Cynicism is a key burnout symptom you shouldn't ignore.
- What's the point?
- No one cares anyway
- It doesn't matter whether I do it or not
- Is this even worth it?
Sound familiar?
It's one of the main signs that indicates burnout which is not just overwork or stress.
You might also see cynicism described as depersonalisation and it might start as a coping strategy to distance yourself from the stress you're experiencing.
Cynicism about something is the belief that it cannot be successful or that the people involved are not honourable.
Collins Dictionary
But over time, when you're still exhausted, resentful, fed up and hopeless (i.e. cynical) and lose belief in yourself - that's burnout.
It's insidious and you need to look out for cynicism, especially in your business.
You've worked hard to create this amazing space that serves your clients the way you want. It could be a side hustle or you might have been in it for years.
But once you start to feel cynical about it or what you do in relation to your business, your mood and behaviour can negatively spiral.
I have worked with enough burnt out business owners to know how utterly painful burnout cynicism is.
It's different when you work for an organisation - you can *blame* them and walk away.
It's not easy, but people do it every day.
But, Reader, what if it's YOUR business that's making you feel cynical?
It cuts deeper because you've built it up from scratch and now you've fallen out of love with it.
You've lost belief in yourself or the world around you.
Curb Your Cynicism
Not only does cynicism affect you, others notice it too.
We've all been around people that are clearly fed up and unhappy - they give off a fizzy energy.
A negative haze.
Constant complaints.
Limited action.
Our compassion might struggle to see things from their perspective after a while. That's not ideal if you're trying to deliver for your clients, team, or a loved one.
Research suggests cynicism reduces work performance and makes us less likely to be social. We become more irritable, detached, demotivated and pessimistic.
This may be hard to hear but you have to pull yourself out of this headspace and use that fizzy energy to mobilise a different course of action.
Cynicism is a powerful negative appraisal, so by redirecting that energy, you will make shifts in the right direction.
If not, you risk losing opportunities, relationships, and trust from clients and others.
Strategies to Challenge Your Cynicism
I don't subscribe to the positive thinking approach. If things are rubbish, trying to fake a positive spin on it ignores what you need to understand and change for the better.
That doesn't mean I believe you should allow yourself to drown in a pool of cynicism, never to enjoy life again.
Such all-or-nothing thinking rarely helps any situation.
Here are some strategies you can try to find the middle ground.
1. Reconnect tasks to your values
When I was in a particularly cynical mindset during a burnout phase, I truly believed what I was doing was a total waste of time. It was hard to motivate myself when I felt so disengaged.
I worked with a coach who helped me flip the focus from how pointless I thought it all was, to how I could align this to my value of helping others.
I made a list of all my 'pointless activities' and linked these to values that were meaningful to me. I put them on a piece of paper and stuck it on the wall above my desk.
Every time I caught myself having a cynical thought or not wanting to do the 'pointless activity', I looked at the page on the wall and reminded myself of an alternative reason that did mean something to me personally.
It worked. Especially linking it to being of service to others, however small.
I felt the negative edge drain away over time and took myself out of the job 'being done to me' versus having more agency over how I let it affect me.
One of the keys to challenging cynicism is to regain autonomy over what you are doing.
2. Remind yourself of hope and gratitude around you
If you find yourself doom scrolling when you're feeling particularly cynical, please stop.
Misery loves company.
Don't fuel your negative appraisal mindset with more 'proof' that the world is a dark and horrible place.
It might be. But constantly searching for that is unlikely to help you meet your personal and professional goals.
Replace the urge for the negative with the good that exists. This isn't positive thinking. This is refocusing your attention on what is already there but that you're likely ignoring.
We have an inbuilt negativity bias - our threat awareness system keeps us alive but when we aren't feeling great, makes us only notice the negative stuff.
We don't attend to the positive because it's not putting us at risk - who cares right?
Instead, you have to search for it actively to rebalance your natural, negative tendencies.
Write a list of things you're grateful for. It could be tiny, silly things.
Personally, I love butter. I have butter at home. Yay for butter on my toast.
Or it could be writing a list of positive attributes you, or the people around you have, that help you in your business.
Don't ignore the good stuff.
Search it out.
Savour it.
3. Give your cynicism space to breathe
Although it's useful to curb your cynicism and not let it eat you up, sometimes you need to express the things that are annoying you.
This is where journalling - writing or art journalling - are great ways to express what is going on internally so you can make meaning from it.
Although some negative thought suppression can be helpful (a recent study found this in relation to suppressing fear-related thoughts after a few rounds of training - positive mood elevated over several months), it is valuable to express persistent, nagging thoughts and emotions.
This way, we give it space to breathe and view it from a different perspective.
What themes or drivers do you notice when you write about or draw your cynicism?
Is your cynicism linked to certain behaviours, people, places or workload?
Get curious about it so you can hone in on what to do instead.
4. Cultivate certainty
Uncertainty is expensive for the brain and body. It's a primary stressor because your brain has to predict for lots of different eventualities which is exhausting.
I've often seen cynicism appear when there is constant chaos.
There's no solid, stable space to hold onto and you lose trust in your ability to be successful in the environment, or that others have good motivations.
Focus on where you can create stability or certainty.
Notice how that makes you feel about it and where your cynicism is taking you to next.
Keep tackling each element in turn with small changes.
Negative Emotions are Useful Data
We often believe we shouldn't experience any discomfort or negative emotions.
That's unrealistic and makes life flat and unremarkable.
Growth and transformation takes place when we are at the edge of challenge. When we can't believe we can get through another day, we still do.
That is amazing.
So I invite you to notice the negative emotions and cynicism that might be fizzing right now and use it to explore what needs to change in your mindset, behaviour or environment.
This first step is a hopeful one, Reader.
That in itself is an antidote to a cynical perspective.
Take care,
Sabrina
Burnout Coach | Neuroscientist | Art-based Practitioner
P.S. If you want to find ways to challenge your cynicism, book a 1:1 free 25m discovery call with me and let's chat.