One Breath Away From Burnout

One Breath Away from Burnout

EXHAUSTED. Bored. Frustrated. Unfulfilled.

These are the words that best describe me when I’m burned out. When I’m used up. When I’m at the end of my rope. Or when I feel like I’m trying hard but not getting anywhere.

I can feel it coming on like a bad cold. I get cranky. I’m short with people. I’m anxious. And I don’t sleep well.

But rather than pull the covers back over my head, I know I should fight this malady. I must counter this condition of discontent or frustration before it’s too late, before it takes me and my family down. So how do I revive myself?

I take my cue from the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, of all places. In describing resuscitation, Wikipedia says “CPR is unlikely to restart the heart, but rather its purpose is to maintain a flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and the heart, thereby delaying tissue death and extending the brief window of opportunity for a successful resuscitation without permanent brain damage.”^a Yes. Exactly. I want to thwart any more brain damage when dealing with family, work, and self!

If the objective is to stop our physical or emotional exhaustion—or worse, apathy—before it occurs, I think we should consider and address a few of the root causes that fuel the symptoms of our personal, spiritual, professional, and relational burnout. Over the next few days, we’ll examine some of the driving forces behind burnout and discover new ways to reinvigorate a bored body, a frustrating job, an unfulfilled spirit, and an exhausted heart.

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

As handsome as they might be, I’m not waiting for the paramedics to begin my resuscitation.

^a Wikipedia, s.v. “cardiopulmonary resuscitation,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiopulmonary_resuscitation.