7 Underestimated Mantras to Live By and Avoid Work Burnout As much as we dislike it or try to deny it, our emotions do affect our work. Avoiding this truth leads to self-sabotage and burnout, so here's how to stop it.
By Leah Borski Edited by Kara McIntyre
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Contrary to popular belief, burnout doesn't happen to us. It can feel that way, but I would argue it's actually something we do to ourselves, even when we think we're taking steps to avoid it. In fact, sometimes those very steps add fuel to the fire.
Burnout, as discussed here, embodies a hidden element of self-sabotage.
Related: 7 Surprising Ways You Self-Sabotage In Your Business (and What to Do Instead)
What's the connection between emotional agility and burnout?
Knowing how to identify, accept and manage our emotions is crucial for sustainable success. Emotional agility requires that we approach our thoughts and emotions mindfully in a way that's productive and aligned with our values.
Instead, we often dive head-first into busyness to escape dealing with our emotions. Not only is this an avoidance coping mechanism, but it's also a surefire path to work burnout.
We tend to think that managing our emotions requires controlling them. This is especially common in professional settings — we don't want to be perceived as weak, aggressive or, well … emotional. As entrepreneurs, we might even believe success requires a perfectly positive mindset, so we deny or hide our emotions — both from ourselves and others. But these actions don't actually absolve us of the issue. Our emotions still influence our behaviors and interactions with others, whether we know it or not.
Refusing to face this truth creates self-sabotaging actions that can subsequently lead to burnout.
Related: 'Grin and Bear It' Is Wrong. Here's What Great Leaders Understand About Emotional Intelligence.
Down-to-earth mantras to boost emotional agility
- "Back up your backup plan."
In my 20s, I worked in the food service industry. I learned a key concept that continues to serve me well: "Always know your next five steps."
How is this relevant to entrepreneurship and burnout? In both food service and business, much is outside our control. We rely on others to complete their steps in a process before we're able to move on with our own. Imagine how this plays out as you fervently await vital email responses, vendor deliveries, etc.
The waiting game wastes valuable time and energy. It creates added stress that can lead to burnout. With a running "next five steps" list, there are always various alternatives. We reclaim some control by creating the ability to keep moving forward despite obstacles. - "Embrace the scenic route."
Sometimes the path to success is more long and winding than expected. Often, we fail to acknowledge this fact or refuse to accept it. We waste energy trying to force our way back onto our original planned route. It's like paddling upstream against a raging current.
Flexibility is empowering. It allows us to let go of what we think our journey "should" look like, and allows for surprise detours that may outshine anything we could have planned. - "Be afraid and do it anyway."
One telltale sign of burnout is losing passion for our work. It's hard to feel purposeful when we're complacent, retreating to what feels safe. A sense of purpose can trump fear, but only when we decide to face and feel our fears instead of avoiding or dismissing them.
It helps to remember that fear is unpreventable. We can't control when or why it will strike, but we can control how we react to it.
Harvard Medical School psychologist Susan David famously said, "Choose courage over comfort." Yes, this is scary. But choosing courage keeps us engaged enough to continue caring.
Related: 5 Fears All Entrepreneurs Face (and How to Conquer Them) - "Do something different."
It's easy to get stuck in the rut of what we've always done. In fact, our brains naturally default to the easy route to conserve energy. This also allows us to feel safe — familiarity creates an impression of security.
But if what we've done in the past isn't working in the present, it's time to switch things up. This takes courage. It also requires awareness of our autopilot habits. When we pay attention to these, we can change them. Developing habits with intention keeps our work fresh and our motivation high. - "Expect the unexpected."
Nothing in life is guaranteed. Even if our expectations are realistic by societal standards, dependence on them keeps us trapped in "shoulds" and drains our energy.
Understanding the nuances between what is happening, and what we think should be happening, reduces frustration. It fosters emotional agility, making it easier to respond instead of react. Reacting looks like panic-induced action based on rash decisions. In contrast, responding is deliberate, mindful and empowering. - "Cultivate curiosity."
When things don't go as expected, it might feel like a punishment. We question what we've done wrong to deserve this. But challenges actually happen for us. Usually, life's frustrations are golden lessons in disguise.
In fact, approaching life's challenges with curiosity is shown to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms (often associated with burnout).
Instead of despairing over obstacles with a "why me?" attitude, try a more productive approach. Ask yourself, "What is this disaster trying to show or teach me? How can I grow from this experience?"
This isn't to say you should deny feelings of frustration, anger or sadness. Give yourself time and space to feel what you feel. Then, when you're ready, give yourself the gift of open-minded wonder. - "Nothing lasts forever."
This mantra is popular as a reminder to appreciate everything we have because life is fleeting. But it's not just the good stuff that passes us by. The negatives pass, too. Seeing life from this perspective helps us build resilience, a key virtue that directly helps prevent burnout.
There's no way to escape the emotional upheaval of the human experience. But handling difficult times is easier when we remember we won't have to endure them forever.
Emotional agility skills support our success by banishing the risk of burnout. Our human instinct is to hide or avoid our feelings because it seems easier. We tell ourselves "I don't have time for this" — but the truth is that we lose much more than time if we don't face them.
Embodying these mantras in moments of stress or frustration helps us get to the root of our feelings and ultimately avoid work burnout. When leveraged with intention, they also empower us to build true adaptability and optimism in the face of adversity.
