Our Battle with the Big Bad Burnout
Have you ever felt burnt out?
I think we use that phrase pretty casually in conversation these days, but when burnout symptoms become more severe, they should be taken very seriously. In fact, the increase of workplace burnout among healthcare professionals in recent years is now frequently referred to as an epidemic.
The symptoms of workplace burnout, however, are very similar to those of caretaker burnout, otherwise known as parental burnout.
If you’re like me, you’ll appreciate my analogy of the workhorse. I’m not always great at identifying my limits and boundaries. I’m the one who will happily add more weight to my load with a smile on my face, sure that I can manage it with ease. And I can. Until I can’t.
I’m a single mom, so I’m finding my footing in a role that felt very unfamiliar to me at first. So many of my days follow a similar pattern of getting my kids ready and out the door, driving them to where they need to go, and then getting myself to work. Throughout the day, I shift gears, focusing on my tasks at work, all the while wondering what I’m going to prepare for dinner for two active toddlers who seem to change their food preferences every day. The beloved lasagna, a specialty of mine, was once a fan favorite, but now, when I place it in front of my four-year-old, he triumphantly declares that he “hates ‘zagna!” And once dinner is done, it’s the hour long bedtime routine of bath time and pajamas and stories and more stories, and then a couple more stories. And then I finally have that coveted “me time” to load the dishwasher and finally sweep away the crumbs leftover from breakfast. And when I finally collapse on the couch… or let’s be honest, the bed, I hardly even know what to do with myself.
And so it happened. I got bit by the big bad burnout. And boy, did it sting.
I felt exhausted and numb. I found it difficult to concentrate, to care. I was present in my body, but somewhere else in my mind. I felt like I was lost in the deepest darkest pits of despair. And then to add insult to injury, I felt guilty about how I was feeling.
When a friend asked me what I needed, I told her I didn’t know. An escape from my life maybe? Not permanently of course… but maybe just a week or two.
I kept hoping that I would wake up cured. I kept hoping that I’d wake up refreshed and ready. Instead, the feelings lingered.
My friend reminded of the often quoted scripture that says,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
When she shared it with me, I felt my shoulders relax a little bit.
But she went on to share more. She reminded me to consider what Paul is sharing earlier in that passage (remember: context is everything!)
“Therefore, in order to keep me from being conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-8
God’s response to Paul’s desperate pleading is not to remove the obstacle. Instead, God reminds Paul who he is and encourages him that his grace is sufficient, even in the midst of his torment.
God’s response to me is rarely what I want it to be. It’s rarely what I think I need it to be. But it’s always good. I don’t always see the goodness right away though. I don’t always understand the torment, or the exhaustion, or the burnout. I often forget that his plan is bigger than me and bigger than my circumstances. God was preparing Paul for something more. Maybe he’s preparing me too. Maybe he’s preparing you.
If you’ve been bit by the big bad burnout, take heart, and get the help that you need. Reach out to your support system, share with friends you can trust, seek wise counsel, and find time to reflect on who God is and what he’s trying to share with you during this season. His grace is sufficient… even for you.
