Beat Burnout: The RISE Method™ for Busy Professionals
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After 20 years in the tech industry, I was completely drained, physically exhausted, mentally foggy, and wondering where my passion for my work had gone. This personal journey led me to develop what I now call the RISE Method™. This proven step-by-step approach helps many high-achieving professionals reclaim their energy, focus, and passion without sacrificing their career ambitions.
Full Transcript
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Coach Dani: Hi everyone and welcome to my channel. I'm Coach Danny and I'm here to share my journey with you. For over two decades, I've worked with professionals in the tech industry and federal contracting around Washington DC. And I've seen over and over again great people struggling with one of the most significant challenges of our time, burnout. And I don't just speak as a coach. I speak as someone who's been where you are. After 20 years in the tech industry, I was completely drained, physically exhausted, mentally foggy, and wondering where my passion for my work had gone. This personal journey led me to develop what I now call the rise method. That experience pro gave me the foundation to create a proven hang on that experience led me to develop what I now call the rise method. This proven step-by-step approach helps many high achieving professionals reclaim their energy, focus, and passion without sacrificing their career ambitions. Today, I'm going to walk you through this exact method. Unlike most burnout advice that tells you to quit your job or achieve some mythical perfect balance, the Rise method offers practical actionable strategies that work in the real world, especially for those in demanding highstakes positions.
Coach Dani: If you're constantly feeling depleted, struggling to concentrate, or trapped in a cycle of fatigue that coffee can't fix, this video is specifically designed for you. By the end of our time together, you'll have a clear framework for tackling burnout and restoring your well-being starting today. So, grab a notebook, silence those notifications, and dive in. Remember, this video is here to guide you and provide the tools you need to overcome burnout. Before we get into the Rise method, let's quickly address what we're dealing with. Burnout isn't just being tired after a long week. It's a state of chronic stress that leads to physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment, and if extreme cases, thoughts or ruminations of suicide or self harm. And burnout is reaching epidemic proportions, especially in high pressure industries. A recent Gallup study found that 76 of employees experience burnout at least sometimes with 28% saying they're burned out very often or always. It's a sobering statistic and if you're experiencing burnout, know you're not alone. I'm here to help.
Coach Dani: But what's particularly dangerous about burnout is that unlike acute stress, it doesn't announce itself with a dramatic breakdown. Instead, it creeps in slowly, undermining your performance, health, and happiness before you realize what's happening. I see this all the time in my coaching practice. Brilliant, capable professionals who gradually find themselves unable to focus, dreading their workday, and bringing that stress home with them. They're often the last to recognize their burnout because they've normalized feeling this way. That's why I developed the RISE method to provide a systematic approach to recover from burnout and prevent it from recurring. The RISE method consists of three essential steps. One, reflect and identify what your energy drainers are. This is about understanding precisely what's causing your burnout. Two, strengthen your foundation with daily practices that actively rebuild your energy reserves. And three, elevate your mindset and routines to create sustainable resilience. This method is different. Hang on. This method is different because it's not about drastic life changes or one-sizefits-all advice. It's about making targeted adjustments based on your specific situation and building resilience systematically.
Coach Dani: Let's break down each step in detail. The first step in the Rise method is to reflect and identify your energy drainers. Burnout happens when you're stressed for extended periods. We're talking months or years and gradually erodess your capacity to function at your best. Who here has a job that is high stress all the time? Maybe you work in high pressure sprints. Maybe there's always an event. Maybe there's always a crisis to manage. There there are plenty of jobs that create stress over long periods of time. To begin recovery, you must understand what factors contribute to your burnout. Here's how to do this effectively. First, set aside just 5 minutes for focused reflection. Consider personal and professional aspects of your life that consistently deplete your energy. Some ideas might be tasks you dread, meetings that leave you frustrated, unrealistic deadlines, aspects of your work environment, communication patterns that increase stress, difficult relationships with your colleagues, personal habits that worsen your stress, and I'm sure you can think of others in your own situation.
Coach Dani: I recommend writing these down. The act of documenting helps create clarity and distance. Next, analyze your writing to identify your most significant energy leaks. These are the primary sources of stress that have the most significant impact on your well-being and productivity. Look for patterns in how frequent do the these stressors occur, how intensely they affect you, and how much control do you have over them. During this exercise, I discovered that constant interruptions and notifications were my significant energy leak. Whenever my phone pinged or an email notification popped up, I'd get a small stress hit. And this was happening hundreds of times per day. Once you've identified your energy leaks, you can take targeted action. For example, if interruptions are draining to you, like they were to me, try disconnecting from non-essential notifications for just 1 hour to start. Use do not disturb features on your devices and communication channels. It might seem small and insignificant, but it can dramatically impact your sense of focus and control. Remember, we're not looking for dramatic life overhauls, but for precise interventions that address your specific burnout triggers.
Coach Dani: This self-awareness is crucial. Without understanding what's causing your burnout, you'll apply generic solutions that might not address your unique solution. The reflect and identify step gives you the insights on how to take back control. Now that you've identified what's draining your energy, the second step of the rise method is strengthening your foundation. This is about developing daily habits that actually rebuild your energy reserves and improve your focus. The key is to start small. We're looking for consistency, not intensity. Here are two powerful ways to strengthen your foundation. First, create a morning reset ritual. This means beginning your day with 10 screenfree minutes dedicated to things that will uplift your mood. Maybe drinking water, gently stretching, quiet reflection, whatever helps you feel good. We want to give you a strong foundation for the rest of your day. This sets a tone of found of intention rather than reaction for your entire day. Second, integrate what I call energy anchors throughout your workday. You perform brief recovery rituals before or after energyintensive activities like meetings.
Coach Dani: It could be as simple as a 5-minute walk around the block or a series of mindful breaths. It could be as simple as listening to your favorite song before you head into that stressful moment. One of my clients implemented what she called a workday close ritual. At the end of the day, she would write down one win for the day, one worry she was carrying, and one intention for tomorrow. This simple practice allowed her to leave work at work and dramatically improved her sleep quality. The beauty of these foundation strengthening practices is that they don't require major lifestyle overhauls or hours of your time. They're small strategic interventions that fit your existing routine, but have compounding benefits over time. Here's why this works. Burnout is essentially an energy deficit. You've been spending more energy than you've replenished, creating a deficit that's growing over time. These small consistent energy deposits help reverse that deficit gradually, but with shortity and longevity. Remember, you don't need to implement everything at once. Choose one foundation.
Coach Dani: Strengthening Choose one foundation strengthening practice. Make it ridiculously easy to accomplish and build from there. The final step in the Rise method is elevating your mindset and routines. This step is about creating professional and personal lifestyle that build resilience over time. It's about taking proactive steps that prevent burnout from recurring and give you a sense of agency over your well-being. Let me share three key strategies for elevating your approach. First, set firm boundaries. This means consciously deciding what you can and cannot take on and communicating those boundaries to others. And if you struggle with how to communicate, we live in a fantastic age where chat GPT can help you figure out the words to say. It's about protecting your time and energy as the valuable resources they are. Setting boundaries isn't selfish. It's necessary for sustainable performance. When you're clear about what you can realistically accomplish, you manage expectations and reduce the stress of overcommitment. Second, master the art of delegation. For many high achievers, especially those in leadership, the inability to delegate effectively is a major contributor to burnout.
Coach Dani: Leaders who delegate well prevent burnout and foster team members growth. Effective delegation means giving others tasks and the trust and authority to complete them in their own way. Just because they do it different from you does not mean it's going to fail. Three, actively celebrate progress. As high achievers, we often move quickly from one accomplishment to the next without acknowledging how far we've come. But recognizing and celebrating minor improvements in your well-being reinforces positive change and maintains motivation. One of the most critical mindset shifts I help my clients make is recognizing that rest is not a reward, it's a requirement. Your body and brain regularly need rest and recovery periods to function optimally. You are not a machine. You don't run 247. This isn't an indulgence. It's basic maintenance. When you prioritize adequate sleep, regular breaks, and genuine downtime, you're not lazy. You're being strategic. Research consistently shows that regular rest periods improve cognitive function, creativity, and productivity. Remember, burnout doesn't have to define your career trajectory.
Coach Dani: Recovery begins with honest self-reflection to identify your energy leaks, continues with strengthening your foundation through daily practices, and is sustained by elevating your mindset and routines. Let's take a moment to bring the entire rise method together. You start by reflecting and identifying your specific energy drainers, understanding precisely what's contributing to your burnout. Then you strengthen your foundation with small consistent practices that actively rebuild your energy reserves. And finally, you elevate your mindset and routines to create sustainable resilience over the long term. Last I checked, y'all are probably around 30 or 40, which means you have about 30 or 40 more years to go. So, please treat it as an endurance race, not a sprint. What I love about this approach is that it honors the reality of your demanding career while still prioritizing your well-being. It doesn't ask you to make dramatic changes or sacrifice your ambitions. Instead, it gives you a framework for sustainable high performance. I recently listened to a senior tech executive on the verge of quitting a job she loved because burnout had drained her passion and focus entirely.
Coach Dani: Using the rise method, she identified that her biggest energy drain was back-to-back meetings with no recovery time and an inability to disconnect from work in the evenings. We implemented targeted strategies to address these issues, including block scheduling with buil built-in breaks and a strict digital sunset ritual. Within six weeks, she reported feeling more energized, focused, and reconnected to aspects of the work that she valued the most. Your burnout recovery journey will be unique to you. The best strategies will depend on your personal situation, work environment, and the causes of your burnout. But the RISE method gives you the framework to identify what you need and implement changes that work. If what I've shared with you today resonates strongly, this is just the beginning. The Rise method has helped many professionals reclaim their energy, focus, and passion for their work, and it can help you, too. Here are three ways you can get started. First, try implementing just one of the strategies from each step of the Rise method this week. Remember, we're looking for small, consistent changes that compound over time. Second, join my mailing list at www.gethabits.com for ongoing support and additional tips. Each week I share practical strategies designed for high achieving professionals like you. And three, if you're serious about overcoming burnout and creating sustainable high performance, I invite you to learn more about my comprehensive rise method coaching program. This program provides personalized guidance and support as you implement these strategies in your unique situation. Remember, burnout is not a personal failing. It's the result of chronic stress in systems that often demand more than they give. But you have the power to change your experience. And you have more power than you might realize. Thank you for spending this time with me today. If this video was helpful, please give it a like, share it with someone who might need it, and subscribe for more practical strategies on preventing burnout and thriving in demanding careers. Until next time, I'm Coach Dani, and I wish you energy, focus, and renewed passion for your work.
