Burnout
“You don’t burnout because of what you do. You burn out because of what you don’t do.
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Over the last decade, burnout has become an increasing phenomena. It causes emotional exhaustion, depersonilization, and reduced performance. According to a 2014 psychological science article, burnout comes in 3 varieties:
1). Overload Burnout: The employee that overworks him/herself until exhaustion.
2). Depersonalization and Cynicism: The person that is bored with too much time on their hands.
3). Wornout Subtype: The person who gives up in the face of stress.
Burnout can hit any person or professional, even pastors, as you read in the statistic above.
According to Merriam Webster, burnout is: the condition of someone who has become very physically and emotionally tired after doing a difficult job for a long time.
To that I think Jesus would say what He already said: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28-30)
Yes, it is easier said than done on what I am about to say, but I believe it is true: the only way to get control over a potential burnout is plugging into Jesus and spending time reading His Word, which will provide clarity, perspective, and refreshment.
“Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
What does this look like, to plug into Jesus? For one it may mean pulling away from a list of life’s demands and sometimes that may even mean scaling down church activities. For another it may mean getting a Christian counselor to help you work through past issues. Or, it might mean simply needing to reset priorities and spend more time in God’s Word and meditating on key Scriptures. For some it may mean taking up a new activity, traveling more or doing things that haven’t been able to be done. Or, for one it may mean simply journaling.
All in all, we are responsible for our lives. And we must put the most important priorities first: # 1- Seeking God and His righteousness. #2- Making time for ourselves. There is no need to feel guilty about taking time for yourself. Yes, Scripture is clear about us needing to help others, but It is also clear about needing to be roosted and refreshed in God. Then and only then will everyone else in your life that needs things from you will get what they need in the time they need it from a well-balanced you.
A few words of wisdom from Propel Women:
Recreation is so important because it’s literally a way God can “re-create” us. When we spend time alone with Him, experience the beautiful world He’s created, and enjoy fun activities with family and friends, we’re not only having a good time or taking a break from work. We’re also allowing God to reshape us, remind us what’s important and potential. God’s original creation included an entire Sabbath for this reason and He still wants to recreate our hearts as we rest in Him.
Happy Friday! xx
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[1] Statistics and facts about stress and burnout, http://www.statista.com/topics/2099/stress-and-burnout/
[2] Pastor Burnout Statistics,
*Photo courtesy of: stress.about.com