5 Ways You Might be Experiencing Burnout as a Helping Professional:
Written by Amanda Sharp, MA, AMFT and therapist at Thrive Therapy Santa Barbara
Many people who work in helping professions, like therapists, social workers, nurses, and teachers, often find themselves struggling with burnout. Here are five indicators that you might be experiencing burnout yourself:
1. Compassion fatigue and emotional exhaustion
Have you noticed that you have not been emotionally available for your spouse or friends like you used to? Did you enter this profession because you care about people and want to help others, but you are now catching yourself with a decreased sense of empathy in your interactions, both personal and professional? Compassion fatigue stems from our desire to alleviate the pain of others and carrying their emotional pain, potentially leading to a decrease in empathy towards those in our own lives.
2. Questioning if you are in the right career
Burnout might lead helping professionals to doubt if they picked the right career path. They might envy the jobs of their friends and look into switching careers. The positive and rewarding aspects of your career path might be overshadowed by the exhaustion and stress you are currently experiencing.
3. Loss of motivation and isolation
Have you noticed a decrease in motivation to engage in activities that bring you joy? Are you declining invites to see friends on the weekends because you feel socially drained? Sometimes we can be so overwhelmed from helping our clients/patients, that we have little to no motivation to do anything else after work and need time to “recover.”
4. Developing a more cynical and negative perspective
Have you noticed that you are allowing more negative thoughts to creep in your mind? You might be experiencing more negativity and having a difficult time finding the positive aspects of life. The constant exposure to challenging life events and injustice can warp our worldview, leading to a more negative outlook.
5. Vicarious Trauma
Hearing stories about abuse, trauma, and injustice daily takes a toll on us. As you witness or hear about your client’s or patient’s trauma, you may also internalize it. Your own body and mind absorb that trauma as well.
You hold space for everyone else, but who holds space for you?
Having experienced burnout during my journey as a therapist, I’ve learned to value the importance of prioritizing my own well-being in order to prevent burnout and provide the best support to my clients. If any of these signs resonate with you, it is important that you are receiving the support you need so you can continue helping others. Therapy can be a transformative space to identify any patterns that may be leading to burnout, while also learning helpful ways to manage stress and cultivate resilience. We encourage you to book a complimentary consultation with one of our compassionate therapists at Thrive Therapy to learn more about our services. Your well-being matters, and we are here to support you along the way.
about thrive therapy
Thrive Therapy Santa Barbara is located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara and offers in person therapy in our mountain view office and telehealth sessions throughout the state of California.
Thrive holds significant meaning for us. To thrive means: to grow through the hard things we go through. And when paired with therapy, we can’t imagine a better way to describe the heart, grit and tenacity it takes to do the brave work of looking inward, gently and kindly unlearn, heal and hold space for the lived experiences we’ve journeyed through.
At Thrive Therapy we believe that therapy should feel inviting, warm and create a container to feel comfortable to open up. Enjoy a cup of a coffee or a la croix from our fridge, make yourself comfortable on our cozy white linen couch and enjoy our fiddle plants and neutral aesthetic as you sink into the moment and engage in your session. Reach out today to schedule a complimentary consultation.