First Steps for Healing from Burnout

This past month I had the honour of providing sessions at the Crieff Retreat and Conference Centre during a retreat for healthcare workers that focussed on burnout. The staffing shortages in the healthcare system, which were already a major problem prior to the pandemic, have gotten even more complex and serious.  Becoming burned out seems to be a natural response to the situation.  We hear a lot about burnout these days, but healthcare workers, in particular, are at an increased risk because they tend to be highly responsible, caring and sensitive people.  They often put others’ needs before their own too. That’s why they went into the field to begin with, of course!   As someone who has experienced her own sense of burnout in the nursing profession, I know that it is especially difficult on your soul when you start to feel like you cannot help others who are suffering so much in the system.  It is easy to lose your sense of perspective in your work and even in life.  This leads to further burnout.
​
Now obviously it is not reasonable to expect that people can heal themselves from burnout on a three day retreat, however ICU Nurse and Coach, Vicky Boateng was able to present lots of very specific strategies to help retreatants to take some first steps.  Useful ideas that can work for anyone experiencing burnout include: set boundaries, turn off technology and in particular social media, nourish your creativity even in small ways, schedule relaxation time, eat regular healthy meals, try to get plenty of sleep, try to do rhythmic or cardiovascular exercise regularly such as walking, swimming, cycling or dancing.  Some of these ideas are more complex than others and may require getting support from a counsellor or coach or an accountability partner. 

In addition to caring for ourselves physically, many burnout care strategies attempt to make some space in our lives for moments of beauty and awe.  These moments can give us a small change in perspective and we may be reminded that we are not alone or that we are not at fault.  For example, in taking time to notice the rhythms and patterns in nature, we realize that we ourselves also need to have rhythms of work AND play AND sleep in our own lives!  Yes, the sun still rises even if everything doesn’t get done.  There is beauty all around us, in nature, in others and even in difficult times.  I hope that you can find the courage to steal a few moments to seek out what is beautiful to you.  What first steps can you take to look after yourself?

What is Burnout?"Burnout" is a term that we hear often these days, but what does it actually mean?  It refers to a state of emotional, physical, mental (and I would add spiritual) exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress in the workplace.  It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained and unable to meet constant demands. Signs can include: lack of interest and the ability to concentrate, being overly cynical, performing poorly at work, feeling isolated, irritable or stressed, loss of appetite, chronic fatigue, trouble sleeping, frequent headaches, respiratory problems, digestive issues or illness.  Signs can also include anxiety and depression.  The official diagnosis is even included in the International Classification of Diseases, or ICD-11.