| Written By Jeremy Bouris, LPCC The problem with burnout is that it’s most often a slow sneaky burn. It creeps up on you. When we allow ourselves to move from one hurried event to the next our heart WILL become a hollow and empty shell of itself. We aren’t designed to run on empty (Matt. 11:28). Signs of Burnout In Chuck DeGroat’s great new book Healing What’s Within the pastor/counselor compares signs of burnout to a “car dashboard” with both yellow and red warning lights. Here is what one client of his came up with for their dashboard: Yellow Warning Lights (Caution) · Sadness · IBS · Withdrawal · Heartburn · Irritation · Shame · Angry Red Warning Lights (Danger) · Emptiness · Fear · Desperation · Self-Judgement · Sleeplessness · Exhaustion · Lack of Self-Care While many of us might not be aware of it, your internal “check engine light system” exists and is operational. The only question is whether we know what to look for and are we willing to look? The Power of “Hello” The good news about any internal experience is that it only has power when it remains invisible and/or goes unnamed. Thus, one of the most powerful responses to burnout is to greet it with a good old-fashioned, “Hello.”[1] Letting it know you see it, and your not running from it. “Hello,” defeats many of our heart’s enemies: denial, repression, avoidance, guilt, and shame. “Hello, burnout” is a way to show compassionate witness to your inner world and brings with it an invitation to self-reflection. So, the next time you are getting irritated with inconveniences, or find yourself waking in the middle of the night, simply speak to yourself the words: “Hello, burnout.” While obviously a simple greeting is not a complete conversation, but compassionate awareness will be a solid first step to recovery. |
Read
Healing What’s Within by Chuck DeGroat
Listen
Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer
Watch
Burnout in Leadership
Jeremy Bouris
Staff Therapist & Director
Jeremy has been on staff at Bayside since 2020 and his graduate education was completed at Covenant Seminary in both Counseling and Divinity. He has extensive experience working with couples and individuals; specializing in sexual addiction, trauma, and spiritual abuse.