Cooling Off Before Burning Out

BurnoutWriting a post in my UMKC Ombuds Blog was on my January “to-do” list. Probably like you, I’ve been swamped. It’s only gotten worse now as the semester’s end is approaching. Luckily, no one has his/her life on hold waiting for my next blog post, so no harm, no foul. But the blog is an important venue to get the word out about my faculty ombuds practice. It should have been be done by now. Along with a whole bunch of other things. In other words, I could be on the road to  burning out.

It’s a common malady this time of the semester. All the department’s unfinished projects are being pushed through, summer and fall classes have to be planned, our performance appraisals have to be completed, and of course the grading, oh, the grading. We need to intervene in our own lives before we reach total meltdown. How can we do this?

First, diagnosis. Burnout is an extreme form of stress, characterized by feeling disengaged, helpless, and out of control. According to Vanessa Loder of Forbes online, if you’re experiencing a combination of three or more of these 13 signs of early burnout, it’s time to take action:

  • High levels of stress or anxiety.
  • Lack of engagement, feeling unmotivated, maybe having a short attention span.
  • Increased cynicism, resentment or feeling disconnected.
  • Distracted eating.
  • Not getting enough sleep.
  • Low energy, fatigue or exhaustion.
  • Feeling as thought you’re always behind.
  • Worrying excessively and being constantly self-critical.
  • Physically sick.
  • Feeling numb, depending on caffeine, sugar, food, alcohol, or drugs to relieve stress.
  • Feeling like you’re not accomplishing as much as you should.
  • Not taking breaks during the day, relaxing on weekends, missing vacations.
  • Not exercising enough.

What to do? The following useful tips are from HelpGuide.org, a website dedicated to improving health and happiness:

  • Begin your day with relaxation, such as journaling, meditating, or stretching.
  • Engage in healthy behaviors, such as good eating, regular exercise, ensuring you do everything to get a good night’s sleep.
  • Learn to say “no.” Set boundaries. This is hard for many of us and takes practice.. To improve your “saying no” skills, you might practice saying “no” to something every day, even something as small as, “no, I’m not going to stay an extra 15 minutes after class today.”
  • Set a time every day away from technology. No laptop, phone, e-tablet, email, etc. Even 30 minutes will help.
  • Do something creative, new and/or fun. You’ll feel more energetic. Just make sure it’s totally unrelated to work.

Consider the best way for you to handle stress. For example, UMKC offers training in mindfulness and other activities. If you have trouble managing burnout yourself, UMKC offers an Employee Assistance Program in which trained counselors assist you, If you have work-related issues contributing to your stress that are in need of resolution, consider contacting me at the Faculty Ombuds office.

Good luck – to us all – in finishing the semester with a smile!