KNOW YOURSELF
Hannah Jarvis , producer , MCI UK , talks about how to bounce back from burnout and the importance of taking care of oneself
re you taking care of yourself ? My guess is probably not .
It is by no means intentional of any of us , but there is a certain narrative across all event industry sectors that pushes our workforce beyond their limits .
Don ’ t get me wrong , I have been pushed hard in my career and seen some success from it , but I have come to learn that this is not a sustainable ethic and we are often taking it too far . We need to lead by example and create change for good in our work .
I did some research online and found that a Deloitte study from 2015 that stated that “ 84 % of millennials say they have experienced burnout at their current job ”. Times have certainly changed since then and I fear this statistic may now have moved in the wrong direction .
Participating in this constant cycle of work , it is easy to feel trapped and end-up feeling de-motivated , unhappy and even experience a loss of self-confidence . These feelings are often heightened by a lack of control in our work lives and can lead to burnout . Symptoms of burnout include feeling overwhelmed or emotionally drained . This is the time to get yourself into action .
The four steps
Step one : to get yourself back from
“ Our mindset is often fixed , but we need to force some change in our own routines and the way we talk to ourselves .”
Hannah Jarvis
burnout , you need to take a step back from your situation and find the things you can take control of . This could be taking some time off work , reducing workload ( where possible ) and taking some time to reflect on how you got to this stage . Step two : is all about problem solving – an event professional ’ s favourite hobby . You can voice note , list , or mind map the areas you feel you need to change your routine and do your best to break them down as small as you can . Our mindset is often fixed , but we need to force some change in our own routines and the way we talk to ourselves . Step three : is about making the commitment , feeling value in empowering yourself to get out of this situation , and designing actionable steps that you can work on each day . You need to take some time to understand yourself and your best way to work – are you more likely to achieve something if you have visual reminders like a mood board saved as your phone or computer wallpaper ? Step four : it is time to check in with ourselves and understand the things we may or may not be able to control , and increase our empathy with ourselves . After a month of trialing this approach , I certainly feel a reinforced sense of self and direction and have highlighted some further areas where change is needed .
If there is one thing I want you to take away from reading this , it is that we need to be as kind to ourselves as we are to our clients and allow ourselves the grace to have the time , space and resources to do our best work , for our own benefit . CN www . conference-news . co . uk