The questions you may be aching to ask a psychologist about dealing with burnout as a young professional have probably already been asked and answered … and this is your chance to listen in. In our first episode from The Podcast for Courageous Young Professionals, TSBU clinical psychologist Lwanele Khasu guides twenty-something Asive through the maze of establishing boundaries in the workplace.
Asive, who is a credit risk analyst at a financial institution, opened up to clinical psychologist Lwanele Khasu about the weight of expectations and constantly worrying that she was “not doing enough” despite her long working hours.
Lwanele acknowledged the need so many of us have to prove ourselves, but it is this question of “am I doing enough?” that is a key cause of burnout.
“I generally find that burnout is fuelled and perpetuated by expectations you have of yourself, as well as those of your team or your manager. But nobody communicates those expectations and therefore it always feels like you’re missing the mark.” said Lwanele.
On both a personal and an organisational level, Lwanele emphasised the importance of establishing boundaries. This involves asking your manager what deliverables would be required from you that week, assessing whether those deliverables are actually feasible, and then planning how you could work towards those goals.
And once you’ve met those deliverables, it also helps you gain a sense of achievement.
That said, however, Lwanele also reminds us that realistically, no one ever performs at ultimate capacity all the time. “We think we can be working well and functioning efficiently in all areas of our lives all at the same time. And that’s generally the biggest trap because that’s when we start feeling like we’re not doing enough.”
Lwanele went on to speak of the importance of filling our own cups, of planning self-care power hours, of internalising validation, and developing a relationship with ourselves.
“The relationship with yourself is so important in existing in an environment, especially in an environment that’s quite demanding.” she said.
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