This expression came to me after reading a very enlightening article that drew a connection between investing oneself in work, when one is passionate about what one does, and the increased risk of burnout or professional exhaustion. And it really resonated with me too! Being multi-passionate and a jack-of-all-trades, passionate and enthusiastic, I am not exempt from this risk. Yet it has never manifested itself.
Why?
In this article, I explore the "Icarus syndrome," as I felt like calling it. An inspiring metaphor for understanding overcommitment at work and exhaustion (*). As a personal development coach and therapist, I support passionate people who risk burning their wings…
Because we all know potential "Icaruses"; we have crossed paths with them, and we have sometimes helplessly and sadly witnessed their fall.
What puts us at risk of burnout (professional exhaustion)
- "Combustive" passion
When one is passionate, one generally invests all one’s energy, one’s life force, in what drives us and makes us vibrate or fuels us. But then we confuse vital impulse with the need for performance. The flame that drives us becomes a flame that demands more and more fuel and gradually draws on our reserves, even the deepest ones. The risk is to abandon all lucidity because the meaning we find in action compensates for the consumption of our personal energy.
It is important to distinguish between the quest for meaning as a healthy driver, versus the compulsion to constantly “prove oneself” or “surpass oneself.” A discourse very present in our society that overvalues “performance.”
- The illusion of invincibility
Like Icarus, driven by a feeling of euphoria and omnipotence, we forget that the body and the psyche have their limits.
Then we think: “I’ll manage,” “I’ve got it under control,” “It’s just a busy period” — until reality forces a sudden stop. Especially if we do not listen to the warning signs sent by our body! (Sleep problems, anxiety, constant stress, the impression of being behind on everything, or that everything is getting mixed up in our head).
- The confusion between identity and performance
The higher we climb, the more work becomes an identity mirror. It is no longer what I do, but who I am. Work is no longer just work but the self-image we project to the world.
In this trap, slowing down becomes threatening, because it amounts to “falling” or “disappointing.” Whether these are internalized demands linked to our childhood or adolescence, or demands linked, for example, to a desire to get our own back socially speaking.
- Denial of limits, fear of coming back down
In the myth, Icarus does not disobey out of arrogance, but out of intoxication and carelessness, out of a desire to prove something to himself and to savor the feelings it gives him.
In the same way, in professional life, exhaustion often stems from a denial of fatigue, not out of foolishness, but out of love: love of the profession, the team, the project, the impact, sometimes the adrenaline or the pleasure of taking on challenges.
Transactional Analysis offers us 5 "drivers," or small inner voices that push us to act in a certain way: be strong, try hard, please others, be perfect, and hurry up.
Beyond the elements above, if you think this Icarus syndrome is looming over you, ask yourself whether at least one or even two of these “little voices” are urging you to keep going, to go always “further,” “higher,” “harder,” “faster”...
How can we protect ourselves from it?
As a personal development coach and therapist, I see at least 4 ways to avoid the risk of crashing hard to the ground, as Icarus did.
- Listen to your body... before your body cries out
Our body is a compass. It tells us where we are and when something is wrong. For example, you can...
- Take micro-breaks to observe your breath and take the time to breathe fully,
Check for tension in the neck / chest and do a few yoga, stretching, or simply movement exercises,
- Regularly note your energy level out of 10... and adjust your effort accordingly!
Practice a sport, an artistic activity, walk, breathe in the open air... to calm your nervous system
- Renegotiate or reexamine your relationship to work
Rather than seeing work as a summit to conquer, consider it a field of exploration.
A few questions to help you gain perspective:
- What are you trying to prove?
- To whom?
- What really matters in your contribution?
- How far can you go... without self-destructing?
Allow yourself varying altitudes
A healthy flight is never linear. Sometimes we rise, sometimes we glide, sometimes we descend. And this way of managing effort must take several criteria into account: what time of year it is, what is happening in your life, where you are in your career path...
A few ideas:
- Alternate cycles of effort and moments of recovery,
- Practice “high-intensity” times and “low-altitude” weeks (calmer ones), over a week or even a day,
- Set clear boundaries (working hours, notifications off, rest periods,...)
Get support to rediscover the source of the fire (your motivation)
Passion becomes destructive when it is not connected to a deeper meaning. And that meaning must animate us deeply, not lead us to burn through all our ammunition!
A support professional can help you to:
- Reconnect passion to something grounded, balanced,
- Rebuild meaning in action, by measuring or targeting effort better,
- Learn to listen to the early signs of exhaustion and do yourself good.
- Don’t wait until professional exhaustion hits you to talk about it with a coach or therapist!
A few signs to stay alert to:
- Persistent fatigue
- Sleep disturbances
- Emotional overload
- Loss of enjoyment at work
- Bodily tension
- Difficulty switching off
Let’s talk about it!
And to learn more about this topic: https://www.inrs.fr/risques/epuisement-burnout/ce-qu-il-faut-retenir.html
(*) Named after this mythological character, son of the architect Daedalus, who wanted to fly and get close to the sun, but whose wings came apart when the wax holding the feathers melted under the heat of its rays.
