Summary: <br> Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…<br> <br> <br> <br> I’ve been thinking a lot about energy, burnout and mental health lately - so in searching through our database of inbound questions for this here show, I was hunting and pecking for questions on this subject...and I found a lot. <br> <br> <br> <br> This is something many of you are dealing with and want to discuss. These are very personal subjects, but I think it can help to have a larger discussion so that you, the individual at home, can know you are not alone in this battle for mental health and energy and the battle against burnout. <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> I picked this one from jane in Ohio -- but really I could have picked 20 others. Before I get into Jane’s question, know that you can send me your career-focused questions either by connecting with me on LinkedIn and messaging me there or by emailing be at bclapp at workinsports.com -- <br> <br> <br> <br> Here’s Jane’s really good question --<br> <br> <br> <br> “Hi Brian, I’m a big fan of the podcast and the knowledge you share - you have helped me immensely in my career. I have a topic for you to discuss on your show. In the first few months of quarantine, I framed my mind around the idea that this would be just a few months, and I could get through it. I took a pay cut but kept my job, and I’ve sat in my apartment essentially by myself for 3 months, but I kept telling myself it was temporary. The longer this drags on, the more I feel myself losing hope. I don’t mean suicidal or anything that dramatic, but I would use terms like depressed, confused, frustrated, and kind of burnt out. I’m not looking to you to solve me in a clinical sense, I just want to have the conversation so that others know they aren’t alone if they are feeling the same way” <br> <br> <br> <br> Hey Jane, first off thanks for your email, showing this level of vulnerability and putting yourself out there is impressive, so thank you. <br> <br> <br> <br> First I’ll share a couple of personal anecdotes then we’ll get into a little more robust ideas on how to handle this. I want to stress beforehand, I’m not a doctor or psychiatrist and if you are feeling depressed and having suicidal thoughts, please I beg you talk to someone. Someone you love, someone with expertise - just talk to someone. Another voice matters. <br> <br> <br> <br> As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been thinking a lot about burnout, energy, and mental health lately.<br> <br> <br> <br> Energy is an important topic to me -- and think of energy like spirit, enthusiasm and excitement -- not necessarily the ability to run a marathon. <br> <br> <br> <br> I believe, we all have things in our life that provide us energy. We gain energy from certain experiences, lifestyles, endeavors, challenges -- I know people who gain energy from social experiences, so they needed to have a balance of work and workplace social engagement. I know people that gain energy from completing a complex task, so they always kept a Rubix cube with them, or a book of puzzles, I know others that gain energy from their environment -- so a walk in the woods or a run makes them feel energized.<br> <br> <br> <br> I think learning this about yourself is one of the most important goals you can have in life. <br> <br> <br> <br> What gives you strength, energy, vitality enthusiasm? <br> <br> <br> <br> Pay attention to your body and your energy levels and understand what makes them grow and change and diminish and flourish. <br> <br> <br> <br> When you figure this out, lean into those experiences. <br> <br> <br> <br> I battle some seasonal depression -- maybe depression isn’t the right word,
