Don’t get burnt
A lot of therapists, and other helping professionals, will tell you their career is a calling. Having a calling means that you have a deep connection to your job. This is a double edge sword that has cut me both ways (wow so poetic). I chose to work in mental health because it is a perfect fit for me. “I get paid to help people and learn about psychology? Sign me up!”
So why did I find myself unsatisfied with life? BURNOUT. Burnout is a combination of mental and physical exhaustion. It can look different depending on how you express your thoughts and feelings. Stress can be the largest contributing factor. Some of us take pride in being stressed and extremely busy. We view ourselves and others as “hard workers.”
Working as hard as you can isn’t a path to satisfaction
They don’t look very happy to me.
Valuing suffering isn’t a new idea. We think of someone surviving domestic violence or cancer as strong. But we don’t choose to be abused or develop a life-threatening medical condition. We choose to work hard and put ourselves in stressful situations that lead to burnout. I must point out that I am speaking from a position of privilege and assume the same for most reading this. There are plenty of people that cannot use mental health tips to escape the stress they are experiencing such as living in abject poverty or in war torn countries.
Levi after a hard days work
That’s probably what I looked like after working all day for corporate mental health
So what can we do? Well, if you schedule a coaching session with me…what a shameless plug. It’s true that everyone is different, and treatment is individualized. In this blog post, I can express what has worked for some. Lets focus on understanding what personal symptoms of burnout look like. For me, burnout is getting easily frustrated and yelling at my dogs, determining if a day is good based on how much money I made, not being able to relax because I am dreading work tomorrow, and emotionally disconnecting from the people I love because I don’t have the bandwidth. Burnout is also being a less effective coach and therapist. It’s being a poor excuse for a husband and dog dad.
Leia just woke up and doesn’t want to go to work
Definitely what my mornings looked like when I was a “hard worker”
We fight fire with fire in this situation. Just like the time I poured vodka on a grease fire in my kitchen! Going on autopilot doesn’t solve burnout. Getting a massage or having a pizza party will not solve the problem. Building awareness is a good first step in making positive changes. Think about what burnout looks like for you. Understand how work, relationships, or situations can lead to your burnout. Because you deserve more than being known as a “hard worker.”
