Imogen Dall - Burnout Survival Kit

It s okay to hate this guide.

You can still use it.

To all the worried, wired and overworked, the stress-heads, jitterbugs and anxious wrecks, this is for you.

BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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This electronic edition published in 2020 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

First published in Great Britain 2020

Text Imogen Dall, 2020

Illustrations Elisa Cunningham, 2020

Imogen Dall and Elisa Cunningham have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as author and illustrator, respectively, of this work

All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-5266-2843-5 (HB)
ISBN: 978-1-5266-2844-2 (eBook)
ISBN: 978-1-5266-3567-9 (ePDF)

Editor: Xa Shaw Stewart

Project Editor: Sophie Elletson

Designer: Emily Voller

Illustrator: Elisa Cunningham

The publishers would like to thank Megan Macadam for her guidance on the mental health issues that are covered within this book

The stretches and exercise guidance are featured with kind permission from Kit Laughlin

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SO YOURE BURNING OUT?

Your body aches. Your brain feels like a mouldy wrung-out dishcloth. You can barely get anything done and, hang on, why are you even doing this job anyway? Is there something wrong with you? Nope. Youre just burning out.

Welcome. Youve found the right book.

According to the Governments Health and Safety Executive, one in five Brits suffer workplace stress and half a million of us are stressed to the point of illness. Things are so bad the World Health Organisation has reclassified burnout as an occupational condition. And if you throw in stagnant wages, unhealthy workplaces, poor management, awkward work relationships and the sinking feeling that youre doing the wrong thing with your life? Then youve all got the ingredients for total burnout.

Which is why I wrote this book. After a stint in advertising, I became a freelance screenwriter. And I thought it was fabulous. I ate nothing but chocolate, never took breaks, worked in my jammies, and became obsessed with making it. Until I was having chest pains and breathing problems and struggling just to get out of bed. I thought I was having a heart attack. Turns out it was just some big ol scoops of stress, anxiety and depression all rolled into one nightmare burnout sundae. Delicious.

Burnout Survival Kit is the book I wish Id had before practical suggestions to help you through when things are already bad. Theres no mystical magic about unleashing your inner corporate superhero, no weird productivity diagrams, and certainly no nonsense about working smarter. The advice in here may not cure burnout completely, but it does offer instant relief. So whether youre just starting to sizzle or fully scorched to a crisp, breathe out. Youve got a Burnout Survival Kit.

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IM HAVING A PANIC ATTACK

You are not dying.

Your body is producing some pretty bog-standard anxiety sensations, but your brain has decided they herald the end of the world. These sensations will end and you will be okay, even if your brain is trying to tell you otherwise.

Use coping statements.

Repeat to yourself that you will be fine, you can get through this, it will last only 20 to 30 minutes and often much less than that.

Do breathing exercises.

Breathe in as slowly and as deeply as you can, in through your nose and out through your mouth. I find it helps to place a hand on my stomach to ensure I am breathing right into my belly. (This is called diaphragmatic breathing.) If your breath is shallow, rapid or gulping, or you cant stop thinking about your breathing, you are probably hyperventilating, which means you are breathing out too much carbon dioxide. Breathe into a clean paper bag to help normalise the oxygen levels in your body.

Ground yourself.

There are two great ways to do this. The first is to close your eyes and focus your awareness on your body. Start by relaxing your toes, then your feet, and work your way right up to your head. Dont forget all the little muscles in your face, like your jaw and brow.

The second is called the 5-4-3-2-1 technique and it works by helping you focus on the world around you. Notice five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.