Burnout

I like the ancient tale about the overflowing teacup as a way to consider burnout:

A young man asks his spiritual guide to show him the path to enlightenment. The Zen master then pours tea into his student's cup, watching it overflow and spill onto the floor.

“Come back to me when the cup is empty. Come back to me with an empty mind,” he says.

It’s a great anecdote. The student is encouraged to decompress in order to facilitate his own personal growth, which will, in turn, serve the community (and by extension, humanity as a whole).

Nowadays, emptying your cup might mean taking the time to clear out your inbox, delegating tasks, or escalating issues. Go and do that spin class. Spend some time not worrying about work. Empty your cup.

This is also a cautionary tale about not leaning too much on leaders. Often, the advice we seek from them is something we could realize ourselves if we took a moment to pause and reflect. Leaders can offer guidance, but they can’t empty our cups for us. We need to recognize our own limits and take proactive steps to manage our minds.