Hop off the treadmill of stress, fatigue, & burnout.

Step onto a path of enduring self-care and well-being.

Dear Fellow Practitioner,

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When I ask my colleagues about what styles of therapy they were originally trained in, they answer quite readily.

But when I ask them what kind of training they received on practitioner self-care and occupational hazard prevention, most colleagues pause.  

And the pause turns into a commiserating chat about how most of us have been left to our own devices when it comes to taking care of ourselves amid the constant care of others. 

I ask this question of a lot of practitioners I talk to: what truly inspired you toward a career as a mental health professional?  

Was it your desire to help relieve suffering and to improve the lives of those who need it the most? 

Perhaps you had a natural gift to help and to heal. 

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Not surprisingly, these are often the main reasons expressed by your fellow therapists. When I think back, that pretty much sums it up for me too.

Ah, self-care. The word is everywhere. Isn't it obvious to the mental health practitioner that we should be taking care of ourselves, especially given that we're taking care of others day in and day out?  

Well, yes...and no. 

Actually caring for ourselves might feel selfish, unnecessary, or even impossible at times. 

Or, like a colleague once said, "My trainees were constantly told to take care of themselves but weren't ever given the tools for how or adequately informed as to why it's so important."  

Even though we're often vaguely aware of our professional stress and our occupational hazards, we keep on forging ahead often doing "more with less."   

The promising news, however, is that there's a growing movement of practitioners who desire to nourish themselves - to replenish the energy that gets far too easily drained day after day, week after week.

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These practitioners often feel that there's something missing from their repertoire of competence-building activities - the workshops, online programs, books, peer supervision, etc.  

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They have an inkling that things could perhaps be easier and less burdensome for themselves but may not know where to start. 

So what are the costs of constantly caring for our clients? 

What are the occupational hazards and stresses that we're all at risk of experiencing?

You're probably all too aware of the toll that our occupational hazards take.

But you may be missing some of the more subtle signs of the daily wear and tear on your emotional, mental, and physical integrity. And you might even unknowingly blame yourself for "not doing enough" or "not being good enough." 

But, if we're to be the healthiest, most effective practitioners we desire to be, we need to look at ourselves with utmost compassion, hope, and brightness. Much like we aspire to do with our clients. 

When we turn toward ourselves in this way, amazing possibilities and opportunities open up for how we feel, think and act. Then, being our most mindful and compassionate selves becomes seamlessly integrated into the fabric of our everyday lives. 

Unfortunately, this can be hard to come by.  We're simply so busy.  And we're often so used to giving and caring for others that we lose sight of our own needs and values and how to listen mindfully to them. 

"What is to give light must endure the burning" - Viktor Frankl

There are many ways we usually engage in self-care. 

You could commit to one or two activities and try hard to keep these active and alive each week.  This isn't a bad option if you also bring a flexible and self-compassionate mindset to your commitment.

You could plan for (and actually go on) fun and relaxing vacations throughout the year. This can be extremely helpful to your "sense of deservingness" to relax and simply take a much needed break from your constant dedication to your clinical work. 

You could limit the number of (highly challenging) clients you see each week so that you're not on a "path to burnout."  For many of us, this is essential for staving off exhaustion and the classic signs of burnout and compassion fatigue.  

These are all very useful and pragmatic ways to be your own self-care self-advocate. 

At the same time, we could approach professional self-care from a slightly different angle.  This conceptual shift could make a world of difference for us.