Balance or Burnout
Februrary 2023
It happens to many of us in the green industry. We wake up one morning with the thought, “How did I get here...?” and maybe even … “How do I get out?”
What happened? We look at the external job stressors—the changing labor market, rising costs and shrinking budgets, emerging pest problems, demanding stakeholder expectations, ever-changing technologies, pre-existing projects that have gone unfinished, and the list goes on.
Often, when we’re not at work, we think about it. Our life outside of work can take on a similar hue. Can I afford to take time off? Have I saved enough to retire? What are my options—if there are any?
The “Enemy”
These thoughts and feelings can overwhelm us. When this happens, we believe we have somehow lost the illusive “work/life balance.” However, pitting our “work-life” against our “self-life” is a little misdirected, and might even perpetuate the problem.
The “enemy” we face has a strategy—DIVIDE AND CONQUER. Our lives will always be a struggle if “work-life” competes with “self-life” in a struggle for the illusive “work/life balance.”
A better way to think about work and life could be—it is all life. It is not a divided life. When we create competition between work and life, one of the two, work or life, must win the battle. When work wins and life suffers, the outcome is miserable.
When the enemy gets the upper hand, we begin to view ourselves through the very narrow lens as “the one person responsible for EVERYTHING”—perfect conditions, the family’s future, the organization’s success, everyone’s happiness, the kids’ education, the house, the car…. The more we think this way, the more the pressure builds, and the more we attempt to fix it all by working harder.
Most of us in this industry are born problem-solvers, people pleasers, and multi-taskers. We are perfectionists. We produce manicured landscapes, pleasing lines, thrilling ball-roll and bounce, which provide enjoyment and recreation for many people. Our training and experience reinforce these skills.
And then, when things get a little difficult, we take it up a notch and say to ourselves, “What’s the big deal about a little more pressure? I’ve risen to the occasion before. I can do it. I can deal with it. I can even take it to the next level!”
On other occasions we become overwhelmed and worn down. Though we have been able to get back up before, when the storms of life descend—like the illness of a loved one, relationship problems, financial problems, loss of job—it can become too much, even for the best.
When it gets bad, the answers come hard. Yes, we’re incredibly good at fixing things for others and making people happy, but at some point, our own happiness may seem impossible to find. We are “burned out.”
The “Talk”
If you have not confronted these work and life challenges, chances are good that you know someone who is battling anxiety or burnout.
Restoring a balanced, whole life starts with each of us, and it starts by talking about it. Bringing problematic thoughts and feelings into the light is the best first step for rendering them powerless. There comes a time when we must stop pretending it’s all okay. Talk honestly with your trusted friends.
As the situation improves—and when you feel centered and grounded—you might want to talk to your superiors about your organization’s workplace and culture. Consider and suggest ways to restructure or modify the work environment to make your team more productive, valued, and happy. Perhaps your owner is counting on you to put new systems in place for an improved work culture and for everyone’s wellness.
Reject any distorted beliefs that keep you from talking about this important topic or that you should probably keep doing things the way you’ve always done them. When we open up, even a little, a new and better way forward will emerge where work and life provide wholeness and contentment. Solutions may come quickly, or they might require prolonged work—either way, you are worth it.
