Alysa Liu’s victory in the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships is nothing short of inspirational. Not just for aspiring ice dancers, but also for people experiencing burnout!
Burnout is a condition caused by chronic stress. The primary symptoms are described by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as:
* Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
* Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
* Reduced professional efficacy [i.e., feeling unable to achieve worthwhile outcomes]
The condition is widespread, it can be debilitating, and it can last a long time.
Liu was feeling so burned out that she retired from the sport in 2022 (Reuters, MSN), and she only returned to competition this season.
Her story provides some valuable lessons about burnout. To summarise three of them:
* Burning out isn’t a sign of weakness or unsuitability. People are burning out everywhere, even people with great skill and talent. Burning out is not something we should feel ashamed about!
* Recovery from burnout often requires an extended break. When burnout is severe, small lifestyle adjustments are rarely enough! We often need to make the painful decision to take a long break from the work or commitments that have been burning us out.
* There’s hope! Liu’s impressive victory demonstrates that the right rehabilitation and recovery can allow us to achieve amazing things.
I was particularly moved by Liu’s story. It’s true that I never learned figure skating (although, as a kid, I did pester my parents to buy me ice skates, even though my feet were growing fast and we lived in a city where a cold winter’s day still reached 15°C/60°F). I have, however, both researched and experienced burnout and recovery. Follow me for more about these topics!
(Post first featured on LinkedIn March 30 2025). #burnout #recovery