Triggered by colleagues burnout

Hi lovely coaches,
I burned out a few years ago and have been recovering and coming to terms with that and the fall out of that ever since…and it’s been up and down and a huge part of my decision to join the Flow Collective. A work friend seems to me to be in the process of burning out, and it is triggering the hell out of me. I recognise her reactions and struggle, and am so strongly aware in my body and of my nervous system that I feel completely hijacked. I have spoken to her a few times when she is in desperate states and would love to offer her some support (not fixes – I’ve been able to spot that much!) but I feel really overwhelmed in my own nervous system, and then unable to collect my own thoughts, and then all I can manage is disorganised babble. I’ve been doing quite well in my recovery, thought I was through the worst of it and have been really surprised at how triggered I am by this. I’d love to create some space around this so I can start some thought work on it, but am finding it difficult knowing where to start. Any help would be great 😊

 

 

Answer:

You can drop the part of your story where you being triggered means anything about your healing process. Sometimes we think “doing well” is having a less uncomfortable time, but it can also mean that we handle the tough times using all our tools and resources, just like you are doing now. What have you learned through your experience that will help you support your friend?

How can you taking care of you and your nervous system be the best thing to do for her?

What if it isn’t your job to take away her pain and suffering? What could you have used most when you were in burnout?

Also, be aware and curious of how you are seeing her and what she’s going through. It’s coloured with the lens of your experience. That can be helpful and it can also not so helpful. In what ways is that true?