The third phase of the Cadence Approach is ‘Perform’, which is all about respecting the red flags of stress and burnout. Cadence is a simple, four-step approach to managing energy that works.
Predict is all about identifying the big events or ‘Wimbledon’s ‘, as I call them, coming up for you – both professionally and personally. Then, ‘Prepare’ is all about what small actions you could take to ‘build your bulletproof’; to prepare for those events, but also to maintain a basic level of readiness for the things we can’t see coming.
Today, I’m going to discuss the ‘Perform’ phase. And you may be surprised to learn that it’s not about just getting things done. It’s about knowing your red flags for chronic stress and burnout, and respecting those as you go.
Remember: ‘REDFLAGS’
‘Perform’, which is all about respecting the red flags of stress and burnout, both generally and while carrying out a specific task or ‘Wimbledon’. You may be asking, what are they, exactly?
Red flags are the signals your body sends when you’re pushing too hard. They include:
- R – rage
- E – emptiness
- D – despair
- F – fatigue
- L – lethargy
- A – anhedonia
- G – guilt
- S – self-doubt (or low self-esteem)
Spell it out, and you get ‘REDFLAGS’. Using this acronym can be an easy way to remember what to watch for.
Download the REDFLAGS for stress and burnout infographic
What are yours?
Now, ideally, we’d like to catch it before we get to rage and despair. But I want you to think about what those red flags are for you. What are those telltale signs that you’re heading towards chronic stress or burnout?
We can sometimes use wearable tech to surface these, but I think it’s important for us to know them intuitively. For me, a physical one is a flickering eyelid or “flicky eye” as I like to call it (eyelid myokymia) that I get when tired or over-caffeinated, or just pushing too hard.
Tiredness is another one. Not a circumstantial tiredness from travelling or being out late, but a deep-seated tiredness. Anhedonia, too, which is a loss of pleasure in things you usually enjoy. Irritability, which your partner may spot before you do.
It’s also worth noting that burnout rarely arrives overnight. Psychologists Herbert Freudenberger and Gail North mapped out twelve stages, starting with something as innocuous as a compulsion to prove yourself and working harder than necessary. Long before rage or despair, the early signs are often subtle. That’s exactly why knowing your own red flags matters. You may find our free 12 Stages of Burnout resource useful, with advice and practical actions for each stage.
Show some respect
In the video above, I share a story about a time I ignored my red flags. I once woke up feeling as though an invisible force was pinning me to the bed. My eyes couldn’t handle light, my mouth was dry, and I stayed there for three days. We called it the mystery sickness. In hindsight, there was no mystery at all. I’d been ignoring anhedonia, mild insomnia and appetite changes for weeks, and my body eventually forced the issue.
Do you know your red flags for chronic stress and burnout? And, perhaps more importantly, do you respect them?
We’ve certainly gotten very good at ignoring some of the signs our body sends us, but that’s not going to end well, trust me! So, know your red flags, pay attention to them, and have a strategy for putting the brakes on when they go up.
The next phase is ‘recover’, and how to build more opportunities for deliberate rest into your day.
The Cadence Wellbeing Scorecard
The Cadence Wellbeing Scorecard is a tool that helps you assess and track your progress in achieving work-life balance, managing energy and improving overall wellbeing. By regularly taking the Cadence Wellbeing Scorecard, you can gain insights into areas of your life that may need improvement, identify patterns and trends over time, and set realistic goals for making positive changes.
Take the scorecard, and receive a free, personalised report with actionable insights you can take into your daily life to optimise your health and wellbeing.
Want to help your people perform well without pushing themselves towards burnout?
Explore how the Cadence Approach can give your teams a practical framework for managing energy, recognising their red flags and sustaining performance under pressure.
If you’re interested in bringing this message to your organisation, and get in touch to start a no-pressure conversation about the needs within your teams.
