In his book “The Way We’re Working, Isn’t Working” Tony Schwartz talks about the four zones we spend our time in (see image).
Leaders often aim to stay consistently in the performance zone. But that’s not possible. At some point they slide into the survival zone, characterised by emotions like anger and impatience. And when their energy runs out, they end up empty or exhausted in the burn out zone.
How to choose recovery
A healthier cycle is to go from performance into recovery, much like a high performing athlete: interspersing intense activity with intense rest. To do this, you need to schedule time and activities which help you into the recovery zone e.g. gentle physical exercise, meditation or spending down time with good friends or family.
Coaches can help busy people figure out how to create boundaries, where to regenerate and how to spot the signs of burnout more quickly. To learn more about coaching, feel free to message me.