How to heal yourself from burnout | Sophie Scott | TEDxKatoomba
Summary
TLDRThe speaker, a former TV reporter, recounts her journey from invulnerability to burnout, triggered by relentless work and stress. She candidly shares her experiences, including the physical toll it took, and emphasizes the importance of self-care and daily practices for recovery. The narrative serves as a cautionary tale, urging listeners to prioritize their well-being and live a life aligned with their values, rather than being defined solely by their work.
Takeaways
- πΊ The speaker had a dream job as a TV reporter, specializing in health stories.
- π They experienced burnout despite having a fulfilling job, showing that burnout can happen to anyone.
- π₯ The speaker met inspiring individuals like Carol, Rachel, Johnny, and Andrea, highlighting the emotional impact of their job.
- π« The realization that having a great job does not prevent burnout was a hard lesson learned.
- β The speaker's reliance on caffeine and alcohol to manage stress took a toll on their health.
- πͺοΈ A sudden wave of dizziness during a healthcare awards event served as a wake-up call about their health.
- π Chronic stress was identified as the cause of the speaker's physical symptoms and burnout.
- π’ Research indicates that 50% of the workforce feels some degree of burnout, affecting even high performers.
- π€ The speaker questioned their self-worth tied to productivity and recognized the need for change.
- π§ββοΈ Recovery from burnout involved daily practices like meditation, movement, and connecting with joyful people.
- π© The speaker encourages reflecting on one's legacy and living a life aligned with personal values, not just work.
Q & A
What was the speaker's dream job?
-The speaker's dream job was being a TV reporter specializing in health, where they got to tell patient stories and give them a voice.
Who are Carol, Rachel, Johnny, and Andrea?
-Carol was a cancer patient the speaker met and shared her story with. Rachel and Johnny were a couple who lost their daughter Mackenzie to a genetic illness. Andrea was a mum with multiple sclerosis who underwent a stem cell transplant that transformed her health.
What was the turning point that made the speaker realize they were not invincible?
-The turning point was when the speaker experienced a wave of dizziness while presenting awards at a black tie dinner for healthcare workers, which was unexpected and led to a realization about their health.
What was the speaker's routine to cope with stress before experiencing burnout?
-The speaker would start the day with coffee to get going and have a few glasses of wine at night to wind down.
What was the wake-up call for the speaker regarding their health?
-The wake-up call was experiencing dizziness while presenting an award at a healthcare workers' dinner, which was a physical manifestation of the chronic stress they were under.
What does the speaker mean by 'the body keeps score'?
-The phrase 'the body keeps score' refers to the idea that the body records the effects of chronic stress, no matter how good one's job might be, and it was a realization for the speaker that stress was taking a toll on their health.
What percentage of the workforce feels some degree of burnout according to the speaker?
-According to the speaker, research shows that 50% of the workforce feels some degree of burnout.
Why are high performers more susceptible to burnout?
-High performers are more susceptible to burnout because they tend to overwork, which is not necessarily more productive or even happier, and can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion.
What does the speaker suggest is the key to recovering from burnout?
-The key to recovering from burnout, according to the speaker, is embedding daily practices that regulate the nervous system, such as meditation, movement, and connecting with joyful people.
What is the speaker's advice on how to live life according to one's values?
-The speaker advises to listen to what the body is telling you, to think of oneself as an eight-year-old in a rocking chair considering what will have mattered, and to ensure that current actions align with those values.
How does the speaker compare recovering from burnout to setting a course for a destination?
-The speaker compares recovering from burnout to setting a course for a destination by suggesting that making small, consistent changes daily can lead to a significantly different outcome, just as changing a ship's course by one percent every day will lead to a different destination.
Outlines
πΊ The Struggle with Burnout
The speaker, a former TV reporter specializing in health, shares her personal journey of burnout. Despite having a dream job and sharing inspiring stories of patients like Carol, Rachel, Johnny, and Andrea, she found herself feeling invincible until she experienced the harsh reality of burnout. The constant work demands, inability to say no, and the non-stop nature of journalism led to physical and emotional exhaustion. A wake-up call came during a healthcare workers' event when she experienced dizziness, signaling her body's toll from chronic stress. The realization that even a fulfilling job can lead to burnout prompted her to seek change.
π Overcoming Burnout: A Personal Journey
The speaker delves into the broader implications of burnout, noting that 50% of the workforce feels its effects, with higher rates among teachers, healthcare workers, and first responders. She challenges the misconception that overworking equates to productivity or happiness, citing research that suggests otherwise. The speaker's personal epiphany was realizing that recovery from burnout is not just about mental change but also about physical practices. She emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and daily practices like meditation, movement, and connecting with joyful people to regulate the nervous system. The analogy of a ship changing course by small increments each day is used to illustrate the gradual process of recovery. The speaker concludes by urging listeners to consider their legacy and to live a life that aligns with their values, rather than just working hard.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Burnout
π‘Invincible
π‘Storytelling
π‘Caffeine
π‘Wine
π‘Healthcare Workers
π‘Perfectionism
π‘Self-compassion
π‘Survival Mode
π‘Meditation
π‘Tai Chi
Highlights
The speaker used to think they were invincible but later realized they weren't.
Having a great job does not necessarily prevent burnout.
The speaker's dream job as a TV reporter allowed them to tell patient stories.
Meeting Carol, a cancer patient, and experiencing the emotional journey with her.
Interviewing Rachel and Johnny, a couple who lost their daughter to a genetic illness.
Meeting Andrea, a woman with multiple sclerosis whose health improved after a stem cell transplant.
The speaker struggled to switch off from work, leading to exhaustion.
The speaker's health declined due to chronic stress and an unhealthy lifestyle.
A wake-up call came when the speaker experienced dizziness while presenting an award.
Chronic stress takes a toll on the body regardless of job satisfaction.
Burnout is not just about being tired; it involves physical and emotional exhaustion.
50% of the workforce feels some degree of burnout.
High performers who love their job are more susceptible to burnout.
Overworking does not necessarily lead to increased productivity or happiness.
The speaker had to confront the reality that no one is coming to save them from burnout.
Recovering from burnout involves daily practices to regulate the nervous system.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of self-compassion in recovering from burnout.
Physical symptoms of burnout can be addressed through daily practices like meditation and movement.
Recovering from burnout is like setting a new course for life, changing direction gradually.
The speaker encourages listeners to consider their legacy and how they want to be remembered.
The importance of listening to the body's signals and living a life that matters.
Transcripts
foreign
[Music]
I'll take a break once this really busy
period is over but then you don't
I used to be like that
I used to think that I was invincible
but then I realized the hard way I found
out the hard way that I wasn't
maybe you think having a great job might
help you or prevent you from becoming
burnt out and overwhelmed
but as I said I learned the hard way
that that wasn't the case
and I want to share my story with you so
that hopefully you don't go through what
I went through
ever since I was a kid I wanted to share
people's stories
help make sense of the world and to
understand how much more we have in
common than we might realize
and I had a dream job I was the TV
reporter specializing in health
so I got to tell patient stories I got
to give them a voice
that they wouldn't have otherwise had
and I met some amazing people along the
way
I met a beautiful cancer patient called
Carol
and I sat with Carol as we waited for
her cancer scans to come back and we
held our breath and then we cried with
relief when her scans came back clear
I met a young couple called Rachel and
Johnny
and they'd only just lost their daughter
Mackenzie to a genetic illness at the
age of seven months
and we sat in McKenzie's bedroom next to
her empty crib
and they fought back tears telling me
their heartbreaking story
and how they wanted to fight for changes
so that other parents couldn't go
through what they'd been through
but there are stories of great hope as
well I met Andrea a mum with multiple
sclerosis and she was facing life in a
wheelchair but she had a stem cell
transplant through a clinical trial
which radically transformed her health
so I loved telling stories
but what happened was
when the camera's Switched Off I found
it really hard to do the same my mind
was always racing yet my body was tired
I was engaged but I was exhausted I was
tired but I was wired
and so like many of us I would start the
day with a few coffees with caffeine to
get going
then I'd have a few glasses of wine at
the end of the night to wind down but
that started to catch up with my health
the wake-up call came for me when I was
presenting some awards at a black tie
dinner for healthcare workers
and I was feeling great I stood up at
the podium to present the first award
I was in a sparkly dress with high heels
I was feeling great but then this wave
of dizziness just hit me out of nowhere
I had to hold on to the podium so I
didn't fall over
and I didn't understand what was going
on with my health I didn't understand
why my nervous system wasn't working
properly anymore
and the dizziness just added to some
other symptoms I'd been having
what I discovered was that
chronic stress takes a toll in your body
no matter how good your job might be
I'd heard the phrase before the body
keeps score but now I really believed it
and I didn't want to say feeling like
that I didn't want to stay feeling burnt
out and overwhelmed for my family so I
knew I needed to take action
I knew I wanted to be a better version
of myself than that burnt out person
telling stories really was a privilege
and I and I never thought that job would
lead to burnout
but burnout doesn't just happen if you
have a crappy job or a crappy boss it
can happen in a fulfilling job as well
the pace of my work really increased the
demands intensified and commitments that
I didn't or couldn't say no to were
piling up around me
journalism isn't a nine-to-five
profession
but I was either working or thinking
about work from the minute I woke up
until my head hit the pillow
and that's a recipe for Burnout
now you might have heard the term
burnout
and wondered exactly what it means so
it's not about just being a bit tired or
stressed you feel physically and
emotionally exhausted
you feel disillusioned and disengaged
you feel isolated and you wonder if
other people feel the same as you do
and research shows that 50 of the
workforce feels some degree of burnout
at the moment
and we know for example that teachers
and healthcare workers and First
Responders have higher rates of burnout
and
High performers who love their job are
actually more susceptible to burnout
and this might surprise you the research
shows that people who tend to overwork
are not necessarily more productive or
even happier in fact the research from
Georgia shows that people scored lower
on their individual well-being scores as
well as the scores of their family
was that really Our intention when we
decided to work long hours
I don't think so
remember in 10 years time the only
people that he'll remember those long
hours that you worked will be your
children
so for me the most painful realization
was like Oprah says no one is coming to
save you and that's the same for Burnout
as well your manager just wants you to
do a good job
so I had to ask myself some hard
questions and look at the things that I
could control
and I had to ask why had I equated being
productive and super busy with a sense
of self-worth
at the heart of perfectionism is the
feeling of not being worthy of not being
enough
now I'm not here to tell you that
recovering from burnout is necessarily
easy
but you can recover with support
and by embedding those daily practices
that will make a difference
to regulate your nervous system and get
it out of that survival mode that fight
or flight and into a relaxed mode and I
was lucky in some ways because I knew
what would make a difference
and it doesn't mean you need to leave a
job that you might love
but I had to lean into the con the real
the the concept of self-compassion
of feeling you are enough
like brene Brown says
and I had an epiphany there was so many
physical symptoms from burnout that I
realized you kind of think your way out
of it the body really does hold the key
and so that meant looking at those
practices that were going to make a
difference to get me out of survival
mode and into a more relaxed and
regulated day
and that meant permitting to a a daily
meditation practice
even before I would get out of bed
it meant committing to daily movements
even though all I could manage when I
first recovered from burnout was five
minutes of Tai Chi was all I could
manage
and it meant committing to connecting
with people that really fill you with
joy
I think about recovering from burnout a
bit like a ship-setting course for a
destination imagine if you just changed
that destination one percent
every day and stick with it you'll end
up in a completely different destination
and that's the same with burnout
recovery as well
and I want to leave you with this last
thought
how do you want to be remembered
what do you want your legacy to be as
someone who worked really hard
or as someone who really lived life
according to their values
and who cared about the people who cared
about them
listen to what your body is telling you
it really does hold the key
and remember we only have this one
precious life that we've been granted
so think of yourself as that
eight-year-old in that rocking chair
what will have mattered to that person
and are you living that life
right now
thank you very much
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