If you believe there is nothing you can do about your burnout, you are making the problem worse for yourself. Many people throw their hands up when I ask them about their work stress and potential burnout. They say there is nothing to be done. It’s a staffing issue. It’s a systemic problem. It’s not their job, it’s the “other stuff” like interpersonal dynamics workplace culture “the way things are right now” These mindsets are a major contribution to burnout. Last year, the World Health Organization declared that burnout is a health problem. It’s defined by the symptoms of: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job reduced professional efficacy I believe that one core feeling underpins all three of these symptoms clusters: powerlessness. So yes,     . . . read more

In these short videos, Hannah Curtis, LCSW, gives an overview of burnout, how to identify it, and what to do about it—including skills, scripts, and tips you can start using today. Beat Burnout If you are hard-working but know burnout is real and costing you too much emotionally and physically, this video is for you. Clarity and Intention An important early step to beating burnout is clarifying your roles and intention. Defining Own Your Success How often are you trying to achieve something outside of your control? Be in charge of how you feel about yourself and your work. Skills, Scripts, and Tips Get the skills, scripts, and tips to beat burnout.  

“No one knows this because it seems like I have it all together, but inside I’m dying.” When you hear people’s deep dark secrets like I do as a therapist, you hear things like this frequently. This is because basically every human I interact with is going through something similar: the profound pressure to do “the right thing” in every area of life, while making it look easy. And expecting it to feel good. It’s the promise and temptation of being one life hack, career goal, or achievement away from perfection. You can be: as slim as a nearly disembodied head with barely a body to hold it up as productive as a super computer as cool and interesting as a celebrity (and employ a staff to pull that off) all while also having a loving relationship and friends. And     . . . read more

What comes to mind when you think of burnout? We can often identify burnout when it has already happened: Real fatigue Complete lack of motivation Decrease in productivity Attitude change that is noticeable to colleagues or our family members Beating burnout, however, requires that we catch it well before it becomes a real threat to our well-being. A key to having some balance between work and personal is being proactive in catching burnout when begins to form—not when it’s about to sink us. What is burnout? When I talk about burnout, the thing I’m thinking about is energy. In my definition, burnout is about expending more energy than we are creating. That’s the first clue: burnout isn’t about some objective measure like number of hours worked or numbers of tasks you complete. It’s an energy debt. Identifying burnout before it     . . . read more

When boundaries are done right, they feel like a gift. When done poorly, they feel like a punishment. There is a lot of confusion about what it means to have boundaries and how exactly to “do” them. This holiday season, let’s do boundaries well. So well, no one even knows you are “doing” them. In that spirit, my gift to you is a simple, three-step action plan to happy, healthy boundaries for the holiday season. Read more…