Avoiding Burnout and Rediscovering Your Spark
Welcome to the SparkLife Newsletter! Every week, I share news, information, and research on physical, mental, relationship, financial, and purpose health - designed to make you happier, healthier, and more successful. If you were forwarded this message, you can subscribe to the free weekly newsletter here.
This Week We Look At:
Burnout often comes from a misalignment between who you are and the role you’re playing.
Staying true to your values and personal purpose is critical for long-term success and happiness.
Balancing different aspects of health—purpose, financial, relationship, emotional, and physical—helps prevent burnout.
Authentic leadership is essential for both personal well-being and creating a healthy, thriving team.
Burnout doesn’t strike like a lightning bolt, it creeps up on you gradually. One day you’re feeling fine, and the next, you realise you’ve lost your spark. I’ve been there. It wasn’t just about the workload or leading a team; the deeper issue was a disconnect between who I truly was and the role I was trying to fulfil.
Leadership comes with constant demands, being a visionary, motivator, strategist, and more. But what happens when the person you’re trying to be doesn’t align with who you are at your core? When the goals you’re chasing don’t resonate with your values, it’s a slow path to burnout. I found myself in this very situation, pushing forward despite feeling out of sync with my true self.
At my lowest point, I realised that burnout wasn’t just about long hours or stress. It stemmed from an imbalance across five key areas of health: purpose, financial, relationship, emotional, and physical. Reflecting on my own journey and my experiences working with hundreds of founders at Speedinvest, I saw how this imbalance leads many leaders to burnout.
The first and most significant factor for me was purpose health. I wasn’t staying true to myself. I was pursuing goals that didn’t align with my values, and even though I was achieving success outwardly, it didn’t feel right inside. I saw the same pattern among many founders. Those who stayed connected to their personal purpose managed to retain their energy and passion, even through challenges. In contrast, those who strayed from their values burned out.
Financial health was another area where I struggled. Like many people, I tied my self-worth to financial success. But the more I achieved, the more I felt trapped in a cycle of ever-increasing expectations. This relentless pursuit of financial goals left little room for other priorities. I saw similar patterns with many founders who equated success solely with financial metrics, leading to dissatisfaction and exhaustion.
Relationship health also suffered as I became more consumed by work. I withdrew from friends, family, and colleagues, isolating myself. The more isolated I became, the more the exhaustion deepened. Research backs this up, strong relationships are essential for resilience and preventing burnout. Founders who maintained supportive relationships were far more able to navigate stress and remain resilient.
Then there’s emotional health, which is closely tied to authenticity. During this period, I was trying to project an image that wasn’t truly me. This emotional dissonance, pretending to be something I wasn’t, was draining. The more I faked it, the more exhausted I became.
Finally, I couldn’t ignore my physical health. As the pressure mounted, I neglected exercise, sleep, and nutrition. Unsurprisingly, my energy levels crashed, and everything became harder. Regular physical activity is proven to boost mood and resilience, yet it’s often the first thing to go when stress takes over.
The turning point came when I realised I wasn’t being myself. I wasn’t living authentically, and it was costing me dearly. Recovery didn’t happen overnight, but by reconnecting with my true self and realigning my life and work with my values, I began to thrive again. Authenticity was my key to overcoming burnout.
For leaders, the lesson is clear: authenticity is not only a superpower for effective leadership but also a vital tool for avoiding burnout. Stay true to who you are, and ensure your work, relationships, and lifestyle align with your core values. Only then can you create a leadership style that’s sustainable, fulfilling, and resilient.
In other news this week…
9 Ways Startup Founders Can Avoid Learning About Burnout and Mental Health the Hard Way
Running a startup can feel like you're constantly on the go, but burnout doesn’t have to be part of the journey. This article offers some fresh, actionable advice for founders to take care of their mental health before it’s too late. From better work-life boundaries to recognizing the signs early, these are essential tips for anyone looking to build a business and stay sane.
Responding to Work Emails After Hours Contributes to Burnout & Hostility
If you're constantly checking work emails late at night, it might be time to rethink your habits. This piece dives into how after-hours emails aren’t just annoying—they’re contributing to burnout and even workplace hostility. It’s a reminder that sometimes, setting boundaries with your inbox can make all the difference for your well-being and your team’s!