{"id":8946,"date":"2022-02-08T07:14:06","date_gmt":"2022-02-08T12:14:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/?p=8946"},"modified":"2022-02-03T11:21:46","modified_gmt":"2022-02-03T16:21:46","slug":"february-13-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/february-13-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"February 13, 2022–Burned Out"},"content":{"rendered":"

Colleen Montgomery, Salem, VA<\/b><\/p>\n

Warm-up Question<\/b><\/h4>\n

How would you define the feeling of burnout? Have you or someone you know experienced burnout?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Burned Out<\/b><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Americans across the country are resigning from their jobs in mass numbers. Though you may not be in the working world yet, chances are that you know an adult who has resigned from their job sometime since March of 2020. Maybe your teacher<\/a> or your medical provider<\/a> has resigned.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the major reasons cited for resigning is burnout<\/a>. The feeling of extreme exhaustion due to prolonged stress makes it difficult to take care of oneself and work. While burnout isn\u2019t an official medical diagnosis, it does affect your physical and mental health. Preparing food is harder. Moving throughout the day feels like a challenge. You experience additional stress knowing that your school work or job performance isn\u2019t at the level you would like. All of these put additional stress on your body and mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if you haven\u2019t experienced burnout, my guess is that you have felt increased stress because of the pandemic and all the changes that have happened in your life and in the world because of it. None of us are the best versions of ourselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Figuring out how to take care of ourselves and others when we are facing high stress or burnout is tricky. Each person\u2019s experience is different. Black, Indigneous, and people of color face additional stressors from racist structures in our country that affect their school, work, family, and health. Likewise, members of the LGBTIA+ face discrimination that affects their lives as well. For those of us who are white, like me, it is important for us to learn about, strive to understand, and then work to improve the discriminatory practices of our society. The same goes for the allies of the LGBTIA+ community. Again, managing our own needs and caring for the community around us is challenging.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Discussion Questions<\/b><\/h4>\n