Professional re-orientation after burnout
Professional re-orientation after burnout
Burnout is still not an official illness or diagnosis. Those who have experienced burnout know that their whole self is burnt out, body, soul and spirit. This is shown by the fact that every cell in the body is exhausted (lack of vitalisation), the soul and spirit are also burnt out, tired and dull. Often there is also a lack of perspectives, will (thus externally determined) and decision-making power. Sometimes additional illnesses can also become established and spread. These are all signs of long-term psychological and/or physical stress.
A professional reorientation after burnout is mostly relevant if the burnout is related to the professional environment. Then relationship, family & friends can be a support. Conversely, if the burnout has to do with the relationship and the family environment, the job and finances can be a support.
But what to do if “back to the old job” is no longer an option? If it has simply taken too much out of you and your health has suffered as a result? Here you will learn valuable tips on how I myself managed my professional reorientation after a burnout.
You might be wondering what to do now that you’ve beaten your burnout? Or are you on the best way to a burnout? You might be asking yourself some of these questions:
- What should I do now?
- Should I go back to my old job?
- What chances do I have on the job market?
- Should I change my career after my burnout?
- Am I in danger of experiencing burnout again?
- How can I avoid getting into the burnout spiral again?
- What new paths do I want to take now?
- What potential do I still have?
- Can I start again and how would this work?
- Who can accompany me on this path?
- I feel different and sensitive.
- Who can additionally support me here as a highly sensitive person (HSP)?
Old job or a new start in your career?
This is not an easy decision and you should not rush into it. The most important thing is to recover and get stronger. According to doctors and my own experience, it takes about the same amount of time to get out of burnout as it did to get into it. Since this is a longer process, it is important to know your own personality well in terms of stress tolerance, values and energy balance in order to be able to successfully apply immediate measures against an impending burnout.
This is exactly where I come in as your coach. Because I want you to be mentally fit and to take the right measures. We work closely together on this. Based on our professional methods and experience, we show you how to avoid the causes of burnout. In addition, you will learn tools that you can easily apply in challenging situations. This way you learn to avoid further energy drain and to build yourself up despite challenges.
Together we analyse your strengths and possible hurdles. We look at what was positive and negative about your old job. We also look at what you can do differently now so that the same issues don’t catch up with you again.
My way out of burnout and my re-orientation
A few years ago I was diagnosed with burnout and exhaustion depression and I know exactly which phases you are going through or have already gone through. Only in the clinic did I realise that burnout or exhaustion-depression was for me the burning out of the soul.
I give you hope that there is a new future after burnout. The topic of “listening to the heart” will then become increasingly important, because in my experience this is the fastest way to recovery. The mind will have to support the heart in recovery and not the other way round.
I spent almost 2 months in one of the largest and best-known clinics in Switzerland. The focus was primarily on stabilising my physical health as well as clarifying the problems. In the clinic, I was helped very well by painting and design therapies as well as individual conversations. I was able to use this time very well for recovery and reflection, whereby the above questions remained largely unanswered.
I lacked a motivating and positive self-reflection away from the problems and a clear path with perspective on how to find my way back into life. The suggested path put too much pressure on me, which I could not yet endure. The problem focus in the talks cost me a lot of energy and was therefore negative for me. I felt that my heart was never addressed or calmed. I also lacked a way to give my life a new orientation after the burnout and even more so that someone would take me by the hand, because I had hardly any strength and mental power. As I lacked this and needed it for my further progress, I arranged to leave the clinic. The case management offered was a great relief to me.
I was discharged back into my old life and now there I was. 1,000 questions that remained unanswered. The key question about my vocation, perspective and “arriving at meaningful work” was at the centre.
On this path, I became active myself and looked for a coach or mentor who had made precisely such issues their task. After a long search, I found a coach, mentor, pos. psychologist and therapist in one person who also spoke to my heart and fully understood and accepted me as an HSP.
With him I was able to clarify many important questions such as:
- What really matters to me?
- What is holding me back from making a new start? (Because of course there are always doubts, beliefs and missing boundaries).
- Am I just living the habit and therefore think I should go back to my old job environment?
- What would be my goal if everything were possible and I had conquered my fears?
- How does my environment react to my needs and desire for change?
- How do I transform my life and let go of everything that costs me energy?
The coach helped me to get to know myself better with such questions and to find my passion as well as in the discussion of options for action to prepare for decisions.
He took away my fear of making another fresh start at over 50. I found my vocation and help people with their professional and personal reorientation; also after a burnout. In this way I was able to give my life a deeper meaning.
I only felt increasingly solid ground under my feet when I learned to take responsibility for my own life and to cultivate mental hygiene. I read a lot about personality development, thought patterns and mindset and focused exclusively on positive information.I have experienced exactly this path to a new life myself and can therefore accompany you closely and be the support you need. Unfortunately, at that time there was no such offer as I offer today with WINNER to accompany people into a new life. Of course, the whole thing also works if you are not yet 50 years old.
12 phases of burnout according to Freudenberger & Rupp
Burnout treatment: Back to a new everyday life in 12 phases
Regain joy of life and approach new tasks
For many of us, the job plays a big role in life, because it is not uncommon for us to spend 50-60 hours a week at work. Once this occupation breaks away, there is a lot of time to devote to deeper thoughts and to allow oneself to dream again. This reads easier than it is, but it is possible. Life sometimes leads us down certain paths that we only understand in retrospect.
“Nothing is so bad that it isn’t good for something” is what they say so casually, but once you realise that, you can also perceive a burnout as a great opportunity, even more so when a change of direction in life is called for.
For me it’s very clear: it’s a great opportunity to find your vocation and to follow your HEART code, because that’s how fulfilment comes into your life. You feel 100% YOU. The HEART code is therefore YOUR original life design, which lies within you. Be YOURSELF and learn to go your own way. By learning to listen to your heart, you also learn to re-establish the heart-brain coherence, which in turn is a basis for your recovery and strengthening. The latter is especially important for people with high sensitivity.
If you already have your heart’s calling in mind, start looking at possible jobs early on and take advantage of application opportunities.
Reawaken your passion and remember what you may have been passionate about as a child. Remember why you enjoyed doing this or that. What triggered a feeling of deep joy in you? What was it that made you forget about time? Remember the things that did not feel like work or a task yet to be done.
In your HEART code, your vocation is the central core that we uncover together. Get back your joy of life and give yourself a gift of happiness and get to know the HEART code. We will work out your HEART code in the WINNER coaching programme.
Simple tips you should keep in mind:
- Do everything calmly, because a hectic pace and stress won’t get you anywhere.
- Take your time and sort out your thoughts thoroughly. You won’t get far here with pressure.
- Take help from outside, because we don’t always have to do everything alone.
- Reflect on yourself and recognise when it becomes too much. Take as much time for yourself as you need. Be sensitive to what you really need right now.
- Involve your family and friends and let them help you if they give you the positive energy.
- But also make it clear to them that you need some time now and set loving boundaries.
- Find a balance to your everyday life and go out into nature.
- Take your mind off things and do something good for yourself.
- Slowly learn to build up physical strength again. High-dose food supplements have also helped me a lot.
- If necessary and if it gives you energy and strength, get in touch with old friends, work colleagues and employers.
- Get rid of old habits and ballast. Learn to let go of what can no longer go with you into the future.
- Where necessary, delegate unpleasant things and energy suckers away from you. This also applies to people in your environment. With family members, try to find solutions or keep your distance.
- Discuss new perspectives only with people who believe in you and will help you along the path.
- Cultivate only good thoughts and above all learn to establish new positive thought patterns.
- If you are sensitive and a highly sensitive person, take the above to heart. In WINNER we will explicitly address what HSP people need.
Positive thoughts, courage and time will reward you
Have you already taken the first step towards your professional reorientation after burnout? Then I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart. This shows that you would like to change something. Now it’s up to you to take your destiny into your own hands and move forward in your life.
Some people stand in front of an inner abyss without perspectives, others in front of a mountain with dozens of options, but no clear direction. This does not have to be. Once you know your HEART code, we will find your way.
Make an appointment with me for a free consultation and get to know me and my coaching methods personally.
Read also the interview in Jolie magazine, where I talk about burnout and clarify important questions.
What is burn-on syndrome? – Interview
Contact me, get to know me as a life coach and we will discuss everything else in a free, non-binding get-to-know-you conversation. I look forward to a life coaching session with you.
Best regards,
Yours, Christian Rupp
Coach and Life Performance Mentor, Zurich – Switzerland