Burnout vs. Belief

Still early in my Army career, I encountered something familiar to us all: burnout. In less than four years, I experienced three moves and two overseas deployments. I was fatigued from the pace, a bit cynical. But most importantly, despite evaluation reports that stipulated otherwise, I no longer believed that I could succeed.

During this season in my life, I had a conversation with a mentor that greatly impacted me. “It’s all up to you. You’re in control. You can be successful at anything you want. Any decision that you make will be the right one. In any career, you’ll be successful. You will always succeed.”

Without knowing it at the time, my journey as a young officer mirrored the research of Christina Maslach and Susan E. Jackson. They noted that burnout was the sum of three factors.

1. Feelings of exhaustion and fatigued

2. Cynical indifference towards work

3. Lack of self-belief regarding one’s work

They further proved that burnout was triggered by a loss of self-autonomy, the lack of being self-directed in life. In other words, feeling that you are no longer in control of your life is the gateway to burnout.

I don’t know if my mentor truly believed in what he said that day, but he made me believe it. That lesson showed me that I don’t have to surrender self-autonomy. That there is always a path to regaining and maintaining a sense of self. And for me, that insight has provided strength over the years since that pivotal conversation.

I hope that you take away a few lessons from this brief story.

• People that believe in you and encourage you to believe in yourself are rare. When you find them, cherish and hold on to them.

• If you are struggling with burnout, look for ways to restore some self-autonomy. The solutions won’t always be obvious. Dig deep.

• If you know someone who is struggling, be the person who helps them believe in themselves again. The fruit of that gift will surprise you!