Share This Article
I felt like a super woman after I had scored that great job at that international company. How proud I was the first time I was on the plane to London for a meeting and the following week I flew to Luxembourg for a meeting. I enjoyed working hard and I gave it 100%.
Of course I also had the character traits that most people who have had a burnout recognize. I had a great sense of responsibility, was a perfectionist, social and I was extremely insecure….
Now I can say that it was the environment where I worked, that it was the colleagues (who certainly did not make it easy for me in my last position), that I worked too many hours and that the financial world was so tough. Of course that is partly true, but this was not the reason I burned out. Because the reason I ever had a burnout was largely due to myself.
I was the one who was so insecure, which made me become a perfectionist at work. I set high standards for myself and was never satisfied. If a presentation had gone well, I could only remember that one slide that had that mistake.
I was the one who wanted so badly to be liked by everyone . I squeezed myself into all kinds of corners, because wanting to be liked by everyone is not that easy. A lot of energy goes into that. Because even though I thought colleague X was the biggest jerk around, I still wanted him to like me.
I was the one who never set her boundaries. Did colleagues say something to me that was actually unacceptable? I laughed it off, while crying was closer to me than laughing. Did anything extra need to be done? Just give it to Josine and everything will be fine. Had the guys from the sales department come up with something new? Come on, I’ll do it.
Also Read: 8 signs that you have too much stress (without realizing it)
I was the one who was super loyal. Of course I did my job to the best of my ability, didn’t everyone do that? And I really expected everyone to do this, so my expectations were sky high. If colleagues or my manager did not meet my expectations, this caused irritation and frustration, because we all had to be super loyal to our work, right? Work is the most important thing of all…
I was also the one who was so hands-on, who knew how to tackle things. Did something have to be done? Bring it on! If I took the initiative myself, I could also take responsibility and I was in control, what’s wrong with being a control freak? I already had the overview and now I at least knew for sure that everything would turn out well.
And I dare to tell you with my hand on my heart that at the time I really didn’t realize that I was not doing well. Yes, I was doing well, for my boss or company. I was the always cheerful colleague who could do anything. But for myself… I completely lost myself. I stopped doing things because they felt good to me, no, I didn’t even know what was good for me anymore.
In the meantime, I know very well that setting boundaries indicates that you have a strong personality. That you have the courage to choose for yourself and not let yourself be treated like a dirtbag.
In the meantime, I also know that perfectionism is a shame! Because it ensures that you can never enjoy the things you achieve, because it can always be better…
Meanwhile, I know that you can’t be liked by everyone! And that this is not a problem at all, as long as you like yourself. Because if you like yourself, you don’t need the approval of all those other people.
Also Read: Read This If Life Has Exhausted You
In the meantime, I know that being loyal is good, but that you can also overdo it. Work is work, period. You get paid for 8 hours a day and for certain work, do people expect more from you? That’s possible, but then other things have to disappear, you can’t do everything.
In the meantime, I also know that I can’t do everything and that I don’t have to do everything. I don’t have to be in control of everything, it’s okay if things don’t go as planned. There is a solution for everything, whether it is clockwise or counterclockwise. It will be fine…
What was the reason for you to have a burnout? And what would you like to tell others who are now at home with a burnout? Because together we are strong and we can help each other!
P.S. Are you already following Gistinger.com on Facebook and Instagram?