How to avoid burnout

Why you should take this course

When our day-to-day jobs involve continually listening to other people’s emotional difficulties, how do we avoid being overwhelmed by them ourselves? We are the ‘tool’ of our trade. It could be argued that we have a duty to those we work with to prioritise our own mental health and wellbeing so that we can give them the best possible service. This workshop shows you how.

‘Burnout’ is commonly defined as a physical and emotional state caused by excessive or overwhelming workplace stress. This is often specifically related to work but of course feelings of burnout can be impacted or compounded by other life events and caring roles too. Even if we know good stress management techniques, this often isn’t enough.

Burnout is a very common phenomena in the ‘helping professions’, A 2018 research review paper published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology analysed 30 years of research on this topic, involving 9,000 psychotherapists. Over half of the therapists they sampled reported “moderate-high levels of stress and burnout”.

The good news is that Burnout and Overwhelm are not a given of working in roles where we are consistently exposed to others’ emotional pain. New research and insights into ‘buffering’ the impact of this work mean that we can consciously choose to put in safeguards to our own mental wellbeing, whilst also remaining connected and present with our clients.

Emily Gajewski’s course draws on her extensive experience of working as a therapist and clinical supervisor, in the NHS and privately, for over 20 years. Throughout the day she examines the many ways working in the caring professions can impact us personally and gives you a wealth of practical steps you can take to mitigate them. She also covers the most up-to-date guidance on keeping ourselves well and thriving in caring roles and will help you develop a realistic plan for your own continuing wellbeing.