Reclaiming Balance: 4 Practical Steps to Combat Burnout and Rediscover Career Well-Being
In our previous blog post, we looked at the importance of recognising the early signs of burnout for professionals in Financial Services and what those signs are. Taking action early before burnout is clearly imperative. With that in mind, let's consider 4 practical steps you can take to prevent it from developing and reclaim balance so that your career is more fulfilling and better aligns with your career vision, values and ambitions.
Find meaning and purpose
Giving our labour is one of the most significant things that we can do. It requires our emotional energy, intellect, commitment and very high proportions of our precious time. So one way to help avoid burnout is to give what we do an empowering meaning. That meaning might be around the service that you give to the people who buy the products and services that your firm creates. It might be about serving your colleagues or the leadership of the firm. It might also be about serving your family if you have one - helping them to have a better life. Whatever it is for you, finding meaning in what you do helps remind you that your contribution really does count. This is an important part of avoiding burnout.
2. Invest in self-care
High performance athletes know that to perform at their best, they must absolutely look after themselves, both physically and mentally. It seems obvious, I know. So in exactly the same way, you, as a peak performance financial services professional, must take care of yourself with the same level of intention. There has been a boom in the area of health optimisation and there is plenty of information readily available. The basics, and you already know this, are:
enough (8 hours) high quality sleep
great balanced nutrition
regular exercise
Doing what you can to be as healthy as possible will help you combat burnout.
From a mental health point of view, there are amazing resources readily available too. I encourage you to seek them out. Spending time with loved ones and friends, finding joy in hobbies, getting into nature and having holidays where you can fully switch off are all things that readily come to mind. If you can, organise your life so that you don’t waste time on activities that pull you away from being in those joyful moments.
3. Redefine success and reset your goals
What success means to you will most probably change over time. It’s important to take the time to step back and reflect on how your ambitions, values and goals are evolving with each new chapter of your life and career. Once you’ve looked at the big picture, identify and set achievable milestones that will allow you to celebrate both professional and personal growth. Aligning your ambitions with your values will ensure that your journey remains meaningful and fulfilling, stopping career burnout in its tracks. Having a vision to pursue and a compelling WHY will enable you to feel that you are on track and living with purpose. This thought circles us back to the first paragraph on finding meaning and purpose in what you do.
4. Leverage your support network
If you see yourself heading towards burnout, take the time to reach out to mentors, colleagues and friends who can offer perspective and support. At a basic level, having honest conversations can help to alleviate feelings of isolation. More than this, those conversations can also elicit genuine career problems that your network can - if leveraged carefully - help to overcome.
Closing thoughts
Recognising the signs of burnout is a pivotal first step, but action transforms awareness into results. It’s important to be resilient - particularly in an industry as highly pressured and competitive as Financial Services - but not at all costs. Everything is achievable but should. always remain sustainable.
In the dynamic realm of finance, resilience is essential, and the same principle applies to your well-being. By finding meaning, investing in self-care, redefining success, leveraging support, you can certainly reclaim your balance for a long and successful career.
Let's chart a path together
We’re not medical professionals, but we do know a lot about helping people build fulfilling and successful careers. If you’re suffering with burnout , we would strongly suggest that you seek medical advice. And if you want to rethink and reset your career, then get in touch with us. Reach out and we can have a conversation about your career journey to renewed vitality.