Speech Pathologists, Combat Burnout

Hi Speechie Friends!

Burnout is real.  I have to brag about Speech Pathologists.  Don’t we have the best brains?  You all seem to have fantastic, insightful, creative minds.  Maybe I’m partial.  We just have the best ideas. Where things can get wonky is when we:

1. Over-think

2. Over-explain

3. Over-work

Over thinking

Some of us are spending waaaaay too much time thinking.  I catch myself doing it too.  It’s because I don’t want to make a decision and have it be wrong.  So instead I think and think and ponder meanwhile getting very little accomplished—this IS WRONG.  I have !@#t to do and overthinking everything is keeping me from things I would like to get done.  At times we are too afraid to decide and commit to something.  This is part of our work and we need to practice being quick at it.  So what if it’s wrong!   Sitting there pondering for hours, days, weeks is also very wrong.  Ain’t nobody got time for that.    Yes, I decided and committed to use the word ain’t in this post and it’s wrong. Nobody died.  Deal with it.   hee hee.

Over explaining

This goes along with over thinking, but we make it worse.  We can’t make a decision so we go around…explaining, complaining, clarifying, getting opinions.  Yes, I  totally get it. I agree, bouncing things off your colleagues can be helpful.  Where it leads to burnout is when we depend on being acknowledged to move forward.  When we absolutely must have some agreement with others in order to make a decision-  It holds us back and sets us up for feeling anxious, blaming others and wears away at your confidence.  Make your best decision. Move forward. Learn.

Over working

Doesn’t it feel amazing to cross things off of your to-do list?  I agree, it does.  The problem is; we use the act of crossing things off our to do list for the soul purpose of relieving anxiety.  Maybe you’ve caught yourself thinking… If I just write this report tonight, I will feel so much better.  I won’t have to worry about it.  The problem with this type of thinking is that there are always more reports to write, more students, more lesson plans…The days keep coming and so do the “to do’s”.  You might feel a little better for a few hours but there will be more; BAM!  you feel anxious, overwhelmed again… and again.  Overworking yourself in an attempt to make yourself feel better will backfire long term.  Depending on checking things off your to do list to feel better is setting you up for perpetual overwhelm.  

Dear Speech Pathologists,  All of this “over-ing”  is taking too much of your precious time.  Get more time and practice this week

Combat Burnout Challenge

1. Make a decision quickly.   Commit to it.  Decide to love your decision no matter what.  Even if you find out later, it was wrong, it’s still a win- win… you either win or learn.  Either way, you win.
2. Trust yourself more.  Make your best decision and move on without needing input.  You will learn more and it will build your confidence, even if you make a bunch of mistakes.
3. Prioritize and decide on 2-3 tasks to complete in a day.  Understand that there will always be things on your to do list and that’s awesome.  It means there is work to be done and uhm…you’re gettin’ paper.  Yes, you will certainly do it, but drop the incessant anxiety.    Any additional accomplishments are a bonus.  Otherwise, it will be there tomorrow.

I made a Combat Burnout Reminder Card for you.