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Burnout is more than being overworked. Burnout is a feeling of intense, long term exhaustion and hopelessness, caused by exposure to relevant stress. Symptoms include emotional exhaustion, alienation from job-related activities, and reduced performance to name a few.
According to the Mayo Clinic, you may be experiencing burnout if:
- Have you become cynical or critical at work?
- Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started once you arrive?
- Have you become irritable or impatient?
- Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive?
- Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements?
- Do you feel disillusioned about your job?
- Are you using food, drugs or alcohol to feel better or to simply not feel?
- Have your sleep habits or appetite changed?
Volume of work or number of hours put in at work is only one contributing factor of burnout. The real culprit for burnout is the frustration and anger we experience when we lack control, face unclear job expectations, lack social support outside of work, or face dysfunction in the workplace via misaligned values and/or people.
Frustration leads to anger, which leads to self-destructive behavior. While getting help learning to manage stress, developing social support and getting regular exercise go a long way in managing the stress that results in burnout, there are two bigger tools: learning to set and maintain boundaries, and personal goal setting.
Boundaries Defined
As massage therapist, we have heard about boundaries that must be maintained between the client and ourselves – or professional boundaries. Personal boundaries can be a bit more difficult to establish and maintain, especially when we are not in the habit of using them; and, more to the point, when the people in our lives are not in the habit!
Setting personal boundaries only begins with saying “No,” and meaning it when we are asked to do something that does not serve us. In our personal lives, setting boundaries can include asking for what we need emotionally from those close to us, dealing with bullying from those who feel it is okay to walk all over you, and limiting time with those who drain us and our energy.
Professionally, settings boundaries can mean limiting the number of appointments or hours we work each day, dealing with cutthroat competition between therapists, and handling difficult clients who push beyond your ability to comfortably accommodate them.
When you first begin setting limits and boundaries on what you are willing to do for others, be aware that there will be push-back and be prepared for it. Those who are used to you being a doormat are naturally going to object to you suddenly refusing to do for them and they will use all kinds of tactics to keep things the way they are – because the status quo works for them. When those around us begin to push back and question your boundaries or your right to set them, here are a couple of things to remember:
- Do not justify your limits. If you are drawn into a debate over your boundaries, you will lose the right to total authority over yourself. Just say: “I am sorry but I cannot work overtime for you today.” Do not get into a debate about why you cannot work overtime, what you are doing after work that is more important than their needs, or if the client’s need is greater than yours. You are a grownup and you have the right to decide if you can or cannot stay late today.
- Make a commitment to put your needs first. Women especially tend to keep putting off their own self-care to-do items (doctor visits and workouts) in order to take care of everyone else. This is not sustainable.
- Talk to men outside the field. Develop relationships with men who do not work in the “helping professions.” Nothing will open your eyes to clear and solid boundaries like successful men in male dominated fields. It cannot be stressed enough how enlightening it is to speak with a self-employed tradesman or a mid- to upper-level executive; their attitudes and viewpoints demonstrate the extreme of what clear boundaries look like!
Personal Goal Setting
The other big contributing factor to burnout is a lack of direction. If you do not know where you are headed or what you are trying to accomplish, then how can you know what you should be doing? And if you are adrift, then a more driven and directed person will no doubt tell you! When you have no direction, it is extremely easy to get pushed and pulled in the energy currents of those around us, both at work and at home.
Ask yourself some questions:
- How do you want to live your life?
- Review your relationships. Which do you want to keep? Which can go? And which need work?
- What makes you happy?
- What do you want to accomplish in your career?
Set some clear goals in each area of your life. Then, examine the calendar for the past month. Are your actions in line with your goals and dreams? Are the things you are actually spending time doing every month in line with what you want to be accomplishing? If not, why are you not living in line with your desires?
We are all guilty of complacency from time to time. Almost no one is strong enough to be 100% driven, 100% of the time. But when we find ourselves living in, or headed toward, burnout – it is time to step back and evaluate how we got there. Self-care is exactly that, caring for one’s self. By being proactive in planning our careers and planning our lives we take responsibility for ourselves and rediscovering our passions.
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Professional burnout will always occur in a field that pays so little most of the time that it cannot sustain a person. Unless you work for yourself, the option to limit your sessions per day to a sustainable level is not possible. Franchise corporate directives state that massage therapist should be able to do 4 back to back hours of massage without a break, for compensation levels that are little more than minimum wage plus tips and no benefits. If you want to address burnout, its seems industry mandates for decent pay should be the first order of business, That way LMT’s have the ability to work one job instead of multiple jobs. Also more education to enable MT’s to manage and own locations outright would improve the field. We will never be in charge of our fates until we can make $50,000 per year doing no more than 20 massage hours a week, as in other healthcare jobs. Otherwise its a part time job for people who must work other jobs as well. 20 hours at $10 hour is $200 a week, with 10% cash tips is $400 per week. That’s if you are fully booked or else it’s minimum wage. At best that’s $20,000 per year. With college loans and living expenses its impossible not to burnout. If you get paid less than $50 per hour for massage therapy, its not a sustainable career.
You are on point, Robin. These “chain” therapists need to be careful with their bodies. Massage therapy is not about the paycheck, it’s about changing lives. At least that’s my take on it. Sure, I make a living at it, but I am smart about it. I schedule no more than 4 sessions a day, and see no more than 20 a week. My wife, also a therapist, does the same. I make the pay I need to be comfortable with, which is around $55k per year, and still growing. I’ll hire when I can, which is getting closer as my books get filled. Sure, it’s hard work to manage your own business, but the rewards are far greater than the occassional, “oooh, you had a request today, so here’s an additional 50 cents for that hour. One more Snickers bar for lunch. :)” Chains can afford to pay a better living wage, but they don’t because the owners of most franchises have never worked in the field, and never will understand what its like to do the work.
1. Respect yourself
2. Follow your dream
3. Lead with your heart
4. Be consistent
5. Continue your education in the field
6. Help others help themselves
Great advice !!! & facts 🙂
-by d way im Sylvia Hrndz.
(Masssage therapy student )
I’ve been a practitioner for a couple years..
I say this in a humble way .. And it is so worth it.. not to get burn out ..
While, remaining positive .. with ourselves. And with others.. no matter d outcome each day :):) peace.. & god bless ..
2 u and everyone who reads this, aswell.
sylvia_work_email@yahoo.com
Four self-employed therapists share a busy 3-room clinic. One therapist, I realize after reading this, is possibly suffering from burn-out. The challenge is, she is controlling and has taken entitlement for the clinic’s operation. She often berates clients after they leave, is cleverly condescending toward any success with the rest of us and brags on her work, her knowledge and how she’s connected with the “important” people in town. She’s loud and comes in the clinic with little regard for those of us in session, comes into conversations between other therapists and their clients, tells all of us what to do even when not asked and demonstratively complains about how tired she is, etc. No one wants to address her because of her temper and vindictiveness….she talks of retiring after 20 years. I avoid her and notice the others do also (boundaries) but that means she continues to rule the roost. How does one address this? (I’m the latest to come on-board so need to tread carefully.) I want to get her to read “The Educated Heart”!
Sounds like a classic case of Narcisstic Personality Disorder, rooted in deep insecurities. If you read up on NPDs, you absolutely cannot fix them, and they are very toxic to you, your business, and customers. Attention-seeking, very critical but goes berserk and retaliates if you dare cross them? Sound familiar? I repeat, they cannot be fixed because she is the center of her own universe, and will destroy anyone elsebto protect the facade she has built around herself. Forget educating her, you cant. Educate yourself and coworkers about NPD, and make a decision before your business is ruined.
It sounds like she’s a poison to the community, as well. I want her to accept early retirement in the field, and have her take a job in a secluded cubicle. Massage therapy is not the career for everyone.
“Say no 2overworking massage therapists!!-massage therapist need health n stamina 2 :):)- not just to help clients well being 🙂
“”A massage therapist should not massage
More than 4 clients per day “”