One of my favorite things about Banish Burnout Roundtables is that the wisdom often comes from the participants.
Recently at the SGA Natural Gas Association we had quite the lively discussion.
Cynthia shared something that made everyone smile. She talked about recognizing when she’s getting emotionally activated and said she has learned to “hit the mute button.”
What a powerful image.
Pause. Breathe. Don’t say the first thing that comes to mind.
That simple idea sparked a wonderful discussion.
?? RT, a Training Director, described a situation where a supervisor’s response had him “spooled up.” Remembering Cynthia’s advice, he hit the mute button before responding and later realized he had saved himself from saying something he might regret.
?? CM also shared something deeply personal. After losing her husband several years ago, she recognizes that old hurts and relationship patterns sometimes surface with her fiancé. Her awareness has helped her understand that not every strong reaction is really about the present.
?? JA talked about how she used to keep taking on more work, staying late, and bringing stress home. Learning to honor her schedule and to say no when necessary helped her create healthier boundaries.
We also discussed one of my favorite communication tools.

When someone says something rude or dismissive

Instead of reacting immediately, pause and ask:                                                                               
“Could you repeat that?”
and then, “What did you mean by that?”
That moment of curiosity often changes the entire conversation. Sometimes people don’t realize how they’re coming across until they hear themselves say it again.

My biggest takeaway from the day?

Burnout doesn’t come on all at once & the recovery doesn’t happen overnight either.
It’s a thousand small moments.
The moment you hit the mute button.
The moment you recognize an old pattern.
The moment you choose a boundary.
The moment you pause before reacting.
Those moments add up.
And sometimes they change everything.
To schedule a Banish Burnout Roundtable for your teams, get in touch here: Janice@JaniceLitvin.com