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Kelley Bonner is an expert company culture strategist, licensed therapist, and award-winning podcaster. She’s also the founder of Burn Bright Consulting, which revolutionized diversity, equity, and inclusion training with the ultimate goal of happier workplace environments.
In this episode of Motivational Mondays, Kelley shares how to recognize the signs of burnout and what to do about it.
Everyone’s had some bad days at work. But Kelley notes that it's important to distinguish “burnout” from “I’m not doing great.” Burnout is emotional and physical exhaustion that impacts every area of your life. Here are some signs to watch out for:
Operating in a fog and missing deadlines
Disconnected emotionally from coworkers, friends, and family
Isolating yourself from others
Kelley says, “Burnout is a betrayal.” It’s a betrayal by the systems of work as well as self-betrayal. You may feel burned out if you’re not living up to your values. Is there a gap between what you value and how you’re behaving? When you reflect, you can pinpoint what went wrong and when.
The road to recovery from burnout is making sure that what matters to you is infused into your workday. Evaluate the jobs you consider. Ask questions about your values in interviews. Keep your values at the forefront of your mind and measure everything against them.
There is also a correlation between representation and burnout. People who come to the table as part of an underrepresented group have an undue burden placed on them. Organizations that don’t focus on diversity and inclusion overburden those segments. It’s the fastest path to burnout and resentment.
Organizations know that diversity and inclusion are a problem, but in some cases, they don’t know what to do. They need practical solutions that they can implement to build a foundation. In the absence of something tangible, people revert to what they know, which might be checking the inclusion box and calling it a day.
Listen to the bonus episode to learn why your work is not who you are and the importance of setting boundaries.
Resources:
Listen to Kelley's podcasts, Burn Bright and Black Girl Burn Out
Check out other Motivational Mondays episodes