and your symptoms…

What are the best therapies for burnout?

Here is a list of therapies for burnout used by experts that can be helpful at either the early stages of burnout or if you’ve reached the end of your rope and are at the point of nervous breakdown:

• Positive Psychology
• Exposure Therapy
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
• Talk Therapy
• Biofeedback
• Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Group therapy
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Art Therapy
• Music Therapy
• Hypnotherapy
• Autogenic Training
• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
• Eco Therapy

Complementary modalities:

• Meditation
• Aromatherapy
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation
• Acupuncture
• Breathwork
• Massage
• Flotation-REST (reduced environmental stimulation therapy)
• Yoga

“These commonly used therapies and practices in my opinion and experience are inadequate to truly prevent, manage or heal burnout.

They’re not deep enough.

To overcome stress and burnout I’ve had to go much deeper than the above cognitive-based therapies and practices.

Which is why I include other important elements in an employee burnout prevention program such as: time management techniques, diet and nutrition, mental nutrition and physical exercise (and MUCH more).

My primary goal with coaching is to empower the individual to take control (and responsibility) of their own mental, physical and emotional health so that change is coming from inside.

This is in stark contrast to the employee simply ‘plugging-in’ to a burnout management session or two here and there each week (which can be compared to a parent-child relationship where the child doesn’t necessary take ownership but is merely complying because they’re being told to).

True change needs to come from inside, from desire through to action(s).”

-Matt Adams

How can I fix burnout?

You can prevent, manage or fix burnout in many different ways. It comes down to your mindset, the level of burnout you’re experiencing and the new habits you’re prepared to implement to discharge burnout once and for all.

Here are some common ways to prevent or treat burnout:

• Take a vacation
• Enjoy a sabbatical
• Practice mindfulness
• Apply relaxation techniques
• Improve relationships at work
• Do regular exercise
• Eat a healthy diet
• Stretch daily
• Spend time in nature
• Plan joy and rest time
• Schedule time with family
• Set time aside to meet with friends each week
• Advocating a healthy lifestyle
• Spend time with a pet
• Set work-life boundaries (time online, task-load, use of electronic devices after hours)
• Make yourself unavailable (notify others of time blocks where you’re not contactable)

“The above ways to prevent or decrease burnout are indeed ‘common’ in my opinion. You’ll find these repeated by pretty much all websites that write about the topic of burnout.

But in my opinion and experience, they’re not enough.

If you have mild burnout symptoms, then ok, cuddling your pet might help, or some time management improvements can certainly help.

But if you’re at more than a 4 out 10 in terms of burnout symptoms and feelings, these common ‘tips’ are not enough.

Which is why I work with my burnout coaching clients at a deeper level.

I help to ensure my clients build resilience against burnout to the point where burnout isn’t even a thought or topic of conversation any more.

This is where you become truly resilient against burnout, because you have the tools, techniques, strategies, exercises and activities in place that literally prevent it from occurring.

The personal freedom of such a resilient state of being empowers you in not just your job or career, but in your life too.”

–Matt Adams

An effective burnout coach will work with their clients using several cognitive behavioral strategies to empower their client to take control of their situation, their feelings and their symptoms.

Recovering From Burnout With a Coach

How to recover from burnout without quitting your job?

If you’re wondering how to recover from burnout while still working there are several ways including lifestyle, diet and mindset changes.

To start your rehabilitation, your coach may help you begin with lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity to reduce sedentary behaviour.

Doing different forms of exercise including intense cardio, weight training and yoga which all target the mind and body from different angles will help to restore health and vitality.

Secondly, increasing your intake of natural foods and avoiding processed foods will reduce stress on your digestive system and help balance brain chemicals.

Thirdly, speaking of brain chemicals, changing your thinking to more positive thoughts will literally change the chemicals in your brain and body.

Simple changes in the words you repeat can make a difference and help you feel renewed mentally.

Also, repeating affirmations such as ‘I am calm and relaxed’, ‘I have all the time in the world’, ‘I focus on one thing at a time’ can help to shift your brain out of rushing, stressing and pushing to get things done.

If you’re currently on vacation or having a break from work and you’d like to know how to recover from burnout during time off then this last tip is extremely important…

Reduce or eliminate your intake of socially acceptable ‘drugs’ such as coffee and alcohol (and of course vaping or cigarettes) as these substances are subtly changing your brain chemicals (and therefore your feelings) on an hourly basis (seriously).

This is how to recover from burnout at home so that by the time you get back to work, you’re brain and body are clear of brain-altering foods and beverages as well as having a stronger mind and body from your exercise and dietary changes.

So, how long to recover from burnout?

It depends on your daily habits. Repeat positive habits every day and you shorten your burnout recovery time. Repeat negative habits and you lengthen your recovery time, or worse, you don’t recover at all.

How is burnout defined exactly?

The definition of burnout is that it’s a syndrome characterized by mental, emotional and physical exhaustion that has developed as a result of chronic stress from work.

It’s identified in part as an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system.

The term ‘burnout’ was first coined in 1974 by German-American Psychologist Herbert Freudenberger.

Among the medical community, the meaning of burnout is considered as: a mental trauma caused by mental distress that exceeds an individual’s ability to manage or cope with.

Burnout however is not labelled as a mental disorder according to the most recent revision (2013) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Hang with me here, we’re almost out of the boring sciency stuff 🙂

Historically, showing signs of extreme mental exhaustion was known as Neurasthenia.

This term is closely aligned with the category of Adjustment Disorder (AjD) which is characterized by a maladaptive response to a psychosocial stressor that commonly occurs when an individual is unable to copy or manage a stressful psychosocial situation.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often compared with burnout but this is incorrect, as PTSD is characterized by one or more significant emotional events versus burnout which is solely related to occupational stressors according to the World Heath Organization.

Burnout Coach Nearby:

Should I Find a Local Or Online Burnout Coach?

Finding a burnout coach is easy, but finding a good burnout coach is hard.

As a relatively new field or at least new profession/specialization, burnout coaching is best done with a true expert so that you have full confidence that they can help you overcome the negative feelings, thoughts, sensations and symptoms that come with burnout.

A true burnout master will have a wide range of skills and techniques to work with you on so that you can get back on track as soon as possible.

You essentially have two ways to work with a ‘Burnoutologist’… local (face-to-face) or online (video chat).

A quick search in google of ‘burnout coach near me’ will bring up local coaches nearby that you can choose from.

Searching for a local coach could limit your options, firstly because there may not be many specialist burnout coaches locally given that it’s a relatively new area of specialization and secondly, because there’s not a high volume of experienced burnout coaches, you may not be able to find a true expert locally that can help you.

Here are some general resource sites globally that could be your first port of call for general information about burnout…

Burnout Coach USA

If you’re in NYC, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Washington DC or beyond, you may be able to work with Matt online for expert burnout prevention coaching or for stopping burnout asap.

As a burnout specialist Matt can help you eliminate burnout symptoms and get back on track with your job and career quickly.

In the meantime, here are some burnout resource websites in the USA:
NIH.gov
HHS.gov

Burnout Coach Canada

From Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City, if you’d like to discuss the possibility of coaching with Matt you can submit your details in the form below.

As a burnout survivor and expert, he can help you accelerate your rehabilitation from burnout or build resilience for preventing it from even affecting you.

Here are some interesting sites for information about burnout in Canada in the meantime:
CCHOS
CMA.ca

Burnout Coach UK

Across the UK from England to Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, you can chat with Matt about the possibility of virtual coaching via video chat or phone.

Whether you’re living or working in London, Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester to Glasgow, Scotland and Dublin, hiring a true expert in burnout can help you avoid it or recover faster.

You can discuss the possibility of coaching with Matt starting with an initial chat and from there discuss an action-plan that will have you out of burnout and back to full strength as soon as possible.

For info about burnout, here are some top resources sites across the UK:
Gov.uk
Civil Service UK

Burnout Coach Europe

Finding a proven burnout coach in countries like Belgium, Austria, France, Switzerland, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain or Italy can be challenging, especially a native-English speaking coach.

Noticing the early signs of burnout and doing something about it is crucial for your health, finances and life in general.

With many expats working and living across Europe in cities such as Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Bern, Zurich, Frankfurt, Berlin and Prague, where high stress jobs are commonplace, having an expert to turn to for help in breaking through burnout can be a career-saver in some cases.

You can request an initial chat with Matt to discuss your situation and start working on solutions to avoid getting to a point of complete exhaustion or fatigue from burnout.

In the meantime, here are some general websites about Burnout in Europe:
EUagenda.eu
Burnout Aid EU

Burnout Coach Australia

Being from Australia Matt understands the workplace culture in Australia. Whether you’re in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide or Perth, and would like help escaping burnout or treating it through expert coaching, chat to Matt about the possibility of 1-to-1 coaching online.

Implementing effective and proven anti-burnout strategies can keep your health and career on track and put you in a position of confidence and control of your situation.

Here are some Australian burnout websites for general info in the meantime:
HealthDirect.gov.au
Australian Human Rights Commission
Business.gov.au – Mental Health and Wellbeing

Burnout Coach New Zealand

Whether you’re in Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington or Dunedin seeking a burnout expert to work with to either prevent, manage or rehabilitate from burnout, talk to Matt about potential 1-on-1 coaching online.

Noticing, acknowledging (admitting) and actioning the warning signs of burnout early is the key to avoiding greater problems or a serious health scare.

Here are several NZ burnout resource sites in the meantime:
Business.govt.nz – Mental Health and Wellbeing
NZRDA.org.nz – Resident Doctor’s Association
MentalHealth.org.nz

Burnout Coach South Africa

If you’re in Cape Town, Johannesburg or Durban, finding the right burnout management specialist can mean the difference between curse or cure.

Speak to job burnout coach Matt Adams about a prevention, management or recovery program through 1-to-1 coaching that can fast-track your results, build resilience and make you invincible to burnout.

Here are some top resource websites for burnout in South Africa:
Health.gov.za – Mental Health Support
South African Federation for Mental Health

Burnout Coach Singapore, Hong Kong or Dubai

If you’re working under high stress in Singapore, Hong Kong or Dubai, an expat burnout coach can help you to not just survive but thrive in your environment and make the most of your expat life and experience.

Speak to Matt about what you can do to get rid of burnout and build resilience to stress so that office life and being in a foreign country are one of your life’s positive experiences.

For general information in the meantime, here are some local resource sites:
Singapore:
Ministry of Manpower Singapore – Wellbeing at Work
Hong Kong:
FHB.gov.hk – Mental Health in Hong Kong
Gov.hk
Dubai:
DHA.gov.ae

How Burned Out Am I? (Common Early Warning Signs You Can’t Ignore)

Identifying and acknowledging the early warning signs of burnout is the best way to avoid burnout, or at least, the worst case scenario of burnout.

With our frenetic work pace and obsession with the daily ‘grind’ or ‘hustle’, or even work addiction, it can sometimes be hard to know or remember what ‘normal’ feels like.

You’ve pushed yourself to the limit, you’ve hacked your way through, perhaps with meds, alcohol or other substances and now your mind and body are packing it in. Enough’s enough.

Living in a hyper-stressed state is almost normal for millions of people worldwide.

Just like a functioning-alcoholic keeps it together on the outside yet suffers deeply inside, it’s the same way with some people dealing with stress and burnout.

Many people are functioning-stressaholics… keeping it together from the outside while experiencing and suffering from symptoms of stress and burnout that are impacting their long term health; physical, mental and emotional.

Because when you’ve burned up excess emotional resources your mind starts to play tricks on you, especially if you’re a high achiever full of ambition, pride and constantly driven to success.

Denial is the classic response for Type-A personality’s especially in our always-on world.

But unfortunately the constant demands put you in the danger zone for serious health problems, from cardiovascular disease to strokes to nervous breakdowns.

While on the minor end of the scale, if you notice changes in how you work, think, and take care of yourself (or not), these are just some of the subtle signs that burnout is starting to affect you.

Although burnout can seem like the end, in fact, it can lead to a new beginning or a new you… if you’re ready to take proactive steps to a new, healthier way of living.

Here is an extensive list of things to watch out for, keeping in mind that you’ll need to be experiencing several of these signs consistently to be labelled as burnout.

Common burnout signs and symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Increased apathy
• Tiredness
• Insomnia
• Mental exhaustion (‘worn out’)
• Emotional exhaustion
• You may feel physically sick in the stomach
• Presenteeism (present at work but not really ‘there’, not engaged)
• Physical exhaustion and lethargy
• You’ve lost your get-up-and-go
• Quick to get angry (‘short fuse’)
• Closed mindedness
• Having dire thoughts of work or life
• Looking, feeling, behaving depressed
• Feeling spent of all energy
• Given up hope
• Mood changes
• Shorter attention span
• Feelings of overwhelm
• Reduced problem solving ability
• Life-management difficulties
• Constantly running late for work
• Disengaged from work, life or people
• Forgetfulness
• You take time off but it doesn’t change how you feel

• You can barely get up in the morning for work
• Stress-induced unhappiness feelings or mindset
• Loss of physical vitality
• Altering of language, words used
• Increase complaining
• Lost sense of humour, ability to laugh or enjoy things
• Depersonalized relationships
• Seeming or feeling distance or disconnected
• Everything seems pointless and you have no sense of accomplishment anymore
• Unable to enjoy personal achievements, small or large
• Recurring thoughts of quitting one’s job
• Increased apathy towards work
• Increased absenteeism (absent from work)
• No desire to do anything
• Lack of desire to participate in group activities
• Reduced creativity
• Unreasonable demeanor
• No desire to attend office celebrations or company wins
• Difficulty managing life
• Stopped caring
• Increased fear of failure
• Loss of confidence in one’s abilities
• A sense of dread of going to work
• Giving up on small or large tasks
• Defeated facial expression or tone of voice

• Constant tiredness, feeling rundown
• Fatigue (mental and/or physical)
• Hating going to work each day
• Apathy about work and life
• Unwillingness to listen
• Lack of positive emotions
• Unexplained laziness
• Drained of energy
• Depleted of any motivation
• Negativity towards job, career or life
• Cynicism of work tasks, management’s motives, career goals
• Mentally distanced or vacant
• Reduced attendance to private social gatherings
• Reduced drive to try new things or take on new projects or tasks
• Negativity about or towards coworkers, boss, management and the organization
• Not caring about work outcomes, quality of work produced
• Reduced or zero zest for work or life
• Giving up on professional development
• Dragging one’s feet to work, at work and after work
• Sombre moods and facial expressions
• Work-life balance feels impossible
• Concentration problems
• Reduction in pride, reduce care in personal appearance
• Increased frustration with work or life in general
• Heaviness in thoughts, feelings, words and behaviors
• Reduced personal efficacy

Chronic burnout in particular is associated with cognitive impairment, specifically memory problems and difficulties with attention. Intense emotional demands exacerbate the issue even further if left unchecked.

Maybe you’ve tried to soldier on but you’ve got no coping resources left to fight back, or perhaps you’ve tried to overcome it through analytical thought or will power, to no avail?

A worst case scenario could be that you end up unemployed, either through your own resignation or through poor job performance.

Although being fired for poor work performance when you’re under severe stress and experiencing burnout symptoms is a murky area in terms of employment law, it’s another reason to get your feelings of burnout and symptoms under control as soon as possible.

Gender can also play a role in how burnout symptoms manifest, with women showing more emotional exhaustion while men demonstrate greater levels of depersonalization.

Burnout is a silent killer as it’s sometimes difficult to have the courage to reach out for help, either with friends or a professional.

Feeding off silence or worse, denial, and just ruminating on the feelings often leads to severe fatigue, cynicism and detachment, until you reach a point where you don’t care anymore… about anything (or anyone).

If the early alarm bells go off and the clues of burnout are recognized and acted upon it can prevent a cascade of nasty consequences further down the road.

To face burnout head on requires a balance of getting past potential feelings of shame, embarrassment, isolation and ‘not being capable’ to handle it on your own… to having the fortitude and courage to ask for help.

If you’ve reached the point where you’ve overdone it and you feel that nothing really matters anymore, taking proactive measures to tackle burnout is the first step towards your healing journey.

What Causes Burnout?

Burnout is caused by prolonged chronic stress, excessive work demands and long hours at work, overlapping with an individual’s inability to cope with one or more stressors.

Psychological burnout can bring down your job, your career, your health, your relationship(s), your mental state and even your life as a whole if it leads to a physical disease.

The WHO has also labelled burnout as an ‘occupational phenomenon’, and it can lead to depression, heart attack, stroke, suicidal thoughts or mental/emotional breakdown.

Generally, no one factor will cause burnout by itself, but rather, burnout will be the result of combined stressors repeated over a prolonged time period, leading to mental exhaustion and overwhelm on the body’s nervous system.

Burnout can be predicted based on the number and intensity of the contributors or risk factors experienced on a daily or weekly basis.

There are many burnout risk factors that if combined can cause burnout, such as: (brace yourself for my comprehensive list…)

• Long hours at work
• Running on Adrenalin (through busyness or self-drive)
• Excessive work demands
• Excessive self-expectations
• Job dissatisfaction / job hate
• Job performance constraints (employer-imposed or self-imposed)
• Excessive workload / work-overload
• Lack of adequate resources to do one’s job effectively
• Feeling ‘stuck’ in your job (for financial or other reasons)
• Lack of adequate job training or access to future training
• Belief of effectiveness in one’s job
• Increased isolation through remote work
• Lack of self-care
• Real or perceived unfairness at work
• Pursuing job titles or credentials
• Lack of interest in one’s job
• Job role clarity
• Physical stressors (hours sitting, posture, lifting, bending, etc)
• Coworker or management conflicts
• ‘Shoulding’ yourself
• Lack of praise from manager(s)/supervisor(s)
• Achievement-driven overwhelm
• Never ending to-do-list
• Self-doubts about abilities or skills to perform at one’s job
• Feelings of helplessness
• Recurring negative client/customer interactions
• Participation within team or projects, tasks
• Pushing through stress rather than heeding the warning signs
• Personal perspectives and analysis of those perspectives
• Job responsibilities above natural abilities
• Job flexibility (work from home vs office)
• Unrealistic deadlines
• Poor diet / inadequate nutrition
• Excess worry
• Inadequate financial compensation (income) for job role and responsibilities
• Substance abuse
• People-pleasing
• Workplace injury and/or inadequate insurance
• Excess consumption of stimulants (eg. Coffee, energy drinks, sugar)
• Excess mental stimulation (eg. Bright lights, loud noises)
• Discrimination
• Lack of dedicated relaxation time
• Job satisfaction
• Perfectionism
• Inner-critic
• Trust among coworkers and with management
• Betrayal of personal values, beliefs or overall life direction or purpose

• Excess time spent on electronic devices (Phone, tablet, laptop, etc)
• Harassment
• Conflict between individual’s values and company values
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Job security (+ lack of advancement/promotional opportunities)
• Negative thinking
• Lack of vacation time
• Lack of self-awareness (of thoughts, feelings, behaviors)
• Lack of boundaries over your time and tasks
• Company downsizing, layoffs and restructuring
• Lack of engagement in work projects or tasks
• Feeling overextended in work and/or life
• Lack of physical exercise
• Lack of control over one’s work, workload or important decisions
• Repetitiveness of work
• Overtime
• Lack of rewards for recognition from coworkers, management or owners
• Lack of a community feeling in the workplace
• Job performance abilities and inner desire to perform
• Employment status (casual/temporary, part-time, full-time, contract)
• Poor workplace communication between coworkers and/or management
• Shift-work
• Inbox status (overload)
• Emotional withdrawal (from the job or from life)
• Taking work home to complete/catch up
• Job demands
• Boss’s personality type and managerial style
• Workplace safety
• No workplace mental health program in place and/or counselling services available
• Time management skills / Productivity training
• Ability to work as part of a team / Preference to work autonomously
• Understaffed workplace
• Being treated unfairly
• Selfdiscipline and selfregulation
• Adequate equipment and/or software to complete one’s job tasks effectively and efficiently
• No workplace stress management program in place or accessible for employees
• Job freedom
• Fringe benefits / job perks
• Daily job schedule (especially if travel is included)
• Lack of skill utilization
• Not being valued and appreciated by employer
• Belief in and the possibility of negotiating with their employer
• Fear of failure
• Fear of letting other people down
• Feeling ineffective in one’s job
• Personal drive, motivation, goals and expectations
• Lack of a social support system
• Poor work-life balance

Your mind and body respond to burnout in a number of ways and it’s different for everyone.

Because of the perceived danger or threat is processed differently for each person, the response is processed in an equally unique way.

It can even destroy your life if you let it (or if you’re not paying attention to the warning signs).

Different organs will work overtime, starting with the heart and brain, along with the adrenal glands which causes a flow-on effect to the Vagus Nerve.

You’ve probably heard of adrenal burnout or adrenal fatigue?

This is caused by cortisol continually being pumped into the body from the adrenal glands as part of the fight or flight response, to the point where the excess amount of cortisol prevents the body from being able to maintain balance.

This response in the short term is normal and healthy but if it occurs over the long term, burnout and fatigue of the adrenals are inevitable.

But before burnout strips away your will and seemingly increases the effort required to change the situation, it’s best to take steps to resolve it by focusing on improved work-life balance.

What Does Burnout Coaching Offer You?

Burnout coaching from a top level coach can help you make a mental, emotional and physical recovery from burnout.

Here are some outcomes of burnout coaching…

• It will enable you to achieve success without stress, burnout, anxiety or more severe health issues stopping you
• You’ll discover how to live authentically, being more of your true self, without pushing down or burying your true feelings, gut feelings or unconscious feelings… and get what you want with greater ease
• You’ll embrace new, positive daily habits that allow you to get what you want without stress, struggle and strain
• You can dissolve stress, ditch overwhelm and eliminate exhaustion without having to change jobs
• You’ll find greater work-life balance so that you can achieve your goals while living well too
• You’ll learn how to work smarter, not harder, and still achieve all your goals
• You can enjoy a full recuperation from burnout without giving up your job or the lifestyle you’ve worked so hard to achieve
• You’ll regain zest for life and bring back the joy of living without having to move to a tropical island and meditate all day
• You’ll rebuild your mind and body to the point where you’re truly resilient against stress and burnout without spending 10 hours a week in the gym or 6 weeks at a yoga retreat
• You’ll discover the easy ways of getting out of burnout and work with your coach to implement the most effective ways to dissolve burnout faster so you make a complete recovery and get back to enjoying life again
• You’ll replenish your mental and emotional resources, as if you’ve taken a year of work to travel, and have come back with renewed energy and enthusiasm

Wrapping Up

Hiring a burnout coach could be one of the most important decisions of your life… because it could save your job, your career, your finances, your relationship or even your life.

A burnout coach’s role is to listen to you, support you, guide you and ultimately… give you the tools, techniques, exercises and strategies that can heal you.

Just like a Personal Trainer can’t lift the weights for you but is there to support and motivate you… a burnout coach is there to be your number one supporter… to push you to greater levels of thought, feeling and experience.

So if you’re ready to step up, take control and beat burnout either in advance, in this moment or in recovery… a burnout coach can help you do just that.

To your health!

Matt Adams
Burnout Coach, Survivor and Expert.
PS. If you’re like to request the possibility of being coached by me directly, please add and submit your details using the form below…
(check my coaching rates and options here)

Inquire about burnout coaching with Matt…

Arrange an initial chat about burnout coaching to discuss how Matt’s strategies and coaching can help you overcome burnout and get back on track.

Enter your details in the form below and Matt will be in touch within 24 hours…