“I don’t know how I am going to make it to the end of the year; I feel drained.”
“I just came from my vacation. How can I still be exhausted?”
“I feel like I am just going through the motions; I feel so alone.”
Heard these comments before? These are early signs of burnout.
I hear these phrases quite often when seeing clients: the detachment, emotional exhaustion and the belief that one is incompetent.
I get, from time to time, that we all may feel that way. But, when we consistently feel this way, we can consider this to be burnout.
Employees do struggle with burnout, but what about first responders, nurses, doctors, personal support workers or disability support workers? These individuals are at a higher risk of struggling with burnout (Rapp, Hughey & Kreiner, 2021).
A research study done by Caldas, Ostermeier & Cooper (2020) found elevated levels of emotional exhaustion and depression rates before and during COVID-19 in employees in caring professions. The pro-social behaviour to take care of others was found to decrease the need for addressing personal needs.
You may be wondering if it’s possible to be within this industry and not struggle with burnout.
You’re not alone! Don’t give up just yet. Succeeding at the battle to fight burnout is possible, but it takes some simple changes to your everyday routine.
The goal is not to eliminate all tiredness but to learn some secrets that emotionally intelligent people use in their daily tasks to be more effective.
Implementing these steps into our routine can significantly improve the state of our mental health. It can allow us to engage in all the areas of our lives, be more productive in the workplace and reduce stress levels while fostering successful relationships.
1. Physical Boundary
Have you ever felt that someone was too close? Or, that they were moving into your personal bubble? Did you know that these boundaries can help us feel safe or even protected?
But, what about first responders? Better yet, what about first responders during the pandemic? Not only do they have to be up close and personal to make others feel safe, but also they often must make quick life-altering decisions. But, what about their own fears of contracting the virus?
This is a constant boundary violation that first responders often feel.
One way to reduce the risk of boundary violation, according to Rapp et al. (2021), is to create routines and rituals, which can include taking breaks when needed, taking alone time or eating with others at work. Those routines can be practiced for boosting psychological safety.
These can be simple things that can combat the struggle of psychical boundaries.
By choosing to implement these things, you’ll help your brain reset and reduce the negative impacts on the physical boundaries.
2. Knowledge Boundary
“What’s the point in talking? No one understands anyway.”
“I don’t think others even want to hear my complaints.”
I hear this from clients often feeling misunderstood by the people around them.
The individuals (e.g., doctors and nurses) in the health-care profession can often feel like no one truly understands, or that what they know, others are not able to access due to the nature of their job.
This misunderstanding can increase stress, anxiety or depression symptoms.
I get it; no one understands exactly what you may be going through. It makes sense to keep a tight lip and not talk about it, as it would be counterproductive to expend that energy when you need to conserve the little that you have.
But, did you know that, by shutting communication down, you are wreaking havoc on your personal mental health?
Choosing to connect with others inside and outside the workplace can boost connection, increase self-esteem, gives needed skills and reset the knowledge violation. Your job is so much more than just a job; it’s truly a part of your psychological health (Psychology Today Canada, 2021).
So, see if there is a peer-support option at your work and schedule your de-brief time in your calendar. Use this time as a protected time to recharge and restore your mental health.
3. Temporal Boundary
Do you answer emails in the evening or before your shift?
A temporal boundary is when one domain or area of our lives infringes on other areas (Rapp, et al., 2021).
If you reflect on the last few months, can you see the difference in your mental and physical health when you work all day, nonstop, versus when you don’t?
It’s one of those things that many people struggle with, especially when they are busy.
How do you know and respect your own limits?
According to Behavioural Neuroscientist Joaquin Selva (2021), when we do not set boundaries, we may not have a strong identity, or it may be a strong indicator of enmeshment.
How can STRiVE Mental Health, Wellness & Empowerment help?
The well-being of your employees is paramount to us.
STRiVE equips organizations with strategies by providing tools to help them recover from burnout and boost productivity. The goal is to provide top-quality evidence-based program development and workshops, both in person and virtually, while encouraging and assisting long-term resilient employees.
We want to help your organization. Make a referral here (hyperlink of website) or contact us at info@strivementalhealth.ca to learn more.
Works cited
Caldas, M. P., Ostermeier, K. & Cooper, D., 2021. When helping hurts: COVID-19 critical incident involvement and resource depletion in health care workers. Journal of Applied Psychology, Volume Advance online publication.
Psychology Today Canada, 2021. Why Work Is More Than Just a Job: Work is, in fact, essential to psychological health. [Online]
Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-new-employee-experience/202110/why-work-is-more-just-job
[Accessed 29 October 2021].
Rapp, D. J., Hughey, J. M. & Kreiner, G. E., 2021. Boundary Work as a Buffer Against Burnout: Evidence from Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106(8), pp. 1169-1187.
Schulte, B., 2015. Work interruptions can cost you 6 hours a day. An efficiency expert explains how to avoid them. [Online]
Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/06/01/interruptions-at-work-can-cost-you-up-to-6-hours-a-day-heres-how-to-avoid-them/
[Accessed 18 June 2021].
Selva, J., 2021. How to Set Healthy Boundaries: 10 Examples + PDF Worksheets. [Online]
Available at: https://positivepsychology.com/great-self-care-setting-healthy-boundaries/ [Accessed 2021 October 2021].
