Hi,
It's Giles.
This is a short piece for you to take time out with and reflect on.
A light-hearted story that points to something that's true for all of us.
As such,
There's no effort required while you're listening,
Only something to realise.
Something that can lead to profound,
Permanent change.
So get comfortable,
Relax,
And listen quietly for insight.
Avoiding Burnout as a Practitioner There's a line in a book on mental health that I read recently where it says the average time for a regular psychologist or therapist to burn out is five years.
Five years!
That's crackers!
I decided not to take this at face value when I read it,
But not long after I had a conversation with a colleague who said she'd seen it happen in the practice where she worked.
Five years of helping others until it's squeezed you dry and you've got nothing left to give.
That's no way to live.
I was reflecting on this just the other day at the end of my Doctor with a Difference GP surgery day where I delivered 12 therapeutic appointments in a row and felt great afterwards,
Which I'm not sure would be the case if I had to do it the regular way.
These days,
Much of my work is restorative,
Which means I can be helping people with extreme stress,
Burnout,
Anxiety,
Mental health diagnoses,
Grief,
PTSD and the like,
One after the other all day long,
And yet I feel invigorated afterwards.
How is that?
I think it all boils down to what it makes sense for me to do.
As an innate health practitioner,
It makes sense for me to 1.
Spend as much time in the feeling that we're aiming for,
I.
E.
Well-being,
Peace,
Mental health.
2.
Speak to the whole innately healthy being my client is at heart,
But have maybe lost sight of and are looking to reconnect to.
I mean,
Why wouldn't we focus on that?
3.
Have fun.
Firstly,
Because there's no way I'm doing a job that's not fun,
Secondly,
Because I've seen that people become incredibly resourceful,
Wise and creative when they lighten up.
And while I'm always respectful and have great compassion for some of the terrible things people have been through,
It does not make sense for me to 1.
Get into the nitty-gritty of people's problems,
Thereby solidifying them,
2.
Try and problem-solve with them,
Fueling the overthinking fire,
Or 3.
Address much at all on an intellectual level,
Which is generally what's keeping people stuck in the first place.
Is this always easy?
No,
But it's got a lot easier over time as I've gained experience.
And I certainly don't ever feel like I'm close to burning out or being squeezed dry when I've had a day full of helping people.
Quite the opposite.
So if you're in the helping profession and feel like you're close to collapsing from compassion fatigue,
Keep listening to these talks and looking in the direction I'm pointing.
Because there's another way,
You know?
There's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't do the thing you love doing,
Helping your fellow humans and feeling fulfilled and energised at the same time.
No matter what they present with.
With love,
Giles.
And as with all my talks,
A deeper appreciation for what I'm pointing to can be had with repeated listens.
You'll hear something different next time.
