Leadership & Executive Coach I Facilitator I Speaker I Author I CEO & Founder of Vamonos Executive Coaching I Helping High-Performers Lead (and Live) with Energy, Engagement, and Authenticity
Not all burnout is the same. There are different levels of burnout. Not all burnout should be treated equally. Last week I had the privilege of connecting with Nick Petrie at the Hudson Institute of Coaching Annual Learning Conference. Nick spoke about his research on burnout. It was a real "ah-ha" moment for me because, until then, I'd thought of burnout as a singular thing. Nick and his team look at burnout in degrees. 🔥1st Degree Burn - where you experience heavy periods of stress and feelings of overwhelm, but continue to work effectively. 🔥🔥 2nd Degree Burn - where you experience chronic stress and feelings of fatigue along with decreasing motivations and effectiveness. You have moved into survival mode. 🔥🔥🔥 3rd Degree Burn - where your mind and body start to shut down, simple tasks become unmanageable, and emotions become unpredictable and hard to control. When presented with this scale, I realized that I had lived suffering from level 2 and then level 3 burns for over a decade. It took me a long time to become aware of the depths of my burnout and stop the cycle. So what can you do to recover from burnout at any level and stop the continued burn? Nick offers these suggestions: 🧯1st Degree Burns require SELF CARE > Create habitual breaks to unplug from work > Establish device-free time to rest your mind > Create boundaries for non-work time. 🧯🧯2nd Degree Burns require MINDSET and BEHAVIOR CHANGES > Not putting yourself last all the time > Establishing firmer boundaries between work & home > Learning how and when to say no—WITHOUT GUILT 🧯🧯🧯 3rd Degree Burns require DEEP LIFE CHANGES > Stop work. Completely > Finding a coach, counselor, or group to help you navigate > Deep reflection on what led to your burnout > Creating a NEW VISION for how you want to live and work. I am so thankful for Nick's research and for being able to amplify it. #burnout #coaching #leadership
This is an excellent summary Suzanne! I definitely have experienced all 3 levels of burn. I love this conceptualization and how you connected it to recovery options.
Wow I love this Suzanne Roske as it relates to burnout. I think the different levels can be applied to so many other topics too. I’m finding since my layoff that not all of them are the same either. As a society we tend to lump them all together as “don’t take it personally, it’s a business decision” or just part of normal right sizing in corp America. But no, there are many different kinds and it has been interesting exploring that as I continue to speak with hundreds of folks who experienced 1 or more throughout their career. 🙌🏻💯❤️ great post!
This is AWESOME. I used to say, 'Burnout is for other people' while I worked like a maniac (obnoxious...I know). Then I got seriously burnt out, and it brought me to my knees. A couple of times. It's a real thing that needs support.
Makes sense to me. During the 18 months when I was in a completely wrong sort of position for me (box-checking against OPM requirements), I began experiencing what you refer to as second-degree burn. The antidote in that case was to find a way to move out of that unit entirely. New lease on life, problem solved.
Great summary, Suzanne Roske. Nick is in Singapore and today I attended his workshop on the GPS (Grow, Perform, Sustain) Indicator. He elaborated on the 3 degrees of burnout. You captured the points beautifully.
I couldn’t agree more Suzanne Roske . The excellent research undertaken by Nick Petrie and his team is invaluable in supporting those who experience burnout to identify the degree they are experiencing and more importantly to put measures in place to protect themselves. Unfortunately, my experience as an executive coach suggests there are still many people who choose or fail to recognise the signs of burnout until it’s too late. Surely prevention is better than a cure . Thanks again for sharing your research Nick Petrie 🙏
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Totally! I have experienced working through all three degrees. Fortunate now to have the opportunity to have coaching, stop work, regroup and create new vision. Unfortunately for many (my self included until now) stopping work is not an option.
Yes! It’s not unusual to cycle in and out of 1 & 2 when you get a bit of recovery time - but 3 needs a different strategy… I learned that the hard way!!!
Psych-informed and systemically-minded organisational consultancy, executive coaching & leadership development - I enable clarity in complexity, helping you and your teams know what to do when you don't know what to do
8moUnderlying all successful mitigation is the understanding that what’s burning you is external (i.e. not your fault) and that you have to move away from it.