INSIGHT
It required a lot of proposals and
meetings, and we incurred a lot of
rejections and setbacks – each of which
was a blow to my self-confidence and a
major drain on my energy levels.
that saw me step completely away from
Codeta and Ihre Consulting.
I was removed from all emails, reports,
and back-end access, and given time to
focus on myself.
“It is about understanding your workforce, and that
people are individuals that react and deal with
pressure differently”
I was also acutely aware that those
who had invested – we raised €2.3m in
the end – were investing in me and my
track record as much as they were in the
long-term success of Codeta. But this,
combined with the pressure of running
the business and making the right decisions
for its success, and the happiness and
security of Codeta employees, was really
taking its toll.
Feeling different
I started to feel very different. After a day
in the office, I would forget where I had
parked the car. I was losing patience
with people and became more reclusive.
I didn’t want to speak to people in person,
or even on the phone for that matter.
I was also having difficulties sleeping;
I struggled to fall asleep and would
wake regularly during the night but
then couldn’t drag myself out of bed in
the morning.
In the end I simply hit rock bottom,
called my ex-wife and broke down while
on the phone to her. I felt terrified and
very much alone.
She contacted my brother, who co-
founded Codeta with me, and between
them they put together a plan of action
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iGB Affiliate Issue 68 APR/MAY 2018
My recovery began by identifying what
had caused my exhaustion in the first place;
by understanding the triggers you can avoid
putting yourself in that situation.
It’s also important to acknowledge that
in all likelihood, you will never be as good
at dealing with stress as you once were.
From what I understand, people that fall
victim to exhaustion lose a substance in
their brain that helps them deal with stress.
Other things that really helped me were
setting a daily routine, and allowing time for
moderate exercise, reading and meditation.
I also never set a deadline for my return,
and I think this was key. The immediacy
of my removal from the work environment
once I’d hit rock bottom also prevented
any terminal damage. Sure, I will never
be the same again, but I am very much
back on my feet now.
workforce, and that people are individuals
that react and deal with pressure differently.
It helps to have clear guidance from
the top and for employees to know what
is expected of them.
It is also important that employees know
they can be open and honest about their
feelings and mental health, and that
there are procedures and practices in
place to ensure they are happy in the
workplace. This can include access to
gyms and counsellors.
For me, my burnout has been a
blessing in disguise and I have used the
experience to realign my approach to
work and life.
That said, I wouldn’t want anyone else
to go through it. While there is nothing
wrong with the industry wanting to
celebrate its success, I think more needs
to be done to talk about the pressures
and strains this brings on those expected
to deliver.
I hope my story will kick-start
conversations and discussions about how
we can all help to look after each other
a little bit more.
Shared experience
I wanted to share my story as I believe
there are a lot of people in the industry in
a similar situation but who perhaps don’t
feel like they can step away in the same
way that I did.
Businesses need to change their
approach to exhaustion and stress, and take
it seriously. It is about understanding your
EDWARD IHRE has been
running Ihre Consulting in
Sweden since March 2010 and
co-founded Codeta, the global
online table games casino, in
2015. He has been in the gaming
industry since 2002.