Burnout

If you are like most of the people I know who support people with disabilities, you want to accomplish a lot. You want to reach every person every day. You want them to have a phenomenal experience of life. You want them to achieve all their goals and be happy in their lives. You want to make sure everyone is treated well and with respect. You want to make a difference.

Since all of those goals are idealistic and difficult to achieve on a daily basis, you are set up for burning out. Any person who has chosen to work with other human beings is likely to burnout at least once in their career. Especially those who work as direct support. You want to change the world but find out soon enough how difficult it is to change anything for the better.

To protect yourself against burnout, reduce your stress, and enjoy your time working with others, you could change your own outlook.

Instead of feeling like you have to reach everyone today, just make sure to reach one. Help make one person's experience of life outstanding today in whatever that means to them. Do something with someone that you know would knock their socks off. Help them in their own quest to find joy. Even better if you can reach two people in the same manner. But don't stress about that. Make it your goal to at least reach one.

Simplify your own goals. Maybe instead of reaching one person, you could make a meaningful connection with everyone you work with today, including fellow staff members. Some little thing like really listening to how their day is going.


At the same time, try to let go of the other things that stand in your way. Whenever you work in a system where you have to follow so many rules that sometimes don't make sense, you are going to get frustrated. Find a way to let that insignificant stuff go while focusing on the one person you are going to make a difference for.

And about those rules that don't make sense: make sure you voice your opinion. Do it with respect and without blaming others and include a potential solution. That way, you will not feel powerless, which also leads to burnout.