How I am recovering from burnout

❓ Can you overcome burnout?

🤷🏼‍♂️ I've researched the topic of burnout among healthcare workers extensively. But this question is generally unanswered.

📚 There are excellent studies on the prevalence of burnout, depression, suicide, etc.

🏢 Articles abound that detail necessary steps ORGANIZATIONS must take to reduce burnout in their coworkers.

🙍🏼‍♂️But what about the solitary individual, a burned-out person? What can she/he do to recover?

😞Is it hopeless? Un-recoverable?

My desperate search was selfish. I needed to know--can I come back from burnout?

🔎Since I could not find answers in the literature, I had to find my own way.

I had to survive.

So, here are 14 things I have done (or stopped doing) in the last 8 months to claw my way back from burnout.

They are descriptive. These things helped me. They might not help you.

Number 7 is embarrassing:

⚖️1. I adjusted my expectations of myself. The most important one, by far.

🙆🏼‍♂️2. I gave attention to my nervous system (I educated myself, then started new practices). Sukie Baxter was a huge help.

🎯3. I decreased my focus and intensity at work. (What's the opposite of working harder? Working lighter? Working softer?)

🧘🏼‍♂️4. I meditated with the use of Kristen Riecke's Peloton app.

📃5. I made a bucket list and started checking off items. Ben Nemtin changed my life.

💺6. I took time off and made a plan with my doctor.

🚽7. I stopped checking emails on the toilet. (This one is still hard to practice, ngl. Kind of embarrassing and gross.)

🌍8. I adjusted my worldview (again).

📒9. I journaled events, thoughts, and feelings.

🧱10. I drew boundaries and eliminated/limited energy suckers (aka, I said "no" and unfriended some people on social media👋🏼).

🧭11. I performed self-discovery (there were personality-specific reasons why the situations bothered me so much).

🫧12. I found a literal safe space--a physical bubble where I could retreat and be free.

⌚13. I used the mantra "Things can change at any moment."

💞14. I confided in exactly three trusted people (in addition to my doctor and counselor): Kristen Riecke, Jana Vastbinder, and Jon Swanson.

What is on your list? Comment below:

#selfhelp #personaldevelopment #mindfulness #humanresources #healthcare #mentalhealth #depressionawareness

Initial Reviews

❓How many times have I presented on grief or spirituality? About one million.

🤔How many times have I presented on the topic of Overcoming Burnout? Exactly ONCE.

📈That's why, when reviews came in from the OHIO ASSOCIATION OF GERONTOLOGY AND EDUCATION conference this week, I was blown away and humbled by the comments.

💬This is what the attendees had to say:

✅By far the BEST presentation of the conference. It was a relatable topic WITH action steps

✅Working as a care manager for a health insurance company was very stressful ... it was difficult at times to feel sympathetic, especially since I had several people on my caseload pass away because of the [Covid-19] infection. I understand the feeling of having to opt out.

✅Would love to have him share his story with our organization. Always looking for stories to inspire and make everyone feel the “normal”

✅I really enjoyed the topic and I found the information useful. I have too been dealing with burnout on and off the last few years.

✅Rev Patrick had a good sense of humor which engaged me after the lunch break and made the topic of burnout more interesting

✅I really appreciated the personalization of his delivery- the transparency is commendable

✅This topic is very overlooked at times and I really appreciated his discussion and his personal experiences.

✅Outstanding!

Apparently, I need to keep talking about hashtag#burnout.

#overcomeburnout #healthcare #continuingmedicaleducation #humanresources

I am not good at “letting go”

👐🏼 “Life is one long process of letting go.”

But I have failed to live by this mantra.

⚙️ Instead, I have believed that, given enough time, I can fix any broken situation.

🪛 That I can improve things. Repair things. That I can figure it out, and make a difference in the world.

The problem is, I have often been right. I have helped detangle many complicated situations. I have improved systems and communities. I have blazed trails that others can travel.

😷 But then, Covid arrived. And most days, the only trail I blazed went backward. I wasn't prepared, none of us were. And my perceived effectiveness plummeted.

🙅‍♂️ I did not. Let go. I doubled down on effort, trying to "solve" the worldwide pandemic, at least for my corner of the world. Valiant efforts, but it was killing me.

Until last fall.

Sometimes your physical health taps you on the shoulder.

👉 My physical health got my attention, but it was pointing to something else.

🧠 My mental health.

🤔 Finally, I realized that my midwestern, German-Catholic, white male entitled, “can-do” attitude had delivered in an unpleasant way.

🏆 I was a 44-year-old ordained pastor with a successful career. A multi-published author with a perfect family.

😔 But I was depressed for the first time in my life.

😤 The problem with depression is that it does not respond well when you work harder, plunge ahead, and keep on keeping on. The tools I had always relied on were, suddenly, ineffective.

😔 I needed grace. Surrender. Vulnerability. Self-compassion.

👐 In two words, I needed to let go.

(And I still need to.)

#mentalhealth #burnout #healthcarecoworkerburnout #depressionawareness

My first speaking engagement on Burnout

Was in April 2023—here are my reflections:

✅First conference workshop in the books!

😑I shared my story.

✔️Three years of pandemic leadership.

✔️Ethics policymaking.

✔️Leadership ups and downs.

😥I developed at least two new diagnoses last fall: AFib and Depression.

😣My counselor helped me see that both were connected to the stress I was under.

🆘Friday was my first in-person attempt to help others with this important topic. And it was great.

🗣️The crowd was fantastic, the conversation was affirming, and the reviews were humbling (100% said the material was helpful and relevant to them and one leader has already reached out about a follow-up opportunity to serve their front-line coworkers).

Title: "Moral Distress and Burnout: A Roadmap for You and Your Team"

OHIO ASSOCIATION OF GERONTOLOGY AND EDUCATION

#workshop #moraldistress #burnoutprevention #healthcareleadership

What leads to burnout?

❓What happens when moral distress goes unaddressed?

😷Moral residue.

If coworkers experience moral injury, distress, and residue repeatedly, what happens?

🔥Burnout.

📉Burnout leads to poor patient outcomes, absenteeism, a lack of engagement, and problems retaining talent.

😔Not to mention anxiety and depression for our coworkers.

#engagement #talent #moraldistress #healthcareethics #burnout