Are You Toast?

Burnout is an occupational hazard for professional caregivers of all types. Because burnout is an "overdraft" of your emotional checking account, a vacation rarely solves the apathy and unhealthy detachment.

Are you comfortably at room temperature or a little crispy around the edges? Answer these 10 questions and find out. Assign a point value to your answers:

Strongly Agree = 10 points
Mostly Agree = 7 points
Disagree = 3 points
Strongly Disagree = 0 points

1. I find myself feeling fatigued or tired at the end of the day.

2. When I wake up after getting a good night's sleep, I still feel tired or have a sense of dread.

3. I’m often a few minutes late, or arrive at the office about the same time as the first appointment of the day.

4. It's been awhile since I regularly exercised and I'm not in the same shape I wa when I started practice.

5. It seems like each day I get further behind with my paperwork.

6. I’m more irritable and less understanding with patients, who these days, seem to be the real problem in my office.

7. I spend less time with my family and friends and often feel like I'm "just going through the motions."

8. I should be accomplishing more and be further ahead by now.

9. I’m spending more time with television or using sex, drugs, food or alcohol to make me feel better about my situation.

10. I’ve even given some thought to other things I could do besides working in chiropractic.

SCORING:

Cool
0-15 points
Either you don't practice with humans or you've really got your act together. Congratulations!

Calm
16-50 points
You’re doing great and quite healthy. With yourself so clearly grounded, you're unlikely to suffer from burnout.

Crispy
51-80 points
You may be flirting with burnout or in its clutches. It’s critical that you establish clear boundaries and upgrade your lifestyle because full-fledged burnout is around the corner.

Charred
86-100 points
It’s amazing you even had the energy to add up your score! Your pain is the result of investing your life spirit in outcomes you can’t control.

Here's a book that helped me with both my brushes with burnout with a link to Amazon.com:

Reclaiming The Fire, How Successful People Overcome Burnout, by Dr. Steven Berglas. After three episodes of burnout in my life, I thought I was an expert on burnout! Not so. This insightful book offered a major insight into the cause of burnout and prevention strategies. My biggest surprise? Burnout is an effect of anger! Hmmmm. BUY IT

If you'd like more insights and some practical actions steps, consider participation in The Conversation.

This 30-day program consists of 14 assignments and journaling exercises, followed by a weekend debrief in Denver, CO with no more than nine other chiropractors. It may be just the thing to help you recover your life! Read what participants say.