4 Tips to Rebound from Burnout
OR HOW TO AVOID IT ALL TOGETHER
I’ve hit a wall. More than once. And more than I like to admit.
I bet you have as well.
Let’s be honest and call it what it is.
Burnout.
Be it as a result of doing too much. Poor work-life balance. Or a multitude of others factors that result from exhaustion due to overwhelming stress. But regardless of the reason, there are ways to rebound from burnout and avoid it in the first place.
I’ve grown weary of watching ministry leaders burn out or wear out because they lack proper soul-care or self-care (which honestly are the same thing). So can you reverse burnout? Of course, you can.
Last week, I presented on this topic at a pastor’s conference in Italy. And honestly, I bared my heart and bled on the floor. Because this topic isn’t theoretical for me. It’s real and recent. So I held nothing back to connect to the need I knew was in the room.
When we talk about soul-care or self-care, we have to stop talking about our spiritual life and start including the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. That means it’s time to get serious about issues like our exercise, diet, sleep, and work-life balance as much as our time with God.
So what steps can you take to rebound from burnout apart from the usual concepts of praying more and spending more time with the Lord?
HERE ARE A FEW PROVEN TIPS:
GET A JOURNAL AND USE IT (FOR MORE THAN A WEEK)
Rebounding from anything is next to impossible if you refuse to admit your situation. Face it. Ministry (life in general) is stressful. So why do so few ministry leaders feel the freedom to acknowledge this reality? Maybe we can begin by admitting it to ourselves by writing it down. I have used a couple of tools to accomplish this task: 1. Moleskin journal (I prefer a pencil and a hardcopy record.) 2. Evernote or DayOne (both of these are versatile and straightforward apps with free versions for almost any device).
[ As you record events, don’t just recall ministry-related matters that occur. Stress happens at home, in relationships, even in traffic. Maybe the source is financial, relational, medical. Regardless of the source, please write it down and record how you feel about it. As you track your triggers, you will have a record to review where stress originates from and how it may affect the quality of your life.]GET A HANDLE ON WHAT TRIGGERS YOUR STRESS
Many people are either unaware of how stress impacts their lives or unwilling to admit it’s a problem for them. If you don’t understand the cause, you may not recognize the toll it takes on you—body, mind, and spirit—until it’s too late. Remember, ministry is not who you are—it’s what you do. Don’t be so busy saving the world that you don’t take a break and remember life before burnout.
[Last August, I came to the place where I determined it was time for retirement from ministry. But after some self-reflection, wise counsel, and professional help, I realized I was inadvertently causing my stress because I refused to say no. The workload I was carrying was robbing me of the joy of ministry. When you discover and understand your trigger, you must make some hard decisions and take steps to avoid those situations—even at the cost of losing your job or changing careers. Find a new balance, or find yourself in a precarious place.]GET REAL HELP FROM PROFESSIONALS (LICENSED)
“Pride comes before the fall” isn’t just a good idea to present in a sermon. But way too many ministry leaders refuse to accept it as wisdom for their own lives for one reason—pride itself. Burnout is embarrassing because you’re supposed to have it all together, right? We need to drop the facade and let go of shame to seek appropriate treatment before burnout becomes an even more significant problem that impacts our lives.
[In case you’re considering a shortcut, know that reading a book or a few blogs about burnout isn’t therapy. And people you might serve with in ministry probably aren’t experts. Some ways are better than others to help you rebound from burnout and manage the stress triggers you’re recognizing. Don’t be too proud or ashamed to seek a licensed therapist for help instead of trying to rebound on your own.]GET OUT OF YOUR OFFICE AND GET IN YOUR STEPS
If there’s a better way to clear your mind and remove the results of stress on your body than exercise, I don’t know it. For many, burnout coincides with their lack of physical activity because they are too busy working on everyone else’s life but their own. I admit this was a fault of mine, too. Exercise could wait until tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next. But when I finally determined to make myself a priority and put myself first to best care for others, exercise became a daily ritual for me again after years of neglect. And I love how I feel.
[If you are trying to avoid burnout or are currently rebounding from burnout and haven’t been physically active, pace yourself and start slow. Baby steps lead to great strides. Start by walking. Or spend time stretching. In time, you can eventually increase your activity. As you do, you’ll feel less burdened and more emboldened. For now, commit to moving every day.]
There are undoubtedly additional tips and ideas you can implement. But if you at least start with these four, you can significantly reduce the risk of burnout before it happens or rebound from it once it does. Avoiding it altogether is the goal.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., is attributed with the quote, “Some people are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good.” Sometimes that’s hard for ministry leaders to swallow because of their commitment to what they perceive as their calling. But many of these same men and women who burn the candle at both ends for the sake of Christ as also many of those who risk burnout in their lives because they ignore or refuse to see the warning signs staring them in the face.
Here’s my last word on this topic for today. Don’t be afraid of a change of occupation. You can have an incredible impact for the kingdom of God using the skills, talents, expertise, and experience you have gained over the years in another field or profession. Sometimes, the ministry takes such a toll on you that burnout may not be as effective as reinventing yourself to accomplish something different.
If that’s your situation and you’d like some help, look at my services pages. I’ve been in your shoes, and I’m here to help.
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If you need help with the subject matter of this blog for your personal or professional life, please contact me to discuss one-on-one options. I will reply to you personally.
