Burn Out
You just passed your field exam, have business cards hot off the press and landed
your first assigned clients – burnout is the furthest thing from your mind. Because you are
so passionate, you may be the most unprotected from burnout. You want to jump in and
get to work, but you need to get some cash and establish yourself first. However, many
veterans in the human service field will tell you, now is the best time to take the steps to
prevent burnout. You do not.
You wake one morning to the familiar sound of your alarm clock. A few months
ago, you would have thrown back the covers and jumped out of bed in excitement of the
day ahead. Today, you search for the “snooze” button. You just do not feel like going in.
The job you took six-months ago seemed like the best idea in the world - great
company, great people, lots of experiences and excitement. However, downsizing has left
you understaffed, too large caseloads left you out of the loop, and a heavier than average
workload has left you completely exhausted. You are blazing down the road to burnout –
a condition that comes after a drawn out period of on the job frustration due to any
number of stress factors. Whatever the cause, in an industry like human services, where
the only constant is change, burnout happens.
The higher ups in management would have you feel that burnout is your fault.
They may say, “These people are incompetent,” or “They just have an attitude
problem.” If you are feeling dragged down by your job, take a hard look at how you
might be able to work with your employer to create a workplace that fits and supports
you. Just as office equipment is constantly being redesigned to prevent injuries or
disability, so can the social and psychological aspects of work be modified to prevent
Burnout Paper 3
burnout. Studies show that workers who actively address problems in the workplace
report less...
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