Beating Burnout: 5 Things You Should Do If You Are Experiencing Work Burnout
Featured in Authority Magazine: In this interview series called “Beating Burnout: 5 Things You Should Do If You Are Experiencing Work Burnout,” we are talking to successful business leaders, HR leaders and mental health leaders who can share insights from their experience about how we can “Beat Burnout.”.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Danielle Cobo.
Danielle has gone from clothes stored in trash bags to being hired as an outsider to lead a team for a Fortune 500 company with no direct management experience and business owner. With over 14 years in corporate America, Danielle is an expert on career and leadership development. Danielle is a highly sought-after speaker, host of the “Dream Job with Danielle Cobo” podcast, published author, and featured on FOX News, ABC World News, and Good Morning America.
Limit negative people in your life. We all have that person that calls us to vent. Unfortunately, these individuals can monopolize our time. Don’t allow people to steal your time. You can either choose to keep these individuals at a distance, set the tone of the conversation and state how much time you must talk, and redirect negative talk and redirect by sparking a positive conversation.
Millions of Americans are returning back to work after being home during the pandemic. While this has been exciting for many, some are feeling burned out by their work. What do you do if you are feeling burned out by your work? How do you reverse it? How can you “get your mojo back”? What can employers do to help their staff reverse burnout?
In this interview series called “Beating Burnout: 5 Things You Should Do If You Are Experiencing Work Burnout,” we are talking to successful business leaders, HR leaders and mental health leaders who can share insights from their experience about how we can “Beat Burnout.”.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Danielle Cobo.
Danielle has gone from clothes stored in trash bags to being hired as an outsider to lead a team for a Fortune 500 company with no direct management experience and business owner. With over 14 years in corporate America, Danielle is an expert on career and leadership development. Danielle is a highly sought-after speaker, host of the “Dream Job with Danielle Cobo” podcast, published author, and featured on FOX News, ABC World News, and Good Morning America.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
Atthe age of 2 years old, my mom kidnapped me from my father. I grew up thinking my father abandoned me and chose another family. I spent most of my life doubting myself. I told myself I wasn’t worthy of unconditional love. I wasn’t smart enough or pretty enough. My mother suffered from bipolar disorder, and most of my upbringing felt like a roller coaster. My mom climbed the corporate ladder in corporate America and led a very successful career on the outside. Behind closed doors, she often suffered from depression and irrationality. At 17 years old, my mom kicked me out of the house, and I spent the second semester of my senior year with my clothes stored in 4 trash bags and living with a variety of friends while working full-time. At a young age, I learned to be resilient and perseverant.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
Growing up, I wanted to be a realtor, then I realized realtors work weekends. At an early age, I had a passion for sales. In elementary school, during the holidays, I would cut mistletoe from the trees and create bundles to sell outside the grocery store. Then I used the money to buy Christmas presents. Then in high school, I found my passion for fashion and worked in retail full time. My mom had a very successful career in medical sales earning Presidents trips and breaking the glass ceiling stepping into leadership roles as a woman. I didn’t know growing up that my mom kidnapped me, and she was my role modeled. I wanted to be successful like my mom, and she inspired me to pursue a career in medical sales.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
Early in my career, I learned the value of aligning myself with mentors. I’ve always had mentors inside and outside the organizations and in different industries. My most memorable mentor was my Area Director at Allergan, Lynn Carson. Lynn knew when to be direct, to stretch you, to be empathetic and listen, and when to advocate for you. She believed in me before I believed in myself. While working for Lynn, I felt like I could accomplish anything.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
One of the funniest mistakes I made in my career was my first official sales position in corporate America. I spent the past seven years in retail sales and was excited to start the next phase in my career in copier sales. I’ll never forget when my manager asked me to present the features of a new copier in front of my peers. I was so scared that I stepped out of the room and cried. The oxymoron of a career in sales, and I was scared to present to my peers. The lesson I learned was to lean into discomfort. From then on, I volunteered for every role-playing and speaking engagement. Fast forward 15 years, and I now host the “Dream Job with Danielle Cobo” podcast and presented in front of 1,500 of my closest peers.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” ―Eleanor Roosevelt.
I went from clothes stored in trash bags and told I wasn’t going to amount to anything to leading a team for a Fortune 500 company with no direct management experience. I believe when you believe in yourself, others will believe in you as well. Our only limitation is ourselves.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
I am working on several exciting projects to support organizations and individuals. Whether through speaking engagements, corporate workshops, group or private coaching, my mission is to inspire people to discover their vision, recognize their power, and create abundant life. For organizations, I continue to expand workshops to support company culture from character-based hiring to team building. I am constantly enhancing my “Own Your Career” master course, helping professionals achieve clarity on their career, transform their relationship of self-doubt into a space of courage, and create a plan to accelerate their careers. I am also launching a group coaching program designed to support professionals to crush their quota and transform themselves into consistent top performers.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Perseverance: Despite difficulties in my life raised by a mother with bipolar disorder, working full time while in high school or two jobs through college, I believe when you lean into discomfort, that’s when you grow the most. I’ve experienced success and failures throughout my career. I always learn, grow and persevere.
Resilience: Within my first year of leading a team for a Fortune 500 company, our division went through downsizing, and I lost four out of the eight members on my team. It was essential to be empathetic to the displaced members and keep the remaining members focused on moving forward. I learned early on companies go through restructuring, key strategic initiatives are constantly evolving, and new products continue to launch. Resiliency is a vital characteristic to embody as a leader to support your team through change malmanagement.
Vulnerability: I’ve spent most of my life hearing I was guarded and unauthentic. My perception was sharing the challenges of my upbringing was authentic; however, I lacked the self-awareness to understand that authenticity is deeper than sharing your story; authenticity is vulnerability. When I learned to let down my guard, access pain points that have been holding me back, open my heart, let go of the fear of judgment, then I found the true meaning of vulnerability. I transformed from self-doubt to confidence and courage. I created new relationships, and my existing relationships deepened. Vulnerability is the key to connection.
For the benefit of our readers, can you briefly let us know why you are an authority about the topic of burnout?
In 2019, my husband served a year deployment, our twin boys were 1.5 years old, and I led a team for a Fortune 500 company with 60% overnight travel. When my husband first shared with me that he was deploying, I almost quit my job. Then I reminded myself to take life one day at a time and to figure it out as I go. I learned to speak up, set boundaries, the importance of self-care, and to be compassionate with myself.
Ok, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview about beating burnout. Let’s begin with a basic definition of terms so that all of us are on the same page. How do you define a “Burnout”? Can you explain?
I define burn-out as when you’ve reached complete mental, emotional and physical exhaustion. Imagine yourself juggling 20 spinning plates at once, and your body gives out, and all the plates come crashing to the ground. Often people are living in a constant state of chaos. They are overwhelmed and rushing from one event to the next. As a result, they are frequently late. They start to doubt themselves and negative self-talk. They are impatient with their peers, friends, and family. As a result, they lack connection in their life.
How would you define or describe the opposite of burnout?
I define the opposite of burn-out as being present in all areas of your life. You have mental clarity on your purpose, emotionally fulfilled and energized. Your day is started with clear intention and is focused throughout the day. You are motivated to do more and achieve more. You feel limitless and confident in your abilities to tackle anything. And most importantly, you know you are worthy of making yourself a priority.
This might be intuitive to you, but it will be instructive to expressly articulate this. Some sceptics may argue that burnout is a minor annoyance and we should just “soldier on’’ and “grin and bear it.” Can you please share a few reasons why burnout can have long-term impacts on our individual health, as well as the health and productivity of our society?
Burnout has a long-term impact on your health. Often people will live in a constant state of stress and chaos, which affects their physical and emotional well-being. Physically, people may experience increased headaches, fatigue, hives, gut issues, muscle tension, and fluctuation in weight. Emotionally people will suffer from anxiety, restlessness, lack of motivation, irritability, and anger. The long-term effects can harm your body and your relationships.
From your experience, perspective, or research, what are the main causes of burnout?
From my experience and observations, the leading causes of burnout are the lack of making yourself a priority. To take care of others and be a good employee, you first must take care of yourself.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of our discussion. What can an individual do if they are feeling burned out by work? How does one reverse it? How can you “get your mojo back?” Can you please share your “5 Things You Should Do If You Are Experiencing Work Burnout?”. (Please share a story or an example for each.)
Transform your relationship of self-doubt into a space of courage, confidence, and authenticity. Transformation starts with the mind, and the biggest obstacle I observe is limiting beliefs. A limiting belief that you think to be true that limits you somehow. It’s the stories we tell ourselves that we don’t have time for and are too busy. Write down all the negative stories you tell yourself why you can’t do something on a piece of paper. Spend about 20 minutes and dig deep on the negative self-talk you’ve said yourself throughout your life. Then shred the piece of paper and commit to writing down five affirmations you will tell yourself every day. Some examples are “I am energized and motivated,” “I choose carefully what goes onto my calendar,” “I release the need for perfectionism,” “I am confident in my self-worth.”
Start your day with intention and create a morning routine. Avoid snoozing the alarm. Research shows that when you snooze and nap after your alarm increases tiredness and makes you feel drowsy. Going back to bed to sleep even for 10 minutes can confuse your body. Instead of hitting snooze, sit up in your bed for 10 minutes and give your body time to wake up. Fuel your body with water. Drinking water ensures optimal digestion and increases metabolism. Water supports your body to flush out toxins first thing in the morning. Your brain is 75% water. When your brain is not properly hydrated, your brain operates on less fuel. Optimal daily water intake is half your body weight in ounces of water. Also, include exercise in your morning routine. Even as little as 15 minutes can reduce stress, improve sleep, and increase energy and clarity throughout your day.
Set Boundaries. Often, it’s hard for people to say “no” because they are worried it could affect future promotions and lack commitment. Here are ways to say “yes” and set boundaries. “Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the project. I am currently working on a time-sensitive project. Can I start next week?”, “Thank you for the invitation. I am already committed to that day.” “Yes, let’s set up a time to discuss this in more detail.” You can lead with “yes” while also setting boundaries to avoid burnout and create balance in your life.
Limit negative people in your life. We all have that person that calls us to vent. Unfortunately, these individuals can monopolize our time. Don’t allow people to steal your time. You can either choose to keep these individuals at a distance, set the tone of the conversation and state how much time you must talk, and redirect negative talk and redirect by sparking a positive conversation.
Stay focused by minimizing distractions and staying focused. Studies show that much of the productive time you lose in a day is due to interruptions. Turn off email notifications and check your emails at set times during the day. Turn off notifications on apps; this includes social media to prevent unnecessary disruptions throughout your day. When you receive an email, determine the urgency of the task. If the task takes less than 5 minutes -do it right away! If the task takes longer than 5 minutes, then schedule time on your calendar.
What can concerned friends, colleagues, and life partners do to help someone they care about reverse burnout?
The first step friends, colleagues, and life partners can do to help someone reverse burn-out is to identify the signs. Are they irritable, impatient, rushed, and frequently late? Are they experiencing health issues or recent weight changes? Often others will spot burnout before we recognize it ourselves. Next, ask questions, listen and find opportunities to help. Most people don’t ask for help or know what to ask for when they need help. Opening up dialogue and asking questions can create opportunities to identify areas to support the other person.
What can employers do to help their staff reverse burnout?
It’s vital for employers to frequently ask questions and identify the pain points within the organization. What is keeping their employees up at night? What are their employees’ most significant challenges? Asking questions is critical to uncovering opportunities to improve processes and increase efficiency. Employers need to invest in the development of their employees. A long-term research project commissioned by Middlesex University for Work Based Learning found, 74% of employees felt that they weren’t achieving their full potential at work due to a lack of development opportunities. Offering courses on time management, communication, career development, and team building will support company culture and increase productivity.
These ideas are wonderful, but sadly they are not yet commonplace. What strategies would you suggest to raise awareness about the importance of supporting the mental wellness of employees?
If employees want to see a change in an organization, they must speak up. If employers are not aware of the challenges, then burnout will continue to exist. On the flip side, employers need to enlist feedback from their employees and take action. Sending an anonymous survey and have a third-party company collect and review the data with the leadership team creates a safe environment for employees to be honest and transparent.
What are a few of the most common mistakes you have seen people make when they try to reverse burnout in themselves or others? What can they do to avoid those mistakes?
The common mistake I see people make when they try to reverse burnout is they make changes; however, it’s short-term, and they go back to old habits. When athletes want to improve their performance, they hire a coach or trainer. When people are depressed, they seek medical advice from a psychologist. The same philosophy applies when you, your friends, family members, peers, and employees are experiencing burnout. Invest in an expert that has experience in transforming burnout out to creating a balanced and fulfilled life.
Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
The movement I want to create is to inspire professionals to discover their vision, recognize their power within and create an abundant life. To stop comparing themselves to others and start believing in themselves. I believe everyone has the power to create the life they desire.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)
If I could have a private meal with someone, it would be Sara Blakely. Before the age of 30 and $5,000 in her savings, she developed one of the most recognized brands among women’s apparel, Spanx. Sara is part of the giving pledge, a philanthropic group of leaders committed to giving back to their community. She started the Sara Blakely Foundation and has donated millions to empower underserved women and girls. Her mission goes beyond providing quality products; she impacts women’s lives across the world.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Readers can find me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and at wwww.DanielleCobo.com. I also host the podcast “Dream Job with Danielle Cobo.”
Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!
