45. Why Visionaries Burn Out and How to Recover Your Energy

You're hitting your goals, your business is growing, everyone may even think you have it all together. So why do you feel emotionally flat, scattered and physically depleted?

This is functional burnout.

Fresh off two weeks completely unplugged from work, we dive into the types of burnout that plague high achievers. Where you're still producing and performing but you've lost touch with things that interest you and feel generally disconnected from joy.

You may feel resentful toward clients, employees, or maybe even your own success. When colleagues suggest ways to grow your business, your first thought is "I don't have it in me."

There are two types of burnout that plague many founders: physical burnout and cynical detachment.

Physical burnout comes from neglecting your body - poor sleep, skipping meals, no breaks, sitting at your computer for 16 hours straight. Your body is literally exhausted and needs basic care.

Cynical detachment, on the other hand, can be more sneaky. It comes from the stories you tell yourself. You may feel like you’re always in reactive mode, putting out fires, telling yourself there's never enough time. You may be operating outside your values, while criticizing yourself for not doing enough. You've shut down your intuition because you have a relentless need to keep going or to achieve more.

We don't have to wait for something to break before we change. We don't need a health scare, a divorce, or a business failure to give us permission to take care of ourselves.

You'll hear about the energy audit I use with clients to identify whether burnout is physical, mental, or both. Then we tackle solutions. After all, managing your energy and recovery is a business strategy.

This episode gives you the framework to spot burnout before it breaks you and the tools to build a more sustainable way of achieving your goals.