Unburnt Updates by Sabrina Ahmed

Burnout doesn't happen overnight. It's death by a thousand cuts. You're so caught up in the daily struggle, you only realise how unwell you are when you hit a mental or physical roadblock. One of my main burnout signs is the sensation that I'm moving so fast that I'm sliding out of control down a mountain. It's like the skier who no longer has control of their skis and gravity has taken over - they're falling faster and faster. Your burnout signature might be different. Maybe you get teary,...

I learnt a new term recently - FOPO. Fear of Other People's Opinions. Somehow, this 4 letter acronym summed up how I've felt for most of my life! If you've been stressed or burnt out, this is familiar to you too. Doubt creeps in when you do things you never worried about before, or at least did without wanting to take cover afterwards. The inner critic gets loud and starts nagging away at all your vulnerabilities. Mine is called Maeve. She's a cow and pretty harsh. My FOPO and Maeve's...

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...

Getting burnt out makes you forget how to live your life. You're so caught up fire-fighting, doing tasks, and reacting that you lose perspective about what life should be. It's only when you stop and reflect, or talk to someone about it that the penny drops. This is why many of us let months and years go by before we realise time has disappeared in a stressed out haze. We don't even remember actively making the choices that got us here. That's why it's valuable to step back and think about...

As a business owner, managing boundaries well is a constant challenge. There are so many pulls on your attention and time - a client needs x, a child needs y, a friend needs z etc. How do you deliver well, build new leads, create content and complete your accounting submissions? It feels like you have to be all things to everyone. You know you need to prioritise better but those early childhood unhelpful core beliefs become front and centre, keeping you stuck or resentful. This theme came up...

It still surprises me how tough business owners are on ourselves. Especially if you have difficult early life experiences that impact how you see yourself, others, and the world. We have an incredible capacity to expect more than is reasonable. I've been reminded of this myself this weekend after a tough few weeks: Mounting change and pressure in the day job Kicking off a new coaching project outside this Family staying over whilst they have work done to their house There's a lot fizzy energy...

The forever paradox - you need to take a break to recover from burnout, but you can't take a break because you've got too much to do. Sound familiar, Reader? It's such a common situation and likely fuels your burnout. I don't say that to make you feel bad, but to realise how a fixed interpretation might keep you stuck. I include myself in this by the way. Photo by Hayley Murray on Unsplash Many business owners and leaders who end up in burnout are high achievers, workaholics, perfectionists,...

I love synchronicity. Or the way our brain finds patterns when we aren't looking for them. Of course you have to be open to the signs or trends that appear. What also helps is noticing what you're trying to avoid. The concept of resistance appeared several times this week with my art-based coaching clients, Reader. I co-hosted a wonderful online group art-based coaching with fellow business owner and Dating Clarity Coach, Kat Nieh from thoughtfully.kat, where we explored and helped writers...

Your brain is a powerhouse problem-solver if you allow it to work in diverse and holistic ways. There's never been more information, access to advice, and resources available to us, and yet health conditions, such as anxiety, burnout, and depression have increased over the past few decades globally. So what is missing, Reader? From my personal experience and working with business owners, the biggest gap is taking persistent action to do what we know works or will improve a situation. Photo by...