Britt Andreatta, PhD

Burnout is more than just being tired — it’s a diagnosable state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion brought on by long-term stress. In their book “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle,” Emily and Amelia Nagoski identify three main components of burnout: emotional exhaustion, lack of accomplishment and depletion of empathy. The latter two are particularly responsible for the recent rise in resignations. No matter how hard people work, they feel like they’re spinning their wheels. And as their negative feelings grow, some inevitably project them onto their job.

Start with your own first. Most senior leaders are burned out but not necessarily aware. The pressure to lead has been intense and you deserve the chance to rest and recharge. More importantly, your people need to see you role model this crucial behavior — schedule your vacation, talk about the importance of time off and strongly encourage or incentivize your people to get rest and recreation. Some companies are offering more paid time off, closing the office for long weekends and offering bonuses for people to take their vacation. These efforts ultimately save money in the long run.

Start with your own first. Most senior leaders are burned out but not necessarily aware. The pressure to lead has been intense and you deserve the chance to rest and recharge. More importantly, your people need to see you role model this crucial behavior — schedule your vacation, talk about the importance of time off and strongly encourage or incentivize your people to get rest and recreation. Some companies are offering more paid time off, closing the office for long weekends and offering bonuses for people to take their vacation. These efforts ultimately save money in the long run.

Your success as a leader rests heavily on developing a reputation of integrity. You'll only be as effective as people feel like they can trust you. Having integrity means acting and speaking in ways that are consistent with your values. There's no one right set of values, but you do have to be clear what your values are and operate in alignment with them. To be a good leader, you must be grounded in who you are and what matters to you. When you truly know yourself and what you stand for, it's much easier to make decisions and take action. Having a clear set of values will help you navigate the complex and ever changing world, not the least of which is your professional environment.

It’s important to understand your values, which are the attitudes, beliefs, opinions, and experiences that govern how you behave. They shape the choices you make every day, and you are either in or out of alignment with them. Your values are always a function of your life experiences. Jot down the events and people who’ve influenced you—these can be positive or negative experiences, but they shaped how you see and experience the world now. Reflect on your childhood, family, education, cultural heritage, traumatic events, major successes and failures, and your hopes and aspirations. You can do this as a simple journaling exercise or you might even create a timeline.

To be a good leader, you have to make sound decisions, remain calm during stressful events, and be a role model for others. One of the hallmarks of Emotionally Intelligent leaders is that they invest in themselves. They engage in self-care and they seek out support because both make them more resilient and adaptive. Whether it’s meditation, yoga, or expressing gratitude, mindfulness plays a powerful role in our brains. Dr. Sara Lazar found that a daily mindfulness practice actually shrinks the amygdala, making it less reactive. Regular meditators are able to focus longer, less likely to worry about future events, and when something stressful does happen, they experience less distress and return quickly to their normal state.