6/22/26: The Burnout Crisis in Helping Professions: Why Our Caregivers Need Support Too
“The simple act of caring is heroic.” – Edward Albert
We’ve all had someone who impacted our life – nurse, doctor, social worker, teacher, coach.
What do all of these professions have in common?
They care for others before they care for themselves.
That drive to care for others can often lead to high levels of stress and burnout, which can lead to mental illness, dependency, or other health issues.
What are the primary causes of burnout in these helping professions?
First, the need to regulate your own emotions. Sometimes I can hardly manage to keep my shit together getting my youngest ready for school – then I try to imagine teachers and daycare workers spending 7+ hours a day and not having the grace to lose their tempers. Angels BUT probably on the brink of burnout.
When I worked in healthcare, one of my titles was Medical Coder, although I coded mental health notes as well. The weight of some of the content in those notes was almost too much for me – I cannot imagine being the health professional hearing these stories first hand, offering treatment, and having the expectation to move on to the next.
Secondary trauma is also a leading cause of burnout in mental health and medical sectors.
There are also strains on resources. There are documented shortages in almost all of these professions – nursing, medical, mental health, teaching, so those who are in the arena are asked to show up bigger. In the medical field for example, often leads are expected to manage the administrative workload while balancing a demanding patient load.
Specifically in teaching and coaching, there is often a lack of resources needed to perform at the highest level, so often educators will spend their own money to provide what students need, or go with the “do with what you have” mantra.
A couple weeks ago, I shared my own story of burnout and what that looked like – although I realized too late that was what I was experiencing. What does burnout actually look like when you’re experiencing it?
Emotional exhaustion is HUGE! Many helping professionals experience emotional exhaustion without recognizing it for what it is. It could be, “I’ve had a rough week” or “I’ll feel better when __ is complete”, but when that continues to happen, it is emotional exhaustion.
In retrospect, I had been emotionally exhausted for several months before I let my seven year old tell me what it was. That feeling of “this too shall pass”, “man, I suck at everything”, or “maybe I’m not the right person for this if I let it get to me so easily”.
Another big one is losing your empathy, or the ability to have deep, caring feelings for others. Again, speaking to my own experience of burnout, I had come to that point that I no longer cared how my actions or reactions made others feel. Personally, I felt like nobody was caring for my feelings and I was not going to care for theirs.
Isn’t it scary to think about those helping professions – teachers, doctors, nurses, etc. getting to that point?
Of course, those suffering from burnout, regardless of the stage they are in, will manifest physical symptoms such as sleeplessness, headaches, and decreased or increased appetite (depending on the person). I recall experiencing strange things like hair loss, acne breakouts, and waking nausea on all working days.
These physical effects don’t include the increased possibility of mental illnesses such as anxiety or depression, or the likelihood of dependency to cope. Research shows that the helping professions are at a drastically increased risk of both of these, with women being at a higher risk than men (see references in previous social media posts and blogs; specific to profession).
Each of these professions (teacher, doctor, nurse, mental health professional, etc.) has some very specific needs, there are some common threads that need to be examined, because the harsh reality is, men and women are leaving the professions at rates they cannot be replaced. In the United States, there is a shortage in teaching, nursing, mental health professionals, and physician shortages remain a growing concern across many communities.
Where do we start?
It should come as no surprise, boundaries and balance are BIG.
Institutions need to create environments where there are set working hours, when these professionals are in the workplace that is their focus, but when the “shift” is done, they go home. That home time is uninterrupted by concerned parents, administrators, support staff, etc. There needs to be an expectation that work does not go home, and administrations need to model and encourage that.
For most of these professions, there needs to be a real examination of wages. If helping professionals are going to be expected to work through shortages, they should be compensated accordingly.
Speaking specifically to the medical field, staff oversight needs to be appropriate. In many facilities, operational and clinical leadership are separated. While business leaders understand budgets and performance metrics, clinical staff also need leadership from individuals who understand the realities of patient care.
Partner with those individuals who hold “multiple positions” – teachers who chair a committee or who are asked to coach, nurses who also lead teams, doctors who supervise departments – these people need to have different performance expectations than their peers. Appropriate time to complete administrative tasks must be given, even if that means a reduced schedule. Oh, and pay them accordingly for those extra responsibilities.
I was talking to a friend who coaches. The season is approximately four months long, practices four days a week, traveling most weekends for competitions – they make $300 for the season 🤮 When I was told that my first thought was “Man, you must really love this and/or the kids, because I would never sacrifice this much time for $300!” This person is certainly not being paid for the work they are putting in.
It is important that employers have resources available, such as preferred counselors or an EAP, for those who are willing to seek help. One step further, not only have those resources available, but allow time for professionals to use those resources. It can be really difficult to get help when the professionals who can help you with those burnout symptoms work the same hours as the professionals in need.
With that, have policies that encourage and support staff to come forward if they are suffering from physical or mental symptoms of burnout, or dependency. Give them grace to get help without stigma.
Sadly, the forecast for most of the professions predicts continued shortages and strains, meaning the factors outside our control will not improve. As employers, administrators, and communities, we will need to work toward changes that support these professionals so the good ones do not burn out.
Professionals, you will need to take ownership as well.
It is easy to say-
“Admin doesn’t support me”
“There is too much to be done”
“If I don’t do it, who will”
But there comes a point where you need to take control of your mental and physical wellness.
Set those boundaries – this is my work time/this is my home time, don’t respond to those emails and texts when the situation doesn’t demand it, know that someone will do it.
Utilize the resources that are available to you if you feel yourself slipping into that stress and burnout pattern. If your employer does not offer services (most do, ask them), seek out the necessary help. Be open with your employer about the help you are seeking and why you need it. Sometimes employers need an experience to demand change AND by seeking help, you have the ability to ask for change when it is needed.
I will tell you, I have endless appreciation for all the helping professions.
I remember most of my teachers to this day, the good and the bad. I remember all of my kids’ teachers, the good and the bad. I remember daycare employees who saw more of my kids then I did at one point. Educators do a lot with a little, they love kids like their own, they are a nurse, a counselor, and so much more. Without good teachers, we wouldn’t have good humans roaming Earth.
I am thankful for the coaches I had growing up and the coaches my kids have now. Coaching is a lot of extra hours, often for not a lot of extra pay, but again they care for kids, they encourage kids, they show up for graduations and programs. It is meaningful work that is often not given enough credit.
Doctors and Nurses have always been a big part of my life. There are good and there are bad, but sometimes I think the bad ones are a product of a shitty system. These individuals see death and trauma and within a few moments are expected to move onto the next. They work long hours with few breaks and little thanks.
Mental health professionals hold a special place in my heart. I often say “not my story to share,” which is true here, but these individuals have been difference makers for many families, including my own. I recall admiring the mental health team I worked with – knowing what they heard from patients on a daily basis – but being amazingly kind and generous humans when they left their treatment room.
All this to say, WE ask a lot of these individuals.
We cannot change their wages.
We cannot change their schedules.
We cannot change organization structures.
But we can acknowledge them for the work they do, and thank them, instead of finding fault in their actions.
Before we ask more from the people who care for our children, heal our bodies, guide our minds, and support our communities, perhaps we should start by asking how we can better care for them.
This June, on social media, Balance & Business with Melissa has been featuring specific professions and the burnout associated with them. I encourage you to go read about some of the more specific challenges facing each of these (with one more to come next week).
https://www.facebook.com/bbwithmelissa
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