Call it Covid Brain, Pandemic Fatigue, or Virus Mania; the lockdowns are causing people, especially caregivers, to burnout at an unprecedented rate.  Well, let’s do something about it.  

The Overloaded Brain

Covid is causing increased stress for many, especially caregivers, but not in ways you probably expect.  Yes, many of us need to treat Covid patients, but that’s not the issue.  The pandemic has turned previously innocuous activities into stressors and taken away many of our opportunities to refuel.

If you’re a caregiver, you usually get up, go to work, treat patients, and go home.  Now you get up, social distance on your way to your car, put your mask on, get your temperature checked upon entering your workplace, don layers of PPE between every patient, complain about how hot your mask is, wash your hands until your epidermis falls off, get in your car that smells like sanitizing gel, go home, and shower until the next layer of skin falls off.  Oh, happy day.  Our new routine has caused us to be exhausted even without caring for a patient.

If that’s not bad enough, we have lost many of our opportunities to refuel.  Most of us can’t go to restaurants, movies, the gym, or hang out with friends.  These activities help us regain our energy and recharge.  Without it, we have a recipe for disaster.

Our Burned Out Brain

Physiologically, our bodies are in Epi overdrive.  We produce epinephrine when we are stressed – both good stress and bad.  Our sympathetic nervous system (the fight/flight) kicks in, which helps us get things done.  But too much breaks down our body.  Moreover, there is a circuit in the brain that measures how much Epinephrine is in our system.  Too much and the brain triggers a quitting mechanism.

That’s why we have the parasympathetic nervous system to balance that out.  What our body needs is more of the well-being molecules to be released, namely Dopamine, Serotonin, and Oxytocin.  But we aren’t getting it because we are in a constant state of stress, and we are in Epinephrine Overload.  So let’s do something about it!

More Dopamine Please

Dopamine is the feel-good neuro-modulator that is released at different times, one of which is during goal-oriented behavior.  It’s like the rocket boost that is released not only when we accomplish goals but during the process of achieving it.

Serotonin and Oxytocin are released at different times, including during the fostering of good relationships.  These molecules give us a sense of calm and well-being.

That’s why I’ve introduced challenges that will foster releases of dopamine, serotonin & oxytocin.  Let’s get our well-being back and breakthrough this burnout cycle.

Burnout Challenge:  Physical

My first challenge will be a physical one.  These aren’t going to be easy challenges for most of us, so check with your doctor and make sure you’re physically capable of attempting them.  Setting and trying a physical challenge will improve our physical health and also help us release much-needed Dopamine as we seek to accomplish the goal.  Together, this will mitigate any causes of burnout.  But the challenge will also hopefully foster community and relationships which can give us that Serotonin and Oxytocin boost.

So here’s my first challenge:  Achieve a Pike Stretch – seated or standing (Yes, legs straight nose to the knees folks).

Unless you’re a gymnast, ballerina, or yoga guru, this will be challenging.  That’s why it’s called a challenge.  Let’s see how far we can get in 30-days.  If you’re not flexible, there is no way you will accomplish this in 30 days.  (I personally have a long way to go.) If you’re diligent, maybe six months.  But let’s see how far we get by marking our progress.  Comment in the chat and let me know how you’re doing.

In medicine, it is considered malpractice to prescribe a treatment without a diagnosis.  Burnout is not a diagnosis.  It’s a symptom of a deeper problem.  The best way to mitigate and prevent burnout is to uncover the cause.  Here are my top five reasons why I think people burnout.

 Causes of Burnout

5.  Self-Ignorance

Burnout happens when demands exceed resources.  Many people do not understand what drains them and what refuels them.  Specific stressors trigger some and not others.  Some people like everything organized.  Others prefer creative spaces and spontaneity.  Some people love the beach to give them a recharge. Others prefer the mountains. Some people meditate while others like extreme sports.  Your car can’t run if you do not know what fuel to put into it.

4.  Physiology

This cause is often neglected.  When was the last time you had blood work taken?  If you find yourself unable to cope with things you had no problem dealing with before, then maybe there is a physiological cause.  Unbalanced hormones, subclinical infections, and low hemoglobin are just some possible culprits.

3.  Poor Relationships

People crave community.  When we lack good relationships, we suffer emotionally and physically.  When was the last time you reached out to a friend?  When was the last time they reached out to you?  If you lack close relationships, then there are alternatives.  Seek counseling or even a coach.  If you’re not talking it out, then chances are you’ll act it out.

2.  Lack of Purpose

Could you answer the following question:  What is your purpose?  Most people couldn’t.  What do you believe?  Why do you believe it?  These answers are based on your worldview, which everyone has.  But your purpose doesn’t have to refer to your worldview.  Do you know your purpose at work?  It’s incredible how many people are not clear on their job responsibilities despite having “read” their employee manual.  Clarifying one’s role can go a long way in mitigating burnout.

1.  Expectations

Expectations are the most common reason why I think people burnout.  To explain, let me divide the idea into two categories:  Unmet and Unrealistic.

Unmet

Unmet expectations are those expectations placed on you.  For example, you are hired as a clinician, and your boss says in six months you could be at the supervisory level, and in a year, you could be making 1.5 your starting salary.  One year later, you’re still at your starting level and nowhere near getting a raise.  You start to feel discouraged, frustrated and acquire the symptoms of burnout.

Unrealistic

Unrealistic expectations are those expectations you place on yourself.  For example, you’re hired as a janitor, and you set a goal to be CEO of the corporation in six months.  But you have no leadership training or education, and nothing that would indicate you could run an organization other than the passion for succeeding.  Six months to be a CEO is not a realistic expectation, and this will inevitably lead to disappointment.

To find out more ways to work through burnout, click HERE for Coaching and HERE to see Jim’s Keynotes and Workshops on the subject.

Can a bird of prey help us become better empathizers?

YES.

Recently, I had the privilege of trying the sport of falconry.  Falconry is an ancient art of hunting with a trained bird of prey.  It’s the only sport that uses a trained-wild animal (though that seems a bit of an oxymoron to me).

However, the bird I worked with was not a falcon.  Instead, it was an adult hawk.  Hawks are amazing birds.  But don’t let their size fool you.  Hawks prey on squirrels, other birds, small dogs, and even fawns.

The sport of falconry is unique and quite extraordinary when you think about it.  But there’s a lot to consider if you’re interested in the sport.  You have to provide food and shelter for the bird(s).  You have to foot the bill for permits, fees, and tons of education, including hours of apprenticeship to become competent.  To become a master falconer takes approximately seven years.

Falconry is very complex, at least from our perspective, but not from the birds.  Birds of prey fly for two reasons:  fear and food.  In the case of the bird I worked with, it was a chicken foot.  That’s it.  Simple.  But how does this sport correlate with empathy and caregiving?

The average caregiver has to deal with charting, assessing patients, acuity, trauma, disease, long hours, charting, computers, drugs, charting, and even death.  Did I mention charting?  There’s a lot to consider.  But from the patient’s perspective, it’s not that complex.  They want to be healed or helped.  They want their problem fixed.

So the next time you feel stressed and frustrated because your workplace is becoming too hectic, take a moment, and put yourself into the patient’s position.  Like birds of prey, they’re there for just a couple of reasons.  Don’t make it more difficult.  Just try and give them what they need.  

But leave out the chicken feet.