A decade ago, when I was an operations department manager for a very high volume, high-profile building with a considerable staff, I went through a version of burnout.
I was working 55+ hours a week, which feels like 80 when you work in a physically intense environment like retail. I would be scheduled for a closing shift and work until midnight. Then I’d come back at 6 am to run the restock team and open the store (This is illegal in California, by the way. You must provide eight hours between shifts).
I didn’t have much support from my leaders. I’m resourceful and hard-working, so they took advantage of that. I didn’t speak up for myself because I wanted to be seen as flexible and a team player.
Then, one day, I got scammed and woke up.
I’d never be fooled. Nope, not me. I was sure of it.
There was a customer taking advantage of our return policy. We’d all been warned about her. We’d talked about her for weeks. We had a description of what she looked like, and we knew what her typical return scam was.
I’d never be fooled. Nope, not me. I was sure of it.
Then, with all my stress, anxiety, and little sleep mounting, she scammed me. The worst part? I didn’t even realize it until I explained the situation to another manager, and she said, “That was the scammer.”
Doh! I felt like a total failure.
I was so fried from working all the time that I could not think clearly. I was unable to make a sound decision. At that moment, I realized I needed to care for my health.
That’s the thing with burnout – it’s sneaky.
A similar situation happened in a different store a few years later when I was the store manager. This time, my co-manager got scammed.
I sat down with her in the office when I heard about it. No, she wasn’t in trouble. I wanted to check in and make sure she was okay. I’d been there – in that exact situation. Thinking back on it made me realize how overworked I’d been, and I wanted to make sure she wasn’t taking too much on.
We spent some time and talked about a possible change in her work schedule, how she could balance her school schedule, and what to do next time when a situation didn’t feel right. She never got scammed again. Neither did I.
That’s the thing with burnout – it’s sneaky.
You think you’re alright. You think you can push through. Then you make a terrible decision because you’re going too fast and can’t see through the bullshit.
If you’re feeling off, you’re not alone.
Even now, with all the heightened awareness around mental health, overworking can lead to burnout in ways you may not immediately recognize.
Over this past weekend, I was feeling depressed and unmotivated. I was unsure about this whole solo entrepreneur thing, and I even started browsing job openings.
After about twenty-four hours of this heavy feeling, I realized I’d been pushing myself too hard. After two days off and getting to bed early, I returned to work today, ready to take on the world!
If you’re feeling off, you’re not alone.
Schedule days off for yourself – actual days off where you do nothing. Sleep, drink water, and disconnect. Get outside when you can. Feel the earth under you. You know this. Do it when you are able. Put it on your calendar.
If you’re making bad decisions or can’t seem to get organized, it could be your body telling you to slow down and pour in some love because you can’t operate solely on output alone.
Put yourself first. Your work will always be there.