You ARE NOT ALONE! Here’s the Real Truth about YOUR BURNOUT…
60% of Healthcare Professionals report experiencing significant workplace stress and are on the verge of BURNOUT…
50% of First responder Professionals report experiencing significant workplace stress and are on the verge of BURNOUT…
As of 9/2021, 80% of Physicians and Nurses report COVID affecting their mental health and physical health!
Does this help lift a little of your anxiety knowing that you are one of the majority and not one of the few?
Let’s think about a quick scenario…
I want you to imagine sitting in your favorite park.
It is a beautiful day. If you like the summer, it is warm and breezy out. If you are a spring/fall kind of person, then it is a nice brisk cool weather day. You are watching the children play on the nearby playground and are enjoying your favorite beverage and eating your favorite snack. Your favorite friend or family member is sitting next to you. (Don’t have a favorite person, then let’s imagine your favorite super hero is at your side.) You are enjoying the nearby activities of trees bustling in the breeze, feeling the warmth of the sun on your face, and enjoying the pleasantries exchanged with your favorite person.
When all of a sudden…
A bird flies over and starts pecking you.
You quickly realize this annoyance and swat it away.
The bird leaves.
You begin to wonder how stupid it was that this bird started pecking you and find yourself quite puzzled. You and your friend decide to leave to return another day.
Another day or so go by and you are really enjoying your conversation when…
The bird returns for its’ pecking and decides to bring another bird friend with it to provide more pecking. At this point, you are a little more annoyed, swat the birds away and then start discussing with your friend how crazy the birds are this time of year.
You decide to finish your conversation and return another day to enjoy this park.
As you meet up a few days later, you find yourselves talking about the birds and how crazy it was, however, now you are a little more on edge and guarded than you were previously. As you continue talking with your friend, you find yourself zoning out of the conversation to look for more birds and keep a keen eye on the horizon. As you return to your conversation…
A flock of birds come to start pecking on you and your friend and you find yourself just letting the birds do their pecking.
After all, it is annoying, yet you have become accustomed to this annoyance over the past few days and enjoy the presence of the avian creatures.
A few weeks go by and you have visited the park with your friend, enjoyed the presence (and hated pecking) of the birds and decide to return to your favorite location again. As you return, the birds slowly meander towards you and this time you welcome them with open arms. the pecking ensues and…
YOU SOON FORGET HOW AMAZING THE PARK WAS BEFORE THE BIRDS BEGAN PECKING.
You may find this story odd and one that doesn’t make much sense. Allow me to explain.
Just like in the park, there are things you once loved in your workplace. Perhaps it was the thrill of adventure. Or maybe it was the ability to care for others. Maybe it was the freedom to contribute to society for the “greater good”. Or perhaps it was to give back to those who gave something to you.
Whatever your WHY, here’s the truth about YOUR BURNOUT…
Just like the pecking, there are things in your work that you never anticipated such as Code Blue, workplace violence, house fires, etc. (secondary trauma). These events caused you emotional (and physical) harm and you found yourself moving away from the GREEN zone into the YELLOW zone. In time, the more you were exposed to these stressors, the more harm it caused (compassion fatigue) and you began to shift into the ORANGE zone. You may have witnessed yourself changing emotionally, but after all, you have to remain “tough” and “cold” because that how you were trained by the person training you. The more you lived in the ORANGE zone the more comfortable you became. In time, because you were never allowed (or encouraged) to shift back into the YELLOW or GREEN zones, you continued to embrace the stress injury you experienced. The more trauma you experienced the further you went into the ORANGE or RED zones.