It’s been a while. I’ve neglected my blog unhappily while writing to the subscribers of my Anger Newsletter. There are just so many hours in a day, have you noticed? But now I’ve found a way to get back in touch in a hopefully helpful way.

Anger Newsletter? What’s with anger? Well, I’ve been working on and with anger for many years, and suddenly find myself dubbed an ‘anger expert’. I am able to teach people how to convert their anger into peak performance wherever they want it. I speak and write a great deal on this subject. People are enjoying my articles on how to use anger for peak performance, so I’ve decided to share them with you in this blog as well. And in the meantime, you may want to download the Anger Guide off my website: www.lesleystephenson.com

This week’s article is about burnout, which may not be what you think it is. Here’s my view in an article entitled: The Truth About Burnout.

We’ve all heard of burnout, but what is it really? Well, the popular belief is that it comes from too much work and too little play. But personally, I strongly doubt that a heavy workload is the true source of burnout. If that were true, burnout would reach epidemic proportions worldwide. I have known a large number of people who worked very long hours over extended periods of time with no sign of burnout at all.

I am convinced that burnout symptoms appear when people suppress anger and frustration with their domestic and/or workplace situation. That suppression effort costs a huge amount of mental and physical energy – just imagine what it takes to contain a pressure cooker which has reached its pressure limits. When we suppress anger on a daily basis over weeks, months or years, there will be a price to pay, and that price often takes the form of burnout.

I recently witnessed a so-called burnout which was simply pent-up anger. A colleague of mine had to leave his workplace for 6 months. The official reason was ‘burnout’, but he wasn’t burnt out at all. He still had plenty of energy to do the things he liked to do, and was mentally fine as long as he didn’t have to confront his superiors at work. As the true story emerged, it became clear that he resented these people for decisions they had made which led to changes he didn’t like, changes which were impacting his workplace. He had become exceedingly angry, but had been unable or unwilling to express his anger openly. It was this anger which was keeping him awake at night, and making it impossible for him to sit through a meeting with his team leaders. He would find himself walking out of meetings literally shaking with fury!

Let’s not confuse burnout with overwork. Most of us overwork from time to time, but if it’s work you love, or if you are at least satisfied in your workplace, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll suffer from burnout. However, if you have become angry at work or at home, and that anger is festering, you’ll need to re-channel your anger in order to stop it affecting your health.

If you’ve forgotton how to work with your anger, I suggest you go back to the anger guide on my site and follow the steps I have outlined there. And just one more thing. If you find that you are angry because you are living or working in an impossible situation, channeling your anger may involve making some hefty changes: a new relationship, a different place to live, a new job. As intrusive as those changes may initially appear, they often prove far better and healthier than living with pools of anger fermenting inside you.

I wish you every success in working productively with your anger.

Lesley