The fear of relapse – our friend and ally
Victims of burnout share a recurring fear – they dread suffering a relapse. With hindsight, they realize that they ignored the early warning signs during their first burnout and are afraid they’ll make the same mistake again. These individuals then end up in a state of permanent anxiety.
This is a legitimate fear since many people experience several episodes of burnout during their working lives.
But rather than paralyzing you, this fear can be salutary if:
- It pushes you to be attentive to your lifestyle and, for instance, assures that you don’t accumulate too much sleep debt.
- It informs you of the resources at your disposal for avoiding burnout and makes you realize that you’re not as defenseless as you think. Take the trouble to learn lessons from your burnout, and identify and duplicate the strategies that helped you find your way out. It’s also an opportunity to acknowledge that you’re now stronger after going through this difficult experience.
Draw inspiration from these best practices:
- Set the boundaries you need to keep yourself safe.
- Keep hold of your values and priorities now more than ever. Persevere – and even be stubborn!
Use fear to take a step back, assess how real your anxieties are and put strategies in place that work best for you.
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