I’ve overcome burnout and the solution was remarkably simple (for me)
I run a small business and with that comes some very odd behaviour I never expected to exhibit when I first started out. Within months I was fortunate to have some big global clients willing to take a punt, albeit a calculated one on a small one man consultancy. Before long I was flying across Europe and North America to attend meetings, run workshops and facilitate off-sites.
But with all this came some side effects. I started reading my emails the minute I woke up. I took my phone to dinner and chatted on hangout rather than with my partner. I jumped on small things and treated them as urgent. In order to please I over promised and over delivered. All this left me exhausted. I would often be asked ‘how do you do it’ to which I would smile and then shrink behind a wall to breathe deeply.
The thing about running a small business is that I could never switch off. I felt guilty when taking leave or heading out for a coffee in the middle of the day. I felt like every minute should be ploughed into the business and that any waste would only be to the detriment of my work and my client pipeline.
The weird thing was this was all self inflicted. None of my clients expected me to work crazy hours. Many commented that weekend working was my own decision.
They were right.
So late last year I was browsing Medium to read some articles about burnout. They all took different angles and not every piece focused on physical exhaustion. There were articles about the impact of overwork on family life and mental wellbeing. It was at this point that I helpfully self-diagnosed as a victim of burnout.
So what was I to do about it?
Well some friends suggested I quit work or at the very least go back to a 9–5 existence. Others suggested I try yoga, meditation or reading non-fiction. Many suggested adult colouring books. Some said a good few sessions at a cross-fit gym would soon alleviate my symptoms.
I tried a lot of things. All of them failed, but some did give me a flicker of hope that there could be a tailor made solution out there for me. I do however, still have a stack of colouring books at home untouched.
Then came the answer.
Every winter I relocate to the French Alps. This is in part to focus on nearby European clients but also because it allows me to enjoy my all-time favourite hobby of skiing. This was the season where I stopped watching the French army recruits tour up the mountain on their skins. This was the year that I would hike up on my skis to watch the sun rise.
Over the past few months I’ve become a fanatic of ski touring. I often rise before sunrise, hike a thousand metres to watch the sun come up. I then enjoy the first run of the day before hitting the office. Ascending the mountain each morning, often in blizzard conditions and temperatures of -20C had me hypnotic. I found myself checking out of all my thoughts. I wouldn’t once worry about work, run over an email in my head. I stopped reading emails in bed and instead jumped out to grab my head torch.
On returning to the office I found my work output to be markedly improved. Clients found me more relaxed, while still able to produce high quality work. But first I just need to update my touring book. That’s right — I even fill out a record of my ascents.
The answer to my burnout was a hobby.
I’d never had one before in all honesty. Yes I tried rock climbing, cycling and even outdoor swimming but there was nothing strong enough to make me want to take dedicated time out to get better at something.
Now I have it. A hobby. Finally at the age of 37.
Ski touring allowed me to step away from a 24/7/365 world and embrace a pace of life that is more meaningful and conducive to delivering great work.
For many of you reading this ski touring isn’t a possible hobby to take up. You may be experiencing burnout in downtown Chicago or in sweltering Sydney. For others a hobby might only alleviate and not tackle your burnout issues head on.
This was just my story.
I hope for some of you it inspires you to find that hobby that makes the difference.
Paul
