In many fields of work, burnout is as common as physical ailments amongst staff. I think of burnout as a beast – a phantom that creeps up my spine and runs its freezing claws across my scalp. My passion for my work is a flame, and I must protect that flame from the Burnout Beast.
When I feel the first flickers of my flame weakening, I ask myself if this is normal stress to manage or if the Burnout Beast is here, extinguishing my flame? I crane my neck from side to side to stretch my aching, stressed, and tense muscles. I lounge lazily on my couch after a long day, succumbing to the beast’s claws scraping my flesh. In the coming days, I become a zombie on autopilot, going to and from work, my attitude souring. A thick, sticky fog clings to my mind. I manage the Burnout Beast with self-care at first; reading, writing, and long baths to soothe my aching body, feeding my flame the best I can. But as days bleed into weeks, I lose interest and energy. While choosing rest over hobbies is healthy to do in the short term, it can also be my first sign that I am falling into oblivion, my flame weakening the longer it lasts.
Three heads of burnout
I think of the Burnout Beast as having three monstrous heads: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Emotional exhaustion can shadow over me and deplete my energy in ways no amount of sleep can solve. Depersonalization can slither across floorboards and into my eyes, blurring lines between individual clients and tasks that need to be completed. Then, I’ll only see problems to be solved. Reduced personal accomplishment is a thief that steals time I’d spend writing or with my loved ones. I’m stuck in an endless cycle, existing only to clock in and out at the same time every day, quickly losing patience and sympathy towards those around me. I do a million things yet accomplish nothing personally meaningful, always another box to check on an endless to do list.
To continue feeding my flame and keep it safe from the Burnout Beast, it’s important to recognize the first shivers crawling up my spine. I need to keep one foot firmly grounded in at least one hobby outside of work and mindfully utilize my time off. While I love my work in the mental health field and find deep fulfillment in my role, it is important for my resilience to continue doing things that bring me joy, even when I am tired. It is easier to feed the flame than to have to relight it entirely. I want to be reading, writing, spending time with my family, and having hobbies outside of work that do not mesh. I must push against the claws that threaten to pull me under and replace them with warm blankets and candles that smell like fall pastries.
When feelings of burnout begin to creep in, remind yourself why you do what you do, challenge yourself to start a new hobby, take mindful breaks from work, and seek support in friends, coworkers, and supervisors.
If the beast has extinguished your flame completely, what do you need to relight it? Sometimes the answer to this is extreme, like leaving your current role, which is why it is so important to feed your flame before complete burnout steals your passion. For more ideas on keeping your flame lit, check out our other resources on preventing burnout here. The bigger your army, the more protected your flame. Figure out what your flame needs and feed it.
This article was contributed by Maggie Taylor, Mental Health Practitioner, at the Southeast Regional Crisis Center.
Nexus Family Healing is a national nonprofit mental health organization that restores hope for thousands of children and families who come to us for community mental health services, foster care and adoption, and residential treatment. For over 50 years, our network of agencies has used innovative, personalized approaches to heal trauma, break cycles of harm, and reshape futures. We believe every child is worth it — and every family matters. Access more resources at nexusfamilyhealing.org/resources.