In this blog, we look at how to prevent and to cure short-term burn-out.
A. AVOIDING BURN-OUT
Keep on Growing
If you don’t feel that you are growing, professionally and personally, you will not be able sustain enthusiasm and motivation for the job. Really, all the points below amount to this idea.
1. Learn Five Minutes for Yourself
Learn something you love at least 5 minutes a day early morning and again at night no matter what. This time must be guilt-free. (I should be learning Gemorrah, halacha, etc.) Even if you are yotzei your chiyuv of “Vehagisa bo yomam valaila” by giving a shiur or preparing for one, there is nothing like the unadulterated joy of learning, just for yourself. You may be so tired that you can’t concentrate on Gemorrah, have no cheishek for Mishnayos, etc. Find something that turns you on, that generally comes in small bites and that you can handle at this time. You would be amazed how much you can get through with five minutes a night. The satisfaction will give you a much better feeling when you drop into bed. Some of the texts which you could use are the Chofetz Chaim, the Sefer HaChinuch, Avos, or a few pesukim of the Parsha with the pirush of the Seforno. Sign up to an English “halacha a day” thing, or listen to podcast on a Gemorrah you are already familiar with.
2. Setting and Attaining Realistic Personal Goals
If you don’t have goals, you can’t measure your progress, and that leads to feeling blah. On the other hand, working towards and attaining realistic goals gives one a sense of growth and fulfillment.
3. Every Night Ask Yourself What You Learned that Day
It may take a few minutes of reflection, but you will always find some new insight, skill, approach or mistake to be avoided.
4. Read at Least Two Books a Year
Books on management, books on actualizing yourself and on mindfulness, books on educational philosophy and methodology (or whatever is your expertise).
My bathroom reading is generally articles and studies that impact my work: Studies about millennials, about management and leadership, about how people organize themselves, as well as general articles about science, psychology and other areas.
5. Mentors & Role Models
Mentors are not the same as role models. Mentors are people you are close with; role models do not have to be. We are also not talking about your rabbi or rebbetzin or mashpiah here. Rather, we are talking about career mentors, someone who can guide you through staff problems, politics, strategy, etc.
The ideal mentor is a legacy mentor, someone who is interested in helping you achieve your legacy in life and sees your professional development as just one part of that.
6. Balance
There is balance within work and balance between work and other things. (See last week’s blog.) Maintaining balance is very challenging because, every time one wants to do something, one is always making a choice not to do something else. Hence, you never just get into balance. It is an ongoing process of constant recalibration, with different emphases at different times. Moreover, there isn’t a sweet spot. It is not realistic to be satisfied all of the time. Most of the time is more realistic.
7. Professional Development Seminars
In Israel and America (the countries I am familiar with), most professions require a certain amount of professional development per year to keep your professional license. I would love to see the same in the nonprofit world. Certainly motivational and professional seminars and courses exist aplenty, including the excellent range of Harvard Business School seminars for nonprofits. (I know several people who did these courses and felt transformed by them.)
B. CURING BURN-OUT
There is a huge difference between the way one deals with short-term as opposed to longer-term burnout. We will deal with short-term burnout here, and follow up with a separate blog on long-term burnout. Finally, we will deal with care of self, or how to avoid burnout to begin with.
1. Treat Yourself – Be Kind to Yourself
- Leave work early and don’t feel guilty about it.
- Go out in the middle of the day and catch up on your e-mails in a coffee shop.
- Treat yourself to your favorite milkshake after doing something particularly odious.
- Ask for help when you are feeling overwhelmed.
- Share your feelings with a trusted colleague.
2. Take an Emergency Vacation
Take it When You Need It: You cannot schedule burn-out. And when you are burned-out, you cannot wait for scheduled summer vacations. Nor can you wait for a good time to take a vacation. There is never a good time to take a vacation. Therefore, it’s up to you to decide if this is an emergency.
Get Rid of Guilt: You should never feel stuck – that you desperately need a vacation but cannot afford to take it because the organization needs you. You would be amazed how well people will do without your “indispensible” presence.
In addition, you may get burned out only a few months after your last vacation. You cannot pre-determine the frequency of your burn-out. I have sometimes gone years without vacation, and then required several vacations in a single year.
However, if you find you need these breaks more than three or four times a year then you are in an unhealthy work environment, even by kiruv standards.