I’m burning out. What should I do?

Burnout as a spiritual innovator can sneak in slowly. What once felt energizing now drains you, your motivation dims, and even the most joyful parts of your project begin to feel like a chore. You might feel trapped by what you’ve built, unsure how to keep going but too responsible to stop. It doesn’t mean you’re weak or ungrateful—it means you’re human, and probably have been carrying too much for too long. The most important first step in this situation is to recognize and name what you’re experiencing. And second, to pause or ask for help.

During COVID, Michael Plank, who is both a Presbyterian minister and the co-founder of Underwood Park CrossFit, decided to take on the twin spiritual disciplines of generosity and accepting useful help when it was offered. Over time, learning to accept help when offered helped him develop to ask for help, too–and he now relies on a wide network of friends and colleagues to sustain his work. 

But sometimes outside help and pausing isn’t enough, and you’ll need to plan to transition out of the work–that’s okay too. Your worth isn’t tied to keeping something alive just because you started it. Letting go, or stepping back, can be a wise, loving, and even sacred decision.

‍

How to recognize burnout

• Read through this description of burnout and see what you identify in your own life, or take this short quiz. 
• This blog about burnout among clergy may resonate, too. 
• To learn more, read this collection of essays, Practicing Liberation: Transformative Strategies for Collective Healing and Systems Change, edited by Tessa Hicks Peterson and Hala Khouri.

‍

Tools to support you when you feel close to burn out

In addition to stepping back your leadership or an extended retreat, here are some short-term support tools to explore.

• Start by checking out this self-love playlist from Prentis Hemphill or this rest meditation from Tricia Hersey, the Nap Bishop. Notice how your body responds to resting.
• This podcast series from the Greater Good Science Center explores caring for caregivers, and may offer some practical strategies to navigate the meantime. 
• The Spiritual Activist: Practices to Transform Your Life, Your Work, and Your World by Claudia Horwitz is packed full of ideas and practices to sustain your activist and spiritual leadership.
• Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky may also be valuable as you navigate your capacity to care for others.
• Or read this short blog about the power of the pause.