Part III - Two Burnout Prevention Strategies

By Mark Gorkin, LICSW
"The Stress Doc"™

Developing Natural SPEED and Psychological Hardiness

The first two sections of this series focused on:

1. Understanding "The Four Stages of Burnout"
   1. Physical, Mental, and Emotional Exhaustion
   2. Shame and Doubt
   3. Cynicism and Callousness
   4. Failure, Helplessness, and Crisis

2. A Three-Step Recovery Process

   1. Good Grief
   2. Four R's of Rehabilitation and Rejuvenation
   3. Transition and Diversification

The final segment will present two burnout prevention strategies:

1. My formula for developing Natural SPEED
2. The concept of "Psychological Hardiness"

Natural SPEED

Here's the Stress Doc's guidelines for reducing chronic stress and for preventing burnout: Develop "Natural SPEED":

S = Sleep
If I may be lyrical, don't be cheap with your need for sleep. It's nature's way to ebb and flow and help you grow. While recent research questions the health benefits of excessive sleep (over eight hours) a pattern of less than six hours for most people yields cognitive impairment, that is, a loss of mental sharpness. Lack of sleep, not just all work, makes Jack and Jill dull. Also, sleep research supports brief napping (10-40 minutes) during the day for mind-body rejuvenation.

P = Priorities
In a "do more with less" world, it's imperative to grasp two organizational and interpersonal maxims:

1. Pareto Principle (named for an Italian sociologist).
   80% of your results are produced by 20% of your activities. So focus on the strategic when problem-solving or trying to be productive. The principle also means you can drop 4/5 of what you are doing without feeling guilty. ;-)

2. N & N
   Establishing limits on and boundaries with others is critical for generating positive expectations and achievable goals, especially when quantity and quality are paramount. The essential tool: the ability to say "No" and to "Negotiate." In other words, don't "Just do it." Tactfully yet assertively discuss what's "urgent" (must get done now) versus what's "important" (which gets prioritized) as well as develop manageable timelines. There really can be life after deadlines!

E = Empathy
Many folks place their own stress in perspective by helping or, at least, supportively listening to others. Just make sure the shoulder lending is not a one-way transaction. If you are always the pillar, those who lean on you may not be quick to see when you're feeling shaky. This is especially likely if you habitually play a heroic, self-denying superman or superwoman role. At work and/or in your home life, have at least one stress buddy with whom you can let your hair down (especially on a "bad hair day." As a t-shirt purchased for an ex-girlfriend proclaimed: "How can I control my life when I can't control my hair!")

E = Exercise
The benefit of regular exercise is both physical and psychological. Thirty minutes of vigorous, non-stop, large muscle movement activity - brisk walking, swimming, bike riding, dancing, etc. - releases brain chemicals called endorphins which are the mind-body's natural mood enhancers and pain relievers. It's less a runner's high and more that we can step back and see things with a calmer disposition and fresher perspective. Also, exercise itself can be a positive ritual. When everything's up in the air, doing a 2-3 mile walk or jog creates a beginning and end point for a tangible sense of accomplishment and control. And as we'd say in N'Awlins, the "lagniappe" or added benefit: "I like feeling virtuous!"

D = Diet
More than a waistline is at stake. A diet high in saturated fats (red meat, whole milk products, fried oyster po-boys; it was tough eating sensibly in "The Big Easy") and simple sugars (sodas, chips and cookies and excessive chocolate; sorry folks) induces drowsiness and mental torpor, not to mention clogged arteries. And too much alcohol and caffeine is a roller coaster headache -- moodiness or depression often follows aggression and agitation. Balancing protein, fruits and vegetables, complex carbs, grains, nuts and sufficient water is vital for optimal energy and alertness along with cardiovascular health. Remember, a mind is a terrible thing to waist!

Psychological Hardiness

"Psychological Hardiness" is a concept developed by Dr. Suzanne Kobasa and her research team while studying the health of AT&T executives during the stressful breakup of Ma Bell. Some execs were having a hard time physically and emotionally. Others were coping effectively with the transitional storm. The most hardy executives demonstrated what I've called the Four "C"s of Psychological Hardiness:

1. Commitment
   The hardiest executives, in general, were not happy about the major restructuring and resulting turbulence. However, they also did not just cruise or slack off. They were determined to do quality work. At the same time they didn't just have a work life. These hardy execs had a "life": they received support from family, friends, colleagues, and spiritual activities as well as from hobbies. Do you have a hobby that you truly enjoy or feel passionate about? Hobbies allow you to take time out; they allow you to both stimulate and nurture yourself. Hobbies may be quiet like quilting or painting active like hiking, gardening or cycling. These execs were committed to balance.
2. Control
   The hardy execs also had a realistic sense of control, and less rigid need to wield it. They understood the necessity of giving up (at least in the short term) some turf positions and status posturing. For example, during an office restructuring, you know the person who grabs his favorite chair and bellows a warning cry: "This is my chair. Nobody's getting this chair!" That kind of rigid possessiveness will create problems.

   The hardy executives ability to confront setbacks and to get out of their defensive bunkers allowed them to evaluate more effectively the shifting organizational players and rules along with potential career opportunities. They had learned this important lesson: Letting go of your cherished territory often provides a new vantage point for strategically surveying the emergent big picture.

3. Change
   How did the hardy execs develop this flexible sense of control? First, they did not harbor illusions about their self-importance, nor did they cherish false expectations about the future. In other words, they were realists. The hardy individuals had a healthy attitude toward change. For them, change was a natural part of life, not something to be resisted at all costs. Even when facing unpleasant or unhappy changes, they quickly grappled with their emotions (anger, hurt, fear); sensibly grieved the loss of their known, but now changed, world; and then prepared themselves to explore the new, unknown territory that stretched out ahead of them. With this enlightened perspective, change was more a stepping stone, not a stumbling block.
4. Conditioning
   Finally, the most hardy of the execs engaged in regular aerobic exercise or physical conditioning. Why is it so critical? As we've seen, not only does exercise help you stay fit, manage your weight, improve your cardio-vascular functioning but it also releases those mood-uplifting endorphins, a good antidote to mild feelings of agitation and/or depression. Also, when everything's up in the air - you can't seem to close any projects or sales, to meet elusive deadlines - structured exercise provides a self-defined beginning and endpoint or a great success ritual. So walk around the mall if need be. Just don't stop at any store for thirty or forty minutes. Your heart, lungs, waist and pocketbook or wallet will thank you!

So if you can add natural SPEED to your routine and can emulate the hardiest executives you will have established a work world and a lifestyle that is balanced, has boundaries and also is bursting with energy. You have an awareness and action plan that prevents stress smoke signals from smoldering and erupting into that burnout fire. You will have truly learned how to... Practice Safe Stress!

Back to Legal Job Articles for Employers

---

Mark Gorkin, LICSW, "The Stress Doc,"™ is the Internet's and America Online's "Online Psychohumorist"™. An experienced psychotherapist, "The Doc" is a nationally recognized speaker, and training and OD consultant specializing in Stress, Anger Management, Reorganizational Change, Team Building and HUMOR! An expert advisor for www.AdviceZone.com and iVillage/allHealth, his writings are syndicated by iSyndicate.com and appear in a wide variety of online and offline forums and publications, including AOL/Online Psych and Business Know How, Mental Health Net, 4Therapy.com, HRHub.com, SelfhelpMagazine.com, Financial Services Journal Online, OpportunityWorld and Counseling Today.

Recently, he has been quoted and/or featured in such publications as Cosmopolitan Magazine, Bloomberg Report/News, Forbes Magazine, FoxNews.com, Dallas Morning News and The Washington Flyer. The Doc also leads his national "Shrink Rap and Group Chat" for AOL/Digital City and WebMD.com. Check out his USA Today Online "Hotsite" Website at www.stressdoc.com. For info on his workshops or for his free newsletter, email stressdocaol.com or call 202-232-8662.

CAlawjobs.com | California Law Jobs