 Thoughts on burnout...a response to Unlocking Us podcast Oct. 14, 2020I finally finished the Unlocking Us Podcast episode with Drs. Emily and Amelia Nagoski. In it, they give us a glimmer into the power of recognizing and living with our emotional journey. In the course of their conversation with Brene Brown, they comment on an outmoded adage of proto-psychology: some stuffy, bookish “thinkers” really saw and believed that the human experience could be surmised as something as “we are thinking beings that on occasion feel.” Yes. I know that I am constantly thinking, but most often, those thoughts seem to surround emotion. At least in my experience, I have come to observe that a substantial dividend of my mental energy concerns them {says someone who self-identifies as an empath}. I found the effects of this conservation heartening. I am one of the worriers, and no that’s not warrior. I worry, (in this moment) for America at large, for my neighbors and community, for my family and friends, and for everyone in the mental health and healthcare fields. There are a number of factors but the elephant that I’m most worried about in the room is burnout. As someone who experienced what felt like inescapable burnout in their profession- that spilled over into the rest of life, burnout and what to do about it is a big deal to me. To hear Drs. Emily and Amelia Nagoski’s perspective was a literal weight off my chest. It’s not all my problem alone. The solution does not rest on my shoulders and I am but a part of the necessary changes. So let’s talk BURNOUT. According to Herbert Fruedenberger, the first of us to really get at the crux of burnout (professionally speaking), burnout has three major components: 1) emotional exhaustion 2) decreased sense of accomplishment, and 3) depersonalization. His satellite definitions of each of these are groundbreaking in their own way. He describes emotional exhaustion as “the fatigue that comes from carrying too much for too long.” He characterizes decreased sense of accomplishment as “the unconquerable sense of futility-the feeling that nothing you do makes a difference.” And lastly, depersonalization comprises “the depletion of empathy, caring, and compassion.” I have felt every single one of these words. And I feel as if I must have spoken these words about this feeling before. Like they were taken from every mouth that has ever felt burnout. I am so thankful for Brene Brown and Dr.s Emily and Amelia Nagoksi for sharing this. I feel understood and that’s so important in these times. I judge Dr. Freudenberger also hit the nail on the head. What causes burnout? After listening to the podcast, I gather the most significant contributor to a sense of burnout is misdirected energy and focus. Our modern sensibilities regarding stress and low-level anxiety are widely disconnected from the actions and processes we use as humans to promote integration, balance, and well-being. Of late, we’re taught to examine the stressors in our lives and remove them if possible in response to feelings of overwhelm or anxiety. This does help in its own way, but if you’ve reacted emotionally, you also have other “work” to do, so to speak. We still have to feel, and in light of recent wisdom, feelings have a story to tell- so buckle up. More specifically, Drs. Emily and Amelia Nagoski suggest that we start to experience the symptoms of burnout when we are “stuck” within our emotions, due to a lack of awareness or a lack of actions. The most significant contributors to being “stuck,” are systematic in that they are cultural and will take much effort to overcome. Some people have positions or work situations that lend to stress chronically (first responders, hospital staff, mental health care staff, etc.). It’s no surprise that anyone in these work scenarios feel exhaustion, overwhelm, burnout. The actions we take, or choose not to take, on account of perceived “inappropriateness” in our social circles also often lead to emotional dead-ends. The binary gender-biased societal norms and expected roles that we are current blossoming beyond really take their tool here. In many ways secretly, in unawareness or obligation. The perceived value of emotional “coolness” or “collectedness” also drives people to deprive themselves of the mental and spiritual real estate needed for complete emotional processing. So what do we do about it?
Drs. Emily and Amelia Nagoski suggest that we give our minds and bodies the resources (i.e, time, space, energy, etc.) they need in order to experience our feelings. Many of the best ways to encourage our natural talent for this are action-oriented. They are the human choices that help the brain and body to feel that it is safe enough to leave our stress-response system and move through the story-like arch that our feelings naturally invoke. Drs. Emily and Amelia Nagoski have identified 7 Efficient Behaviors to Complete the Stress Cycle.
Thus Spake Maek Jan. 4, 2021
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 Thank you ladies, for taking me to schoolBefore you jump to some base conclusion, the title of this blog refers to the wonderful women of all time but most especially a select few from the recent past and a few more presently. There have been many women who have honored me in this life in sharing wisdom and knowledge. I carry the magic their inspiration bestowed to this day. The first were my mom and sister, each their own strong. Then eventually my girl friends and sistahs (or cystahs) with whom I sacredly confided. There were the women teachers through my education who genuinely motivated and cultivated meaningful shared experiences. Curiosity soon brought me to Toni Morrison, Anne Sexton, and J.K. Rowling who opened my eyes to the craft of voice and storytelling. Later on, and somewhat unexpectedly, there was Guru Karam and Xenia Hennington, and Laura M., the female trainers of my Kundalini yoga certification. More recently, my current therapist, who has helped immensely in processing an immense amount of burnout and past trauma. And finally, I have found Brene Brown and her books and podcast Unlocking Us. As I’ve mentioned before, I have a deep respect and love for this womens’ very important work in the world and in our own hearts and minds. In an episode from October of this year (2020) of Unlocking Us, Brene Brown interviews a pair of female identical twin doctors, Emily and Amelia Nagoski. I was struck with joy and intrigue from the moment they began to share. Their co-authored book Burnout- The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle explains emotions and the process of emotions in amazing and insightful ways. I had chills, multiplying across my entire intelligence while listening to this conversation. Just about every system in your body responds to the chemical and electrical cascade activated by emotion.” They go on to explain emotion plainly. I’ve managed to come up with a definition for myself that I judge captures their understanding as well as my own. Emotion: an involuntary neurological reflex with a story-like structure (beginning, middle, and end) that engages our entire intelligence (brain, periphery, and beyond). I , my very being, sings with agreeance when I read this to myself. Dr. Emily and Ameila Nagoski hit the nail on the head with affirmative punctuation.
This definition stands out for me. It codifies my experience of emotion. I’ve always sensed that emotions were strong and that I could feel them with every fiber of my being. Fear is quite powerful and a response that I tend to gravitate to challenge. Yet, heartache, sadness, loneliness. These states have marked economy in terms of corporal experience as well. It is so very gratifying to hear that what I have felt since I have been capable of self-reflection and metacognition is now backed by research- that emotions can and do affect every ounce of us when it comes down to it. It is also measurably validating to come to find that there’s a quality of anonymity to it’s volition- as in, I’m off the hook. “Involuntary” means it’s a feature of my nature and I should accept it, honor and cherish and then move on. I am lifted by this. And to know that emotions have a structure similar to a story in that there is a distinct beginning, middle, and end. I get a sense of nostalgia just reaching for this idea. And a wave of relief that I discern leads to healing in ways I never expected. Being a product of the age of media, the whimsy Disney castle silhouettes a new framework for my perspective of emotion. Just like before, they can inform me of a need, and they can inhabit what feels like everything, literally. But, if I so choose, I can gain perspective and grow as I integrate what I behold. Like catching the latest Pixar flick at the movie theater before coronavirus made that idea completely repulsive. Emotions can and do captivate, because they can teach us. I’m ready for more. Just, wow. I am astounded. I am amazed. So, yes. Thank you from the bottom of my limitless heart. Thank you women for who you are and what you bring. I cherish all that you offer. I stand with you. I hear you and see you. Thus Spake Maek Dec. 15, 2020  "A stone is frozen music."PythagorasIt is said that the famed Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras often used poetry to capture his new understanding of the world after pondering over calculated solutions. The above quote is mentioned in the book Meditation as Medicine: Activate the Power of Your Natural Healing Force by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., and Cameron Stauth as one of his poetic musings. It struck me as particularly beautiful. I also soon imagined the depths of understanding the world as such. There are such a multitude of creation myths that begin with sound- a scream, cry, or word. With this motif considered, it becomes easy to creatively reimagine the world within this new vibrational perspective. Can water, then, be music in motion? And plants, could they be ballads in bloom? That have had time to grow and flourish. What would the songs that make me up sound like? How do I relate to sound, my sounds? And what of the act of, making it? Singing out? Reciting mantra? The authors of Meditation as Medicine go on to describe the varying physiological effects of the act of producing mantra in a meditative state. Researchers have repeatedly recorded many “positive medical results” including: lowered heart rate and blood pressure, reduced stress hormone output, improved production of melatonin, and other measurable effects on the immune and endocrine systems. Sound has a powerful sway on us. It's evident in the presence of music and chanting across cultures and millennia. And in the felt impact of mantra, especially of those in Sanskrit which have been recited traditionally by yogis and other mindfulness-centered practitioners for many generations now. Oh, and did I mention the Beatles, and Elvis, and Gandhi, Toni Morrison, Rumi, Winston Churchill, or Sandra Cisneros. Sound, and the words they impart do in fact entice, inspire, and incite us.
As a writer, I am familiar with the potent magic of ‘finding just the right word/s.’ There is notable majesty in manifesting an idea, helping it to crystallize to its’ most unfurled, most expressive form. Think AI generated fractals printed alive with a 3-D printer of some sort. Our words give ideas form, and people share ideas all day long. Giving special attention, and even actively listening while making sound (like when reciting prayer, or mantra) can be especially satisfying to the frenzied mind. There’s a certain completed perfection. I can sometimes distinctly remember the times when I first got the tongue twisters right in theatre rehearsals as a kid. Betty Botter is still my favorite little ditty for waking up the “ talking brain.” So to that end, I close this post with much consideration. And I say...… Yes, Pythagoras, a stone is frozen music. And so too, are the ripples upon the lake a song, and the wind wrestling through the trees a hymn of ancient wishings. Thus Spake Maek Dec. 9, 2020 A little help getting started... |
Maek ModicaMaek lives in Austin, TX and has been teaching yoga since 2011. Archives
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