Doing the same thing over & over yet expecting different results could be considered a form of madness.
Burnout stops good career planningWhether you are at the start, midway or nearing retirement, it is very difficult to make good career plans when in the mists of full blown burnout. There just isn't the spare mental or physical capacity. The mental agility, time and attitude needed for successful career planning is simply not there. Offering career planning to someone who is currently suffering burnout with or without other mental wellbeing issues..... is misguided. Important decisions should not be made when someone has burnout as even the process of exploring ones career could be very distressing. Career planning vs career crisisA blend of approaches is needed to address burnout - one of which may well be a career discussion. However in the first instance it is possible that a mix of proactive consultant led occupational health related input, job planning negotiations and/or a visit to ones GP will be needed. It may take some time to demonstrate to a burnout sufferer that this approach is vital BEFORE career planning begins. Anyone with burnout just wants is it all to somehow magically stop or to escape fast. There is however a big difference between career/burnout crisis management and the steady approach needed in career development. |
Career decision making in burnout tends to be more of the "help get me out of here" type and less "proactive steady well planned creative" type. No guesses as to which works best. Two things happen frequently in burnout as ways of dealing with the downwards spiral.... A) changing job or career by" kneejerk" , "scattergun" or "try once" (often all not quite couched correctly thus resulting in demoralising rejections) B) just carry on, batten down the hatches. Neither A or B are addressing the problem. Career plan BEFORE burnout arisesUnless burnout is very mild, career guidance alone will not turn burnout around. Recovery time for frank burnout is many months (even years) - not days/weeks.
The best approach is to tackle career concerns as soon as they arise and thus avoid burnout altogether. That said - a steady and logical approach to burnout at any stage facilitates stabilising the situation. Once that is achieved - proper career planning can then be done. We have a two level £200 (self directed)/ £600 (supported) burnout programme of 12 weeks. To access this please complete our career questionnaire first. |
A definition of burnout
Burnout is a type of mild but often progressing to severe psychological discomfort as a result of prolonged ignored stress. It is characterised by exhaustion, lost enthusiasm and motivation with feelings of ineffectiveness. It may also have a dimension of extreme cynicism and as a result creates reduced efficacy within the workplace and disengagement. And - it significantly holds back and limits effective career planning.