#straightfromcait: How To Tell People About Your Burnout

There comes a time when you may need to tell the people in your life about your burnout. Certain people like your HR department or your spouse will need to know in explicit detail in order to support your recovery to the best of their abilities. Others like co-workers or clients may not need to know as many details, but still need to know how it will impact them. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait explains how to approach these conversations differently depending on whether you are speaking at work, at home, or with friends. 

The first step you need to take before initiating any conversations about your burnout is to make some decisions and collect data points. When speaking with clients, you should first figure out your answers to certain key questions they are sure to have such as whether you will be shifting a deadline, if you are stopping a project, and if you’re planning to refer them out. If you work for a company, you will need to talk to your HR department and should have a script in mind that clearly explains the symptoms burnout is causing you and what you need from your employer in terms of recovery. When speaking with your partner or spouse, it is important to be as honest as possible to help them understand how burnout is impacting you and how things might need to change at home. Making a plan and collecting data will help you to have clear, factual conversations with the people in your life about your burnout and their reactions to your requests will provide you with additional data about your environment. 

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about how to tell other people about your burnout. Learn what to say in specific situations at work, at home, and with friends so that you can get the support you need for recovery. 

Quotes

• “Before you have any conversations, you need to collect your data points and you need to make some decisions. This has to happen first.” (2:33-2:43 | Cait)

• “If you know you're burnt out and you definitely need some time away, you might go to your HR professional and say, ‘Listen, I feel like I'm experiencing burnout. These are some of my symptoms. I'm unable to be as productive as I used to be at work, I'm completely disengaged. What I think I might need is XYZ. But I am not sure what the company offers as far as burnout recovery support. So I am here to find out what the possibilities are, and how we can set this up so that the company stays solid and gets everything it needs and I still get the time that I need to recover’.” (7:11-7:46 | Cait)

• “Giving people the opportunity to also use their voice because you've used yours, I think is really important.” (11:03-11:10 | Cait)

• “If you don't know what you need, it might be time to get a coach.” (13:54-13:58 | Cait)

• “Your burnout is going to be difficult for your partner. It’s going to be difficult for them to understand, it's going to be difficult for them to deal with. And they are likely to get irritated now and again that they are pulling extra weight. And I need you as much as you're granting grace for yourself in the recovery process, I need you to also grant grace to your partner and your family members who will need to adjust things for you.” (15:14-15:40 | Cait)

• “Just because you prep doesn't mean it will go well. But prepping will help you to feel solid and more neutral within the conversations. Because you're speaking about facts, and not necessarily about emotions.” (26:09-26:22 | Cait)

Links 

https://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast

https://caitdonovan.com/resentment-journal

https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah

https://caitdonovan.as.me/free

XOXO,

C

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

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