July 15, 2020
Marketing and communication leaders across all industries have been hit with one hurdle after another this year. A new survey reports that 83 percent of these leaders are experiencing extremely high levels of burnout. The world may feel like it’s on fire, but this week we’re discussing how you can light your own again.
So what is burnout? According to Thrive Global, here are some signs to look out for in yourself and your team:
Additionally, in an interview with Shape magazine, Forrest Talley, PhD stated that burnout can affect any or all of the following categories:
[Related: Take our latest survey on merging marketing and communication teams here.]
With all of the stress of these unprecedented times, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Acknowledging that continuing to work as if nothing has changed is unrealistic will help you create healthier habits to avoid the fatigue, apathy and overall discontentment that comes with burnout. Here are three ways to get started:
The average American will spend upwards of 42 percent of their waking hours looking at a screen. Not only does it take a toll on your physical health, it also deteriorates your morale. Take a few minutes every hour to rest your eyes, create phone-free meals (and lunch breaks!) and find ways to substitute TV time in the evening.
Even in normal life, we’re all guilty of taking short cuts when taking care of yourself. There is a huge connection between gut health and mental health, so make sure you’re eating whole foods, drinking enough water and spending time outside (cooking is a great screen-free activity!)
Anxiety UK has developed a unique process to help individuals cope with anxiety, which can prove applicable with combating burnout as well. The acronym stands for Acknowledge, Pause, Pull back Let go, and Explore. For more information on how to apply APPLE in your life, click here.
Most importantly, cut yourself some slack. So much has changed in a short period of time and it’s completely normal and natural to feel exhausted. Taking time for self-care enables you to show up as the best possible version of yourself for the people counting on you—it’s not a wasted effort to take time away and give yourself the TLC you need.
Kate serves as Marketing Coordinator at the CMO Council where she drives the social media engagement strategy and assists in content and creative development for the CMO Council’s biweekly newsletter, Required Reading, and monthly e-journal, Marketing Magnified. She is a first point of contact for interviews featured in CMO Council reports as well. Kate holds a bachelors degree in Communication Studies and Foreign Affairs from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and currently resides in the Bay Area with her rescue dog, Archie. When she’s not writing for CMO Council, you can find her chipping away at her endless stack of novels on her bookshelf or writing her own.
Get connected with Kate here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katerayne/
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