The Burnout Bible: How to tackle fatigue and emotional overwhelm naturally

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Shanafelt, T., Hasan, O., Dyrbye, L., Sinsky, C., Satele, D., Sloan, J., & West, C. (2015). Changes in burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance in physicians and the general US working population between 2011 and 2014. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 90(12), 1600–1613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.08.023. Rubinart, M., Moynihan, T., & Deus, J. (2016). Using the collaborative inquiry method to explore the Jesus prayer. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 3, 139–151. https://doi.org/10.1037/scp0000104. A study conducted by Pflugeisen et al. ( 2016) evaluated the effectiveness of a video-module-based mindfulness training program. Physicians participating in this study showed significant increases in mindfulness skills and reported decreased stress, increased sense of personal accomplishment, and decreased emotional exhaustion (Pflugeisen et al. 2016). Likewise, a study of psychologists conducted by Benedetto and Swadling ( 2014) found a strong negative correlation between mindfulness and burnout. Specifically, the study revealed that “four mindfulness facets, non-reactivity to inner experience, acting with awareness, describing and non-judging of inner experience were significantly negatively correlated with burnout” (Benedetto and Swadling 2014, p. 712). This led the authors to the conclusion that mindfulness-based techniques may be effective in preventing burnout (Benedetto and Swadling 2014). In addition, a negative relationship between the constructs of mindfulness and burnout was revealed in a study of 380 counseling interns (Testa and Sangganjanavanich 2016). The acting with awareness aspect of mindfulness was significantly related to both emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, suggesting that attending to moment-to-moment experiences helps facilitate greater awareness of one’s own emotions and feelings toward others. Consequently, this ability can support counseling interns’ understanding of their emotions, which may result in their being more equipped to regulate their emotions and develop emotional coping skills and therefore prevent a strain on their emotional resources—a key factor in the development of burnout (Testa and Sangganjanavanich 2016).

Bible verses about Burnout - Online Bible 12 Bible verses about Burnout - Online Bible

Insight practice, on the other hand, allows one to (1) attend more fully to the present moment and (2) hold the present moment compassionately. “Compassion is the ability to feel the suffering of another being along with the wish to lessen or eliminate that suffering” (McCollum 2015, p. 50). This sense arises as one gains insight into the fact that all beings are connected and thus one individual’s suffering is everyone’s suffering. This duality of compassion—connection with all humanity and being present in one’s experience—challenges therapists, counselors, and pastors to know their personal suffering. Part of the present moment is the counselor’s suffering in addition to their being present with the client in suffering. Burnout is often the result of self-reliance. The self-reliant take upon themselves the role of savior rather than trusting God to accomplish His own will. They begin to see every need as their call, rather than asking for God’s wisdom and direction. This can play out in a ministry setting when a pastor attempts to do the work of the entire Body of Christ, in a business setting when someone forces a certain plan or project, in a family setting when a parent takes responsibility for the success and happiness of a child, and in numerous other settings. Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28–30). The ultimate solution for those currently experiencing burnout is to find refreshment in Christ. For those with a particularly high level of burnout, this refreshment may include obtaining medical support and drastically altering their life activities. Others may find refreshment through seeing a counselor. Reading encouraging Scriptures (such as Romans 8, John 15, or Psalm 139) can be very life-giving. Even simple activities like cooking, going for a walk, playing with the kids, or watching a funny show can be restorative. But there are some negative things that can cause us to lose sight of the importance of God’s work. A. We must be aware of some seeming negatives in God’s work. (1) God’s work seems beset with problems. The point is, you will always encounter a mountain of problems when you seek to build God’s temple. Commenting on this point, Dr. James Boice said, “As I counsel with people in our day, many of them young people, I am convinced that one of their biggest problems is that they expect shortcuts” ( The Minor Prophets [Baker], 2:510). He goes on to say that people want some simple principle to understand all the Bible apart from diligent study. They want some experience that will transport them effortlessly to a higher spiritual plateau, without daily discipline. They want a nearly perfect church, without the hassle of working through difficulties. But that is not the way God gets His work done. (2) God’s work seems incredibly slow in its progress.For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet He did not sin.’

Bible Say About Burnout? - OpenBible.info What Does the Bible Say About Burnout? - OpenBible.info

You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. Praise be to God!’ Stevens, R. P. (1999). The other six days: Vocation, work, and ministry in biblical perspective. Grand Rapids: Eerdman’s. Ignatian Spirituality (n.d.). “The daily examen.” IgnatianSpirituality.com. http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen. Accessed 19 July 2017. Every Christian receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:2,3). But we must learn to walk by means of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), continually, repeatedly depending on Him.Garzon, F. L. (2013). Christian devotional meditation for anxiety. In E. L. Worthington Jr., E. L. Johnson, J. N. Hook, & J. D. Aten (Eds.), Evidence-based practices for Christian counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 59–80). Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. Among therapists, burnout or compassion fatigue is a critical concern. As the name suggests, compassion fatigue results in a diminished ability to have empathy for one’s clients (McCollum 2015). This limit one’s effectiveness in providing a healing, therapeutic relationship. McCollum theorizes that compassion fatigue results in emotional dissonance. Due to the demands of providing services to many people during one’s work day, one’s emotional experiences override from one client to the next. Emotional dissonance occurs when there is a mismatch between one’s feeling state and one’s expression, or a carrying of sentiments from one session to the next. Therapists may end up faking interest or compassion. In this way, emotional dissonance results in increased emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. These culminate in decreased personal accomplishment. The other way to work for God is “‘by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts” (4:6). This does not imply that there is no toil and sweat when you labor in the power of the Holy Spirit. Zerubbabel and his men still had to clear away the same mountain of rubble and lay the same heavy stones. But when God’s Spirit motivates and energizes the work, there is conscious dependence on Him, and He gets the glory.

The burnout bible - Linghams Booksellers The burnout bible - Linghams Booksellers

A Christian understanding of work as calling entails a sense of vocation. As James Fowler ( 1987, p. 32) reminds about vocation as developing from a profound understanding that humans are investing in their current context, in the here and now “for the sake of investing our gifts and potentials in furthering some cause that is of transcending importance.” In this regard, Christian work is a divine or transcendent orientation toward purpose in pursuing one’s work. Vocation or calling provides meaning in relation to the “summons of a good God” (Stevens 1999, p. 72). The concept of calling as an intensely personal, purpose-driven understanding of one’s work speaks directly to burnout. One’s sense of meaning and value relates to one’s personal satisfaction—valuing one’s contributions at work. Reid, R. J., Coleman, K., Johnson, E., Fishman, P., Hsu, C., Soman, M., & … Larson, E. (2010). The group health medical home at year two: Cost savings, higher patient satisfaction, and less burnout for providers. Health Affairs, 29(5), 835–843. https://doi.org/10.1377/hithaff.2010.0158. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’ Will be invaluable for anyone looking to regain control and lead a calmer, more authentic life.’ Sam Rice, Food and Health Columnist, The Telegraph Han, J., & Lee, C. (2004). Ministry demand and stress among Korean American pastors: A brief report. Pastoral Psychology, 52, 473–478.Smith, S. (2014). Mindfulness-based stress reduction: An intervention to enhance the effectiveness of nurses’ coping with work-related stress. International Journal of Nursing Knowledge, 25(2), 119–130. https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-3095.12025. Determine never to flake. That is being unloving to your neighbor. If you said you would make those stupid pies, you can’t bail out now and show up with a bag of chips. If you said you would help with the reception, you can’t be a no-show. We are Christians! We keep our promises. You may not call an hour before the field trip and say, “Sorry, something has come up, and it’s just not going to work.” When one derives meaning about vocation from a transcendent source, personal accomplishment is tied to a faith-based meaning-making system, creating a spiritual framework for understanding work. Ray Anderson ( 1990) writes about psychotherapy as a sacred calling, fostering a spiritual understanding of work for those Christian individuals working in the counseling professions. Being called to counsel, for Anderson, is fulfilling God’s call to be a Christian in the counseling room. There is a congruence between one’s inner life—one’s desires, skills, talents, motivations, etc.,—and one’s outer life, and thus the specific tasks or roles one performs develop the sense of congruence. That is, one’s identity as a Christian is expressed in one’s vocation, in this example, as a counselor. In this sense, calling is discovered as one identifies one’s desires and discovers tasks that fulfill these desires. As the highest sense of calling is being Christian, one fulfills this calling of counseling by embodying Christ’s love for others. The notion of calling in this sense helps Christian counselors to continually examine and evaluate their motivations for counseling. This offers a corrective and preventive for burnout. If one is embodying Christ’s love to hurting and suffering individuals, Christ owns them and the counselor and is ultimately responsible for the entire process. The counselor is responsible to embody Christ’s love and be with and for the other in the counseling process; however, fulfillment as a counselor is not based on the outcomes of the counseling process. Charles Simeon ( Expository Outlines on the Whole Bible [Zondervan], 10:460) said it well, “We see how dependent a little infant is on its mother; and such must we be in the arms of God. We must undertake nothing in our own strength: in no circumstances whatever may we lean to our own understanding: whatever is devised, or whatever is done, the creature must be nothing; but God must be all in all.”

Burnout in Christian Perspective | SpringerLink Burnout in Christian Perspective | SpringerLink

At this point,God steps in. He gives Elijah sleep, nutritious food and evena40-dayexerciseprogramme– all helpful things when you’re grappling with mental ill health. But the cure is elsewhere. In the silence of his burnout,Elijah begins to hear God’s voiceagain, andthis is wherehealingand restorationcan take place.Talbot, J. (2013). The Jesus prayer: A cry for mercy, a path of renewal. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press.