Balanced or Burnt Out? The Importance of Self-Care. Colleen Tillger, LPC, CAADC

Transcription

1 Balanced or Burnt Out? The Importance of Self-Care Colleen Tillger, LPC, CAADC

2 Introduction What is the most challenging aspect of your work with students? How would you rate your ability to create/maintain balance in personal wellness, on a scale of 1-10? What would you like to learn about burnout and/or selfcare today?

3 What is Burnout? First identified in the 1970s within community mental health/substance abuse agencies. Term became popularized in the 1980s and it was recognized in a variety of additional helping professions. Burnout is not only an American phenomenon, it is recognized in countries all around the world. Burnout has been researched extensively since the 1980s and there are several different theories and frameworks.

4 Key Words of Burnout Fatigue Frustration Disengagement Stress Depletion Helplessness Hopelessness Emotional drain Emotional exhaustion Cynicism

5 Proactive Burnout Prevention We are more vulnerable to professional burnout if we don t consistently attend to our personal wellness. Balanced personal wellness helps us: Manage personal and professional stressors more effectively. Respond instead of react to conflict. Feel more confident in our abilities to navigate difficult situations.

6 5 Categories of Basic Human Needs Physical Caring for our physical selves Nutrition Sleep Exercise Medical care Personal hygiene Home environment Emotional Caring for our emotional selves Support system Asking for help Venting Meditation / mindfulness Counseling Healthy communication/conflict resolutions skills Self-esteem / identity Acknowledging our limitations

7 5 Categories of Basic Human Needs Intellectual Caring for our minds Reading Games / puzzles Documentaries Work Thought stimulating conversation Trying new things Social Caring for our social selves Group activities Meeting new people Spending time / talking with friends Keeping social activities fun

8 5 Categories of Basic Human Needs Spiritual Caring for our spiritual selves Not just religious Feeling part of something bigger than ourselves Community Nature Universe Can involve meditation, yoga, mindfulness

9 Multi-taskers Creative pursuits Exercise Personal hygiene Church

10 Personal & Professional Stressors Most common stressors that can contribute to burnout and threaten personal wellness. Life changes Health issues Relationships Lack of support / resources Damaged / fragile self-esteem or identity Interpersonal conflicts Financial issues Work overload

11 3 Types of Coping Skills Healthy they are effective and do not make the situation worse. Unhealthy they are not effective and can make the situation worse. Maladaptive they ARE effective but CAN make the situation worse. Examples

12 Principles of Healthy Coping Skills Can apply to both personal and professional stressors. Improves the situation or at least does not make the situation worse. Improves our resilience and strengthens interpersonal effectiveness. Respectful of ourselves and others.

13 Assessing Personal Balance & Implementing Consistent Self-Care Self-care is not an indulgence. It is an essential component of prevention of distress, burnout, and impairment. It should not be considered as something extra or nice to do if you have the time but as an essential part of our professional identities. Barnett, Johnson, and Hillard (2006)

14 Assessing Personal Balance & Implementing Consistent Self-Care o Identify your most common stressors. o Identify healthy, unhealthy, and maladaptive coping skills you use most frequently. o Accept that healthy coping skills may not result in the same kind of immediate relief that maladaptive strategies provide. o Recognize the benefits you gain from utilizing unhealthy coping skills and create ways to challenge those benefits or gain authentic benefits from utilizing healthier strategies. o Explore new healthy coping skills you can try. Stressor Maladaptive Unhealthy Healthy

15 Assessing Personal Balance & Implementing Consistent Self-Care Identify your most common areas of neglect. These areas need more concentrated attention in order to create balance. RATE BEHAVIOR SPECIFIC PERSONAL GOALS Sleep 8 hours each night. In bed by 10 on work nights. Get up on time for work each day. Exercise Weekly yoga class. Walk with best friend 2x week. Medical Care Take vitamins each day. Write specific personal goals related to each behavior. Using 5 point scale, rate each item. 1=never 5=Goal met Personal Hygiene Nutrition Home environment Shower daily. Get hair done 1x every 2 months. Eat breakfast each day. Limit sweets to 3x week. Laundry 2x week. Organize and maintain closets. Total ratings and compare to goal number. Total Goal number 30

16 Thank you for attending! Questions??