Dr. Nancy Williams

Are you perpetually overwhelmed?
Is it challenging to get anything done?
Is doing nothing what you want to do most?

Burnout culture dictates that overwork is a badge of courage, but giving 110% isn't noble or even possible.
Recovering from burnout can take months or even years.

I know because I've been there.

After suffering burnout while getting my doctorate,
I started my coaching and consulting businesses.

I signed up for a program to help me start my new venture
and give me a better business mindset.

It ended…

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When I was diagnosed with Grave's disease almost 20 years ago,
the cure was simple:  ablate (kill with radioactive iodine) the thyroid slowly
and replace the hormones it would normally produce with a synthetic hormone pill.

Only it wasn't that simple. 

My thyroid stopped working suddenly instead of gradually,
and my body didn't absorb the synthetic pills.

I went from having the metabolism of a teenager to that of an 80-year old in one day.

It took 9 months for my body to get used to the synthetic pills,
and my…

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In addition to mindsets that perpetuate burnout already covered in previous blogposts,
mindsets that create overwhelm can also play a part.

Helpers, creatives, and anyone who has trouble creating and enforcing boundaries
are all at risk for overwhelm, and potentially burnout.

• Helpers tend to put the needs of others above themselves, leaving their projects piling up in order to assist others.
• Creatives who are great innovators and problem-solvers may have trouble following through with projects after…

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Young adults entering the workforce are often romanticized as having something to prove,
to show others how hard they can work to win others' approval and move up the workforce ladder.

In reality, the mindset of having to prove yourself leaves you vulnerable to being taken advantage of.

It may get you the promotion in the short-term, but in the long-term,
proving yourself mindset often ends up in burnout.

This mindset reveals some level of insecurity in yourself
that makes you want the approval of others to…

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Part 4 in the Mindsets that Perpetuate Burnout blog series

You should be proud of a healthy work ethic, an enjoyment and fulfillment of purpose when you work,
and allow yourself to take joy in your accomplishments. 

A work-harder mindset takes a good work ethic too far, though. 
It may look like...

• Thinking you have to be the hardest worker in the room to earn others' (and maybe your own) respect.
• Looking down on those who don't look like they are working hard.

Instead, working smarter means being…

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Mindsets that Contribute to Burnout, part 3

Overworking is clearly a contributor to burnout culture, but why we overwork is complex and personal.
For some, the fear of missing out (FOMO) allows others to take advantage of them in the workplace.

For instance, I had a client who wouldn't say no to her boss,
no matter the banality of the task
or the amount of work she already had to do.

She wanted to be the one her boss thought of first,
so that when a great assignment came up,
one that would further her career,
…

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Mindsets that Perpetuate Burnout, Part 2

Perfectionism plays a significant part in burnout culture.
They both can be seen as badges of honor
in a work-harder world.

It's no secret that perfectionism is respected at some level.

How often to interviewees list that as a negative quality
with the presumption that it's not really that bad
and that their employer may well see it as a positive quality instead?

After all, the perfectionist does good work
by paying attention to detail and
working long hours
without needing…

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Work Identity Mindset

Work identity mindset is present when you value your work identity over all else.

Work always comes first,
and your work identity is the main way
in which you see your value to the world.

When too much of your identity is dependent on your success at work, 
you are setting yourself (and your team) up for burnout.

Your unhealthy drive for your own success can mean

• working longer hours
• denying yourself breaks
• constantly thinking about work, even when you are not working.
• …

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Leadership must continue to make burnout prevention and mitigation a priority.
It is not employees’ responsibility alone to protect themselves.
The long-term effects of burnout culture hurt them, the business, and the economy
in lost productivity and innovation more than the temporary short-term benefits.  

In addition to providing mental health support and more time off,
here are 4 things that help mitigate the damage of burnout. 

• Communication - Check in with your individual team members regularly,
  …

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Are you experiencing anxiety?

You are not alone.

Anxiety is plaguing the workplace and perhaps the world right now. 
The pandemic introduced so many unknowns that it’s hard to stay present. 
Since anxiety comes from focusing on the future and its uncertainties,
it makes sense that we are all more anxious right now. 

I often use opposites with my clients to help understand a particular emotion or malady. 
For example, if you are finding yourself irritated by a colleague,
focusing on that colleague’s good…

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