Mindfulness: Thoughts on burnout

Thoughts on burnout...

a response to Unlocking Us podcast Oct. 14, 2020

I 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.
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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.”
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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?
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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. 

1. Physical activity- exercise, yoga, walking, running
2. Breathing- slow calm breaths, or centering breath practice (helps down regulate the central nervous system)
3. Positive social interaction- hug, high five, genuine smile
4. Laughter- knowing, real 
5. Affection - 20 sec. Hug, 
6. Good cry - get it out!
7. Creative expression - Carrie Fisher “Take your broken heart and turn it into art”

Thus Spake Maek
Jan. 4, 2021