Self-Care and Burnout Prevention Plan

In April 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) listed work-related stress or burnout as a syndrome.  WHO defines “syndrome” as a group of symptoms which consistently occur together, and ties burnout to “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”  In another study by Annals of Internal Medicine, doctor burnout is costing the U.S. health care system roughly 4.6 billion dollars a year.  54% of doctors report experiencing at least one symptom of burnout.  

I am in my 30s and I have already experienced two major burnouts in my life that resulted in severe depression.  The first burnout occurred during my first job after college.  I went directly to work for an international business consulting firm in Hawaii right after college.  I bet your first reaction is “oh Hawaii, awesome.”  Yes, even though I was living in paradise, I was miserable. My work was tedious and meaningless. I had no friends and family to hang out with or talk to. Hawaii is a very expensive place to live and my income was meager.  Even with my minimalist lifestyle, I barely could afford to go out and socialize with people of my age.  Even though I lived 5 minutes from a beach, I rarely had the energy and time to go and enjoy it.  The worst part was the shame that I was experiencing, asking questions like “why am I not doing well?” and “why am I failing in my life?”

All of those experiences were symptoms of burnout.  According to the Mayo Clinic, the common signs and symptoms of burnout are:

• Feeling tired and drained most of the time.
• Sense of failure and self-doubt.
• Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated.
• Detachment, feeling alone in the world.
• Loss of motivation.  

Back then, I was young and naive.  I thought I could power it through.  Of course, this approach didn’t work out well.  I ended up with severe depression and anxiety.  So, when I was experiencing my second burnout just a few years ago, I took these actions and inadvertently created this 5-Step Self-Care and Burnout Prevention Plan.

1. Clarity.  I needed to know the causes of my burnout and go to the source.  I asked myself if the burnout was due to this specific profession or just this job.  If it was just this job, then I needed to either do something to improve my conditions within the company or have an exit strategy ASAP.  If it was this profession, then I needed to figure out what other lines of career I was interested in FAST.  Also, did my lifestyle contribute to the burnout?  Was I taking care of my physical, emotional, and mental health?  Was my life balanced or way off balance?

2. My Purpose. After some reflection and seeking out clarity, I found that it was both the job and the profession that was making me depressed and burned out, and my lifestyle was so off balance that I had gained weight, drank a lot, ate unhealthy, and experienced extreme unhappiness. I didn’t want to just jump ship and take another job right away in which I could potentially be stuck in the same situation.  I wanted to find a more permanent solution to break this cycle.  So, I decided to invest in myself, dig deep into my soul, and really search for the purpose of my life.  This process was hard.  This was the time I developed my own Vision Quest process and forced myself to answer the hard questions, such as “What really makes me happy?,” “Are there more than material pleasures?, “What type of work would fill my soul?,” “What type of work would I do every day for free?,” “What excites me?,” “What are the things that would inspire me to get off the bed in the morning and look forward to the day?”  It took me 3 months of Vision Quest, reflection, and research, but I finally found my calling.  The calling was that I wanted to be a professional mental health speaker.  

3. Exit Strategy. Once I knew my purpose, I needed an exit strategy. I was making a career change, so I needed to have a simple plan.  I figured out exactly the amount of money I needed to save to have the capability to quit and transition into my new career.  I drew up a simple business plan for my professional speaking career.  This exit strategy provided me with an end in sight. Even though I was still struggling with burnout, my spirit was lifted with new hope.  I continued to work hard at the job, but started investing my nights and weekends in building my new career.  

4. Support. I know that there is no way I could have done this all by myself. I needed guidance and assistance.  So, I started reconnecting with my mentors and trusted friends.  I ask for their feedback on my exit strategy and new professional speaking plan.  On top of that, I asked for their emotional support.  It is okay to ask for help and it takes courage to ask for help.  Believe it or not, the ones that I considered supportive friends and mentors, they all showed up.  I am extremely grateful for all of them.  

5. Self-Care Plan. During this whole time, (Step 1 to 4), I knew that I HAD to take care of myself physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  So I developed a simple self-care plan. This plan involved a consistent morning routine that included short meditation, daily gratitude, and reading, 1-hour of me-time for my wellness, and minimally 30 minutes of reading inspirational books.  This simple self-care plan grounded me on a daily basis and provided me with clarity and focus. In return, I am experiencing a tremendous increase in my efficiency and productivity. 

If you are experiencing burnout and are unsure of how to free yourself, I am here for you .