The concept of high achievers burnout may seem to be an oxymoron and infrequent bedfellows but the opposite is true. For those of us who identify as above-average achievers, denial also becomes an ingrained characteristic of our personalities. Admitting we’re burning out is virtually impossible for us because it feels like “giving in” to the energy-draining aspects of our ambitions by slowing down and becoming less action-oriented.
This quality is so fundamental to the psyche of high achievers it’s easy to consider it almost a compulsion, what we may call the High Achievers Burnout Trap, or HABT (pronounced “habit”).
This Habit is reflected in the number of hours high-earning individuals are willing – or feel compelled – to work. Some “62% of [high achievers] worked more than 50 hours a week, 35% more than 60 hours a week, and 10% more than 80 hours a week [while] 56% of them work 70 hours or more a week, and 9% work 100 hours or more”, according to data from a study of “extreme jobs” published at the Harvard Business Review website.
Symptoms of Burnout
Identified in the 1970s by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, burnout manifests with three symptoms:
- Exhaustion – Feeling emotionally exhausted and unable to cope, lacking energy day-to-day. One might have trouble falling asleep or getting up in the morning, and end up feeling lethargic throughout the day.
- Emotional distancing – Adopting a cynical lens: leadership is incompetent, the company’s culture is toxic, my colleagues are insufferable. It becomes increasingly difficult to empathize with others at work. We gripe constantly to our partner over dinner or spin silently on negativity in the evenings.
- Futility – Feeling like the effort we put into work doesn’t matter. Each task feels like a heavy lift; focusing is harder than it was before. (Substack.com)
The mindset that motivates these personalities to stay in such jobs, despite the stressful symptoms they cause, comes from their enjoyment of being intellectually challenged, mentally stimulated, and feeling the “rush” of success.
Causes of Burnout
According to the US National Institutes of Health, the above three symptoms of burnout are a result of six causes:
“For many years, burnout has been recognized as an occupational hazard for various people‐oriented professions, such as human services, education, and health care … Over two decades of research on burnout have identified a plethora of organizational risk factors across many occupations in various countries. Six key domains have been identified, as mentioned earlier: workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and values.”
When these organizational challenges are added to the mindset of the high achiever, they become the foundational causes of burnout that appear in virtually all instances of the condition.
Prevention is the Cure for High Achievers Burnout
While it is possible to say there is a cure for burnout, prevention is far more effective. And, since the steps required for either are the same, prevention is an easier approach than attacking the symptoms after the fact.
- You need to “prove” yourself – Every level of success you achieve is proof of your value. The real stressor that leads to burnout is the need to have others appreciate your value. Finding an organization that recognizes and agrees with your estimation of the value you offer will lower stress levels and reduce the chances of burnout.
- You enjoy being “busy and productive” – Our current culture places great value on having a “full” schedule and being busy. While feeling and being productive can be a value in its own right, the arbitrary nature of “being busy” for its own sake is merely stressful. Allowing busyness to define you forces you to devote time and energy to things that are not important. Forsaking busyness for being productive, however, is an important characteristic of being a strong leader.
- You need to find a “better” way – Inefficiency is anathema to high achievers, as is acceptance of low standards for productivity and quality. The flaw in this thinking is that mental energy is wasted on wishing others know that you’re “right” and refusing to change their behavior to reflect that. Then too, your need to be right may prevent you from recognizing better alternatives. One of the toughest things to do for successful people is to accept the way things are rather than constantly fighting for the way they “should” be. (Stressful, much?)
- You enjoy feeling “needed” – Being seen as a hero who can solve any problem feels fantastic. Yet, ultimately, being wanted is more rewarding. When you find it difficult to trust and empower others, you devalue them in much the same way you may feel devalued when proving yourself. The idea that everything will come crashing down without you is truly narcissistic, energy-draining, and spiritually destructive. Learn to avoid this Habit at all costs.
- You believe success requires “sacrifice” – The contemporary concept of “sacrifice” may be one of the most harmful (if not downright evil) standards used to define success in our culture. Being told you’re “selfish and narcissistic” for not giving up the things you value for things you may not is emotionally and spiritually damaging on the most fundamental level. Do you appreciate being a leader over a follower? Great! (And, should such be the case for you, the opposite is also fine.)
Recognizing these traits, or Habits, in yourself can be extremely difficult. But, once you know what to look for, they become far easier to recognize and work on as the means to prevent burnout.
Working with a professional who can help you find and identify the symptoms and causes of the High Achievers Burnout Trap in yourself will make it much easier to cope and turn things around more quickly. Feel free to contact me for the answers you seek.
