Over the next few months, I will take a closer look at the top burnout remedies and provide the pros and cons of each.  Today’s remedy is Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a state of mind that incorporates meditation.  This practice of focus is where the practitioner concentrates on the present moment.  As Chade-Meng Tan said, “To worry, you need to be in the future.  To regret, you need to be in the past.”  If meditation is exercise, mindfulness is being in shape.  

The discipline of mindfulness is nothing new.  It has been around for thousands of years.  People in the current culture tend to be experts at repackaging old ideas.

Burnout Pros

1. Studies suggest mindfulness decreases stress, depression, anxiety, and a host of other negative behaviors.  This remedy results in less emotional exhaustion.
2. Meditation techniques can include guided meditation, qigong, tai chi, and prayer.  Depolarization can be minimized when practiced with others.
3. Focused breathing reduces cortisol levels and shifts the autonomic nervous system from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic.
4. Some research has shown increased antibody production in mindfulness practitioners.  Can you say Meditation Vaccine?

Burnout Cons

1. Meditation takes practice.  Mindfulness is a developed skill that takes time to master.
2. The object of focused breathing is important.  If you’re praying, are you praying to something or someone?
3. Frustration can arise with new practitioners, initially causing more stress.

Meditation Tips

1. Consistency is key.  Make meditation a daily practice before bed or upon waking.
2. Choose a quiet place.
3. Get in a comfortable position.
4. Breathe deeply and slowly.

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Over the next few months I will take a closer look at the top burnout remedies and provide the pros and cons of each.  Today, we look at Laughing.

People often say laughter is the best medicine.  In many ways, it is.  Presently, our bodies seem to remain in the Sympathetic Nervous System mode – the fight or flight.  In this mode, our bodies constantly produce Epinephrine, which is beneficial in small bursts.  But it is not healthy for our bodies to remain on high alert.  Too much Epinephrine triggers a circuit in our brain to begin a quitting mechanism.

Below is a list of the pros and cons of laughing as it pertains to burnout.  A quick laugh or even recalling a memory of a time when you laughed uncontrollably can make a huge difference in your stress level.  In short,

Laughter Revives The Soul.

Burnout Pros

1. Laughing maintains dopamine levels which aid in many cognitive functions, especially memory, attention, and problem-solving.  These skills are necessary for job satisfaction.
2. Adequate dopamine levels limit epinephrine, which at high levels may cause us to give up and become emotionally exhausted.
3. Cortisol levels decreases with laughter.
4. Laughing reduces depression.
5. Joy increases and community is built when laughter is shared with others.

Burnout Cons

1. Without laughter our physiology cannot recover from stress
2. Certain situations may not be appropriate for laughter.  Though I have laughed at some funerals – long story.
3. Laughter works better when done consistently, which may take some effort.

Laughing Tips

1. Make time to watch or listen to something that makes you laugh prior to going to bed.
2. Share hilarious moments with friends and let them reciprocate.  Everyone has a story.
3. In stressful situations, look for the funny.  Some comedians make millions of dollars by practicing this.

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Over the next few months I will take a closer look at the top burnout remedies and provide the pros and cons of each.  Today, I start with Sleeping.

Sleep is the natural state where we experience low levels of external stimuli.  Everyone knows sleep is beneficial, but most of us rarely get the adequate amount. Some people need more rest than others.  According to the National Sleep Foundation, most adults need between 7.5 to 8.5 hours a night.  To verify this, when you have several days off, go to bed at the same time and sleep until you wake naturally.  Take note of the time you wake up.  On the third or fourth day, record the time when you wake up.  The number of hours you slept is indicative of how much sleep you need.

Sleep is also an important remedy to combating burnout.  Rest is necessary for recovery.  Below are specific reasons why sleep benefits people suffering or recovering from burnout.

Burnout Pros

1. Getting enough sleep restores your adrenal glands, which are over activated during times of stress.
2. Sleep increases and balances your cortisol levels.  Cortisol levels decrease during stress and adequate levels are integral to recovery from burnout.
3. Adequate sleep optimizes memory.  Getting an adequate amount of sleep also makes optimizing memory consolidation, which makes retrieving memories easier.

Burnout Cons

1. Sleep deprivation causes multiple cognitive and emotional problems.  It decreases alertness, attention, and our ability to be vigilant.  This can exacerbate our ability to cope with stress.
2. Sleep deprivation increases the formation of false memories.
3. Lack of adequate sleep has a profound impact on our physiology at a molecular level.  Decreased sleep can alter our DNA and add to the emotional exhaustion that is indicative of burnout.

Ways To Improve Sleep

1. Go to bed at a set time, ideally before 10:30 p.m.
2. Avoid caffeine, chocolate, and other stimulants.  They can affect sleep patterns.
3. Turn off the television.  Some people are photosensitive and watching television can limit the rise in melatonin levels, which induces sleep.
4. Try exercising later in the evening.  Exercise raises cortisol levels and may assist in sleep.

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The Story:  Colossians 3:12 

The Apostle Paul urges his readers that they should act according to their new identity.  Since they are in Christ, they are holy and loved, and they have a responsibility to act appropriately.  Paul tells his readers that they should clothe themselves with humility.

Application:

Humility is being free from arrogance and pride.  It is an accurate estimation of one’s value and worth.  The lack of humility (pride) inhibits our growth and is an obstacle to contentment.  

Humility is in short supply in the 21st Century.  People saturate social media trying to display how great they think they are.  Between Twitter quips, Facebook posts, and TikTok dance numbers, society seems addicted to self-adulation and entertainment.  People digitally cry, “Everyone, look at me and like/friend/share me!”  The reason we all seek this is that it is pleasurable, and it’s filling.  But filling does not mean fulfilling.  Filling our minds and time with entertainment leads to meaningless, unfulfilled lives. 

In this section of Colossians, Paul is urging his readers (which includes us) to cultivate the virtue of humility which is a characteristic of Christ.  We develop this characteristic by respecting and honoring others, which means our patients.  This action turns the attention away from ourselves and to others as we “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” (Phil 2:3)

Benefits

And there are multiple benefits of practicing humility.  Humility leads to more self-control, improved empathy, less anxiety, and decreases prejudice because humble people tend to accept others and their beliefs.  Humble people do not think they are entitled and generally have a better work ethic.  All these benefits strengthen our ability to be content while simultaneously limiting burnout.  It’s a win-win.

Practice

One way to do this is to compliment others and highlight their giftedness.  This attitude reveals God to others and drives us toward contentment benefiting us and others.  When was the last time you complimented your patient?  But if you need a quick dose of humility,

try eating with your opposite hand. 

Better yet, let someone else watch you do it and give them the gift of entertainment.

Contentment Key:  Humility cultivates contentment and benefits others and ourselves. 

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The Story:  Colossians 3:12 

The Apostle Paul urges his readers that they should act according to their new identity.  Since they are in Christ, they are holy and loved, and they have a responsibility to act appropriately.  Paul tells his readers that they should clothe themselves with kindness.

Application:

Kindness is a vague term that is often used interchangeably with goodness, gentleness, and generosity.  Readers can find one example of kindness in the actions of Onesiphorus. 

Nearing the end of his life, Paul writes a letter to Timothy.  Unlike his previous imprisonment, where he lived in a house, Paul finds himself locked away in a cold dungeon in Rome and wearing chains like a criminal.  Prisoners in antiquity depended on the help of others for food, clothing, and other items and not the government.  Without the help of friends or family, prisoners would suffer tremendous hardships.  As we read in 2 Timothy, most of Paul’s friends and “fellow workers” had deserted him.  But Paul tells us that Onesiphorus and his family helped Paul during his darkest days by “refreshing” him (2 Tim 1:16-18).  This probably involved food, clothing, and encouragement which was characteristic of his earlier assistance to Paul when Paul was in Ephesus.  

Rome is over 800 miles from Ephesus, and most likely, Onesiphorus was from Ephesus.  This journey is quite the trek for someone 2,000 years ago and would have taken weeks to sail.  Onesiphorus and his family exemplified dedication and kindness.

In this section of Colossians, Paul is urging his readers (which includes us) to cultivate the virtue of kindness which is a characteristic of Christ.  Kindness doesn’t have to be a heroic act.  We don’t have to travel 800 miles to show kindness.

Placing an IV more gently, speaking softer to patients, or allowing a co-worker to vent to you without judgment are all examples of acts of kindness.

Contentment Key:  An act of kindness often takes minimal effort but has maximal benefit.

The post We Need More Kindness appeared first on Jim Damron.

Disclaimer

Let me state on the onset that I do not condone Dave Chappelle’s comedy.  His humor is often laced with grotesque profanity and lewd commentary that makes me uncomfortable.  We fundamentally disagree on our world views, but there is something to be learned from his messages.

Dropping The Bomb

In 2003, comedian Dave Chappelle enjoyed the benefits of having a hit show on Comedy Central.  Chappelle’s Show put Comedy Central on the map.  DVDs of the show sold 1.2 million copies in one week, becoming the biggest selling DVD tv show in history.  As the show’s ratings and Chappelle’s popularity climbed, the consensus was that Chappelle’s Show would be a mega-hit for years to come.   However, in 2006, Chappelle dropped a bombshell and walked away from his show and a contract worth over $50 million because of ethical and business concerns.

Chappelle explained his action to Oprah Winfrey when he said,

“I wasn’t walking away from the money.  I was walking away from the circumstances.” 

Chappelle explained the circumstances of having a hit show in Hollywood and his sudden departure from it when he said, “It’s incredibly stressful.  When you’re a guy that generates money, people have a vested interest in controlling you.”

In his performance, The Bird Revelation, Chappelle compares his experience in Hollywood to how a pimp controls prostitutes.  Hollywood used and abused Chappelle and tried to control him to turn the most profit.  That is why Chappelle walked away from millions of dollars.  

Medical Ethics

In medical ethics, specifically research ethics, researchers are not permitted to use participants solely to advance the research interest.  Participants are not a means to an end but an end of themselves.  Performing research without regard for the participant’s health is exploitation.  Dave Chappelle, like many other performing artists, was exploited.

Years later, Chappelle returned to the limelight and tried to make things right.  In one instance, ViacomCBS, the parent company of Comedy Central, licensed the Chappelle’s Show to Netflix and HBO for millions in profit without providing additional compensation to Dave Chappelle.  Though disgruntled, Chappelle admits that legally he had no recourse.  He had signed a contract.  But Chappelle admits he was young, inexperienced and realizes now how much executives took advantage of him.

“I forgot the hostility of the environment of show business.” 

Legal v. Ethical

Licensing his show was legal, but from Chappelle’s perspective, unethical.  As a result, Chappelle went on social media and begged his followers to boycott his unethically licensed show.  He also expressed his disappointment to Netflix and Comedy Central.  Chappelle’s pleading made a difference.

Netflix agreed to pull the Chappelle show and also gave Dave several Netflix specials.  Comedy Central also sat down with Chappelle and discussed a mutual agreement.  Finally, Chappelle signed another contract.  This one was worth $60 million.

Kudos to Dave Chappelle for calling out the unethical behavior of big corporations in Hollywood.  And kudos to the representatives of Comedy Central and Netflix for finally listening to Chappelle and making amends.  Just because something is legal does not make it ethical.  Chappelle learned this the hard way but came through more assertive on the other end.  Exploitation is never ethical and people should never be used as a means to achieving a desired end.  Let us all behave the way we ought and treat others with the dignity and respect they deserve.  And let us remember that just because something is legal does not mean it is right.

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The Apostle Paul urges his readers that they should act according to their new identity.  Since they are in Christ, they are holy and loved, and they have a responsibility to act appropriately.  Paul tells his readers that they should clothe themselves with compassion.

Application:

Compassion means to suffer with someone.  It’s the ability to bear someone’s suffering with the desire to alleviate it.  Practically all caregivers possess this compassionate flame, but burnout can extinguish it.  Often people think the cause of their burnout is showing too much compassion and seek to minimize these feelings to mitigate burnout.  But this thought is not supported.  Research demonstrates that offering more compassion decreases burnout.

In this section of Colossians, Paul urges his readers (which includes us) to cultivate the virtue of compassion, which is a characteristic of Christ.  Christ often had compassion on people (Matt 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34), resulting in healings, feedings, and sharing the good news of grace and new life.  Compassion wasn’t just an emotion.  It was an act.  So the next time an opportunity comes to show compassion, don’t dismiss it.  Please take advantage of it.  You’ll be displaying Christ-like character and mitigating burnout.

Contentment Key:  Compassion is a Christ-like characteristic that decreases burnout.

Start learning contentment with a 1-on-1 conversation HERE

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Elijah has a showdown with King Ahab and the people of Israel.  It’s time to make a choice:  follow God or follow Baal.  The prophets of Baal prayed to their god, and after hours of shouting, dancing, and grotesque self-mutilation, nothing happened.  Then Elijah stepped in.  God answered his prayer and showed up.  As a result, the people of Israel killed the prophets of Baal, and Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, became enraged and put a price on Elijah’s head.  Elijah ran for his life, left his servants, and prayed that God would end his life.  God’s antidote:  Sleep

Application:

There is a plethora of literature that explains the benefits of sleep and rest.  Sleep balances hormones, resets your autonomic nervous system, and helps your brain and body recover from stress.  God knew what he was doing when He initiated the Sabbath – a day of rest.  Rest is a gift.  Taking a day off from work and resting by focusing on your Creator is your way of telling God He’s in control.  It’s the ultimate practice of trust.

It’s easy to talk ourselves out of taking a day off, especially if you’re a caregiver.  But are you that arrogant to think that life will fall apart without your input?  Yes, people need you and depend on you.  But you will be less productive and effective if you don’t take time off.  Refusing to rest is telling God that you don’t trust Him.

At the heart of contentment is learning to trust God, especially with our work.  Limit burnout and take a step toward contentment by trusting God with one day of rest. 

Contentment Key:  Taking a Sabbath is telling God, “I trust You.”

Start your journey on the road to contentment HERE

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The political powers of Jerusalem feel threatened.  A follower of Jesus betrays his teacher for money, and Jesus faces an illegal trial that will undoubtedly lead to his suffering and death.  It’s Friday.  It’s a horrible, dark day.

Application:

Imagine your football team is playing in the Super Bowl (for some of us, it may take quite a bit of imagination).  It’s four quarters of an intense back and forth showdown that keeps you on the edge of your seat, screaming in excitement when your team scores and jeering in disgust when the other team does.  In the end, your team wins, but it was a nail biter.  

Now imagine your friend wasn’t able to watch the Super Bowl but recorded the game.  You watch it with him and say nothing.  Like you, your friend screams and jeers in the same moments you did, but you refrain.  Why?  Because you know what happens.

Good Friday wasn’t considered good until the following Sunday.  On Friday, Roman guards beat Jesus to a bloody mess, ripped his flesh from his body with whips, and allowed him to slowly suffocate while the tendons and bones in his wrists and ankles supported his weight on a wooden cross crafted for execution.  On Sunday, everything changed.  Christ raised from the dead, rendering death powerless over him.  Jesus received new life and accomplished the purpose God called Him to complete.  Finally, it was, indeed, finished.

Many of us face dark days, and maybe some of you are in the midst of horrible trials and sufferings of your own.  But the day only remains dark and destructive if we lose sight of our perspective.  Jesus knew he would suffer and die.  That idea was horrible, and he anguished over the thought.  But Jesus also knew it wouldn’t last and knew it wasn’t the end.  Jesus had an eternal perspective, which undoubtedly helped Him through the ordeal. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, contentment doesn’t mean the absence of emotions.  It denotes an underlying peace in the presence of emotions.  Having a proper perspective can assist us with attaining this peace and contentment.

Contentment Key:  Peace comes from having the proper perspective.

Start your journey toward contentment HERE

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Sherry’s Heavy Burden

Sherry sat alone in the conference room and faced an impossible task:  deciding when to disconnect her father from the ventilator.  Most people in her situation show signs of shock or lose control of their emotions, both of which are entirely understandable.  Sherry, on the other hand, exhibited neither shock nor emotions.  She was calm, even stoic.  Her auburn hair, clothes, and posture resembled someone of nobility from the Victorian era.

Sherry’s father, Howard, had end-stage lung cancer.  All attempts to quell the disease had proven unsuccessful and had rendered Howard’s body of any immune system.  Now, Sherry’s father had developed pneumonia and could not breathe adequately enough without a ventilator’s support.  Unfortunately, medicine could do nothing more. 

Sherry accepted this news, reviewed the medical situation, and sat silently.  She could not bring herself to decide to let him go.  She struggled with the thought that she would forever bear the guilt of “killing” her father.

“Tell me about your father,” I asked to break her silence.  Sherry’s eyes lit up.  She burst into story after story of how her father took care of everything:  finances, the house, the family.

“He was always serving others,” Sherry explained.  “After he was diagnosed, he said he never wanted to be a burden on anyone and did not want to be sustained on a ventilator.  He wanted to pass away naturally.”

“It sounds like your father already made this decision for you,” I claimed.  Sherry looked up with an epiphany-like look on her face.  Sherry did not need to make a decision.  Her father had already made it for her.  She wouldn’t be “killing” her father.  The illness would.  But Sherry needed one more thing to rid herself of the emotional trauma that such a decision would have on her:  permission.

Caregiving Solution

What Sherry needed, and what many of our patients and families need, is permission.  They need permission to grieve, permission to let go, and sometimes permission to communicate.  As caregivers, one of the most powerful tools at our disposal is providing our patients the means and opportunity to do things they are hesitant to do.  During a crisis, patients and their families carry burdens of guilt, indecision, and confusion.  For Sherry, she needed permission to follow what her father wanted her to do.  But she could not give it to herself.  The burden of guilt would have been too significant for her.  Permission had to come from someone else.

Caregivers give patients and families permission by being silent, telling them what they need to hear, and actively listening (see how to actively listen here).  Permission should always be given with gentleness and compassion, which conveys respect, builds trust, and decreases burnout in caregivers.  

Improve your caregiving and decrease burnout with a 1-on-1 conversation.  Find out what happened to Sherry here.

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