11 Comments

Good piece of information. I just realized I saved myself in the fourth stage of burnout. It happened in my medical residency period. Things that helped me are writing and being with friends.

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Really appreciate you reading and commenting Shanjitha. Medical residency is intense - I’m so glad you found practical tools to get through it

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This is great ❤️ Sending love and lunch! One word Pappardelle https://makepurethyheart.com/walnut-mushroom-pappardelle-bolognese-recipe/

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An eye-opening and educative piece, Sabrina. I never really learned what burnout was, and this 5 step model made it clear. This should be taught in business schools and unis, btw. It's so important!

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Glad you found it useful Issa.

Yes I didn't realise how easily I slipped between the phases depending on what's going on in life and what I allow to happen.

It's a balance between internal and external factors for sure so useful to know what our signature is at each stage so we can pull back and/or get support.

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Awareness is key for prevention indeed.

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While burnout is undoubtedly a painful experience, I also believe it can be a powerful catalyst for change. It forces us to re-evaluate our priorities, set boundaries, and make changes that ultimately lead to a more fulfilling and sustainable life. Perhaps burnout is not just a breakdown, but also a breakthrough in disguise.

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Urgh burnout is so insidious. I never seem to know it’s happening till I’m well within its grips! This is so useful to look at the stages like this - so much I recognise to be true but could never articulate. Thank you! 🙏

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This is what I find too Sara. Thanks for reading. It's that 'how did I end up here?' question which always got me. Now I'm sharing the common issues and patterns so we can catch ourselves earlier. Keep checking and asking for an external perspective!

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We can all get drawn in by work projects and believe we are doing something great. And in a way, we are. We are making a difference by sharing our expertise. But, and it's a big but, we can over give. I look back at times when I worked so hard I neglected my health, hobbies and friends and now I can't see why it was all necessary. I should have asked for help, and drawn clear boundaries, but I didn't because I didn't know how.

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Such a good example here Wendy. We get caught up in the hype of our projects and activities - even if they are great, it's easy to forget it's a spike and not the norm.

I always found this after leaving a job which took all my time and effort. 2 weeks after leaving, it was barely a memory! Reminded me to keep checking how much effort and priority I'm putting onto things. Still working it out but recognising our patterns and thresholds is a handy start.

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