Looking after yourself and others Jo Heslop Head of Occupational Health

Burnout Occupational burnout is typically and particularly found within human service professions. Professions with high levels of burnout include social workers, nurses, teachers, lawyers, medical practitioners, customer service representatives, and police officers. One reason why burnout is so prevalent within the human services field is due in part to the high-stress work environment and emotional demands of the job.

What is burnout? Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place. Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.

Looking after yourself Jug of Life Energy in Energy out Thew M. 2011

Energy Drainers Time with family Suppliers Holiday problems Commuting Work Suppliers Time with family Holidays Cycling Work Socialising Gardening

What do you do when your energy is draining?

What should you do to maintain or increase your energy levels?

Achieving a more balanced lifestyle What would I like to do more of? What would I like to do less of? What are the barriers preventing you from doing this? Discuss ways to lift the barriers. Start with simple changes.

Portable relaxation techniques Abdominal breathing “Tranquillity” technique Touch technique

Abdominal breathing Breathe out through your mouth as far as you can go and concentrate on letting go of any tension around your tummy. Keeping tummy relaxed, take slow deep breath in through your nose, making sure tummy rises with the in breath. Hold your breath for a moment and breath out slowly through your mouth. Let your shoulders relax and notice your tummy falls with the out breath. Do this 3 times.

Tranquillity technique Think of the word TRANQUILLITY Say it to your self silently several times. Think of a colour you associate with the word. Think of a place that means TRANQUILLITY to you. Imagine you are there and in your mind explore – what can you see, hear and smell?

Touch technique Use an object that fits in your hand and is smooth an pleasant to touch – perhaps a stone or a crystal. Close your eyes. Use the thumb to stroke the object and concentrate only on your thumb and how it feels. Do this for a couple of minutes.

Looking after others Who are the “others” in your life? Children Partner Parents Friends Colleagues Students Neighbours Pets

“Looking after” colleagues Be friendly but respect privacy Don’t be judgmental Be sensitive to issues which may offend Keep confidences when asked Appreciate that everyone copes differently Don’t exclude colleagues Understand your boundaries and limitations Do not promise things you cannot deliver

Managers looking after team Communication – formal and informal Ensure clarity of job role Ensure adequate training and appropriate equipment for the job Ensure workload fair Don’t set unrealistic or unnecessary deadlines Address performance and behaviour issues Don’t make false promises but manage expectation Feedback

Triggers for distress Illness of self or family Financial worries Work Exams Relationship issues Underlying mental health issues

Recognising distress in others Increased absence from work Appearing nervous/anxious/tearful Looking tired Lack of focus Not socialising Lack of energy Poor personal hygiene Change in eating habits Unusual behaviour

Differences between men and women in distress Sharing problems Aggression Tears Logical thinking/emotional thinking Alcohol abuse Anxiety

Practical support Listening Encouraging them to see GP, contact Stepchange, CAB etc Suggesting they speak to line manager, HR, Occupational Health, Staff Counselling, Trade Unions Helping with workload

Know your limits Trying to help too much can leave you feeling drained/having too much work to do etc. You are not expected to be part of someone's “treatment”. Without knowledge or training you could do more harm than good in the long term.

Summary Unless you look after yourself, you will not be fit to look after others. Be helpful and considerate but learn to say no.

Life! Life is not fair. There is no answer to “why me?” Sometimes the only thing you can control is your attitude/response. Being upset or angry in response to a difficult situation is not wrong – taking it out on others probably is. The only person that can change you is you.