Understanding burnout is the key for you to find clarity and relief. Burnout is a syndrome that affects everyone. However, the event industry suffers from burnout more than many other industries. The event industry is built on service, and being hospitable to others. It thrives off of the enjoyment of giving of ourselves in order to help and serve others. On one hand, we should be hoping and giving and making our clients happy. However, on the other hand, doing it so much that we decrease our way of life and invite burnout into it, isn’t always the best way to go.

One of the impactful reads that our Book Club has dug into was: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski. It was a wonderful book and a fantastic reminder about burnout. The authors did an excellent job of breaking down what burnout is, the difference between stress and stressors, and the common ways that people get sucked into burnout. I want to share with you 5 key takeaways for understanding burnout. You’ll need to understand the origins of burnout and how stress affects you if you want to find eventual relief.

Understand the Human Giver Syndrome

One of the truths of the hospitality industry is that we are here to serve. We love to give to our clients and make sure they have amazing experiences. We can give so much of ourselves into an event, that we don’t think about how much we give and continue to do more. This gives way to the human giver syndrome, and not only are those that work in service industries are prone to it, but also have a moral obligation to be or express their humanity. Women are more prone to be human givers. Being attentive and giving all even while putting themselves on the back burner.

Knowing Stress vs Stressors

When navigating burnout it is crucial for you to be able to differentiate what is stress and what is the stressor. Your stressors are typically the actual cause of your stress. If you are stressed because of needing to get things done due to a deadline. The stressor might be that the deadline was moved up which thwarted your planning timeline.  The stress caused by the stressor is merely a consequence of the timeline being shifted. Knowing the differences can help you narrow down on what your key stressors are, and you can make a plan of action to manage them better in the future.

There are Differences in Stress for Genders

What was very insightful in this particular book, is to find out that women are more prone to high-stress situations leading to burnout. This is due to the fact that due to the nurturing aspect of women, we are prone to be more giving. Women are natural-born givers, and like mentioned before, although being giving is a generous quality, as women we need to make sure that we are not taking on too much. When we give, it should be with intentionality and purpose, fueling our passions, which prevents us from going down the way of burnout.

The Most Important Factor to Reduce Burnout

So many people might ask, so what is the most important thing that I can do in order to avoid burnout? Well, that my friend is being active. Finding some way to inject your lifestyle with some sort of physical activity will make the world of difference for you. Now, if going to the gym isn’t something that you prefer, how about taking a walk, or taking a unique dance class. Being active helps you to release your stress, and ultimately keeping you more content as you work.

Why Managing Burnout is Important

Event coordination is the 6th most stressful job in the globe according to a Career Cast survey in 2019. Managing this burnout is important for event planners in the industry because although we love the roles we have, our health and well-being are equally as important as the work that you do. Focusing on the simple habits of getting good sleep and physical activity can go a long way to stress and burnout prevention.

Managing your stress and burnout in a high-pressured industry is a necessity. If you feel as though you are at a crossroads and would like assistance with career burnout coaching, let’s connect. You can also take advantage of my Managing Your Burnout Mini-Course. This course will walk you through the symptoms of burnout, and give you tips on how to overcome it. You’ll also receive worksheets and exercises to help you come up with a custom plan to keep you out of burnout.

If you aren’t experiencing stress now, that’s good, but keep in mind high-stress situations can come on at any moment, so understanding your stressors, and how to respond will be key to you navigating your stress with success.

P.S. If you would like to read more about how to prevent burnout, check out this post.