#44: Talia Sierra and Heidi Brown: Two Physician Assistant moms who took back control
Burnout can affect every aspect of your life and your ability to function. It's extremely common and can occur at any time, even 5 years after starting work.
You can still love your career and be burned out.
Use your mess to be your message. Heidi and Talia both went through burnout and used it as a message to help others.
Notice if you're thinking about ways to escape work, including internal debates about never returning from vacation.
Time off won't cure burnout but it can help you discern what you really want in life.
Burnout is a systemic problem, not necessarily a problem with you not doing enough self-care like mediation. Doing more exercise isn't going to help with a structural problem. Taking one day off doesn't change the situation when you come back.
Setting boundaries is an ongoing necessity. Constantly assess how you're giving away your time and energy. Put up fences and have clear expectations about what you expect from your assistants so you don't end up doing your job and their job.
People have the misperception they can "get over" burnout. Like weight loss, you manage it, it's not something you cure and never have to deal with again.
To figure out what your "thing" is, think of something you're passionate about, something you'd like to spread awareness about, or something that gets you fired up.
Boundaries aren't about saying no to others, it's about saying YES to you. If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of others.
You'll never get to where you want to be without analyzing and visualizing what it is you want. Once you know what you want, you need to communicate it. Others can't intuit what you need.
The only difference between whining and progress is having a solution. Once you think of some solutions, you can advocate for yourself and put power back into your control.
Don't have a gripe fest. Take back control. We choose our destinies. Ask yourself what you're gaining by being stuck and being a victim. If you step up to the plate you have to make changes. The healthcare system (or education system or wherever you work) may be broken and yes, there are things you have no control over, but there are plenty of things you DO have control over.
https://www.theburnclinic.com/
