Burnout and how to deal with it

I came across this via Lifehacker which is a site worth keeping an eye on for the variety of info collected and a sense of just what useful or potentially useful stuff there is out there. Anyway, I looked this over; I've accompanied people professionally on a journey through (parts of) burnout and I have been in situations where, I now recognise, I've been on the edge. So it was great to see a lot of good advice which chimes with what I'd learnt myself over the years, all in one place and not so long a piece that it is disheartening even to contemplate reading it (the last thing you want if you are burning out, eh?). So check it out here: It's a funny old game: Burnout and how to deal with it:

Here's one of the gems:
"...a Burnout Inventory that uses three measurements to identify it
1. Exhaustion
2. Cynicism
3. Inefficacy"

Of course note that all of these need some careful thought about just what the symptoms mean in a wholistic way -the author notes the cultural dimensions of cynicism, for example. And I would add that it's worth checking out that exhaustion is longer-term and not just an unusual and intense time at work or home or in leisure (in which case, rest!), and that you have effective measures for inefficiency and not just a vague sense that you're not getting things done: one effect of depression (which kicks in with burn-out at least later on) is to decrease self-esteem.

There's a good question that we should all ask ourselves before we get to a point of burnout. It's this:
"When pushed to the limit and beyond how do you behave ?"
This is something to ask for help from those who know us well to answer it effectively. Then we can use the answer to keep an eye on ourselves. One of the typical onset difficulties is that incipient burnout is often interpreted by reference to others (often cynically) or mis-attributing blame/responsibility and so we need to be alert to that and to other typical signs in ourselves. I've found this quite helpful over the years, but still get tripped up by things in less-familiar situations or where there are significant dimensions of a job that are sufficiently new to me.
The other useful summary is this:
"A summary would be that you feel very alone, depressed, and judged. To compound it the more you try to get out of it (by doing more of the same) the more you experience it,"

The thing to remember is that in a properly functioning organisation, line managers are for making sure you have adequate (or better) support and for taking responsibility for your work in the sense of making sure that it can be done. If there are problems, they are there to help solve those problems and to help keep you effective and comfortable and secure in the workplace. If they will not do this your union may help or you should look to work elsewhere: it's a dysfunctional organisation and your health is not to be considered a means to address the dysfunction!

Of course, the real bummer is when you have a whole organisation where a significant number of people may be experiencing some of the onset (or worse) of burnout; just think about the potential for cross-transference of blame and guilt-feeling, the brittleness and vehemence of responses all being wound up into a nice tight coil!

If you spot the symptoms, I'd concur with the following list (all except the cat thing: in my case it's a dog and walks)

• Get some exercise to help with general wellness (always do this !), as well as being properly tired for sleep
  
• Take a break
• Hang out with friends
• Ensure you communicate with your partner about why you feel bad (so they don't think it's them)
• Give the cat extra treats
• Remove yourself from things that are associated with work (i.e. sitting in front of a PC all day)
• Get help/advice from unbiased sources (very important, people at work have their own agendas)

Please note that these are not luxuries: they are part of proper self-care which is part of being fit to be a good neighbour and colleague as well as a good employee or volunteer.

For Christians I'd also point out that the effects we're discussing here have an effect on ones prayer life. Burn-out and relating to God are not parallel tracks: they affect one another potentially in both directions. It can be that a good affirming relationship to God can help us to withstand the slings and arrows of outrageous torment (to mangle the bard), but it is also the case that burn-out or its first-footings can make it hard for us to find the zest or energy to relate to God in accostomed ways. It's important at those times to give ourselves a break and remember that God first loved us, that God is all about grace and that our attempts to bully ourselves into 'working' at prayer in certain ways are likely to exacerbate the problem.

We need to be able to relate to God as a supportive presence not as another harsh taskmaster (like our work has become -or our organisation or our managers). As spiritual director in such times I'm more inclined to encourage people to spend time doing things they find restorative (sabbathing in a real sense) and to just sit with the recognition that God just loves 'em, is for them and supports them. I think I might want to be on the look-out for things that actively help them to connect with a restorative and affirming sense of God: walks on sunny days, painting, cleaning out the garage (yes, for some people that helps!), running, whatever ... and encouraging that to be part of the regular routine of life.

I could write more about the calling of human organisations to be agents of human welfare both 'internally' and 'externally', but I have done some of that elsewhere and am continuing to reflect on this in relation to the 'corporisations' stuff I'm collecting and (occasionally) writing up.