Signs of burnout in trainers and assessors (and what to do about it)
In this blog post I am going to be exploring ‘burnout’, what it means, what can cause it, how to recognise the signs and symptoms and what we can do to prevent it happening.
Disclaimer I am not a medical doctor or a mental health practitioner - if you think you are suffering from burnout then it would be a good idea to seek professional help through your GP.
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Burnout is recognised as a chronic condition which builds up over time and can be caused by a number of factors.
Common causes include:
Taking on too much work - either accepting too much work as a freelancer or having it put upon you if you work in a college or training institution. As well as the actual teaching there may also be planning, preparation, marking and completion of learner reports to worry about.
Work/life balance - or rather lack of! This could be that your work load means that you are spending evenings and weekends on your phone or laptop, replying to emails, marking work or planning sessions when you should be relaxing and spending time with friends or family.
Long hours - some teaching days can be very long and if you add on travelling time this can add up, leaving little time to relax after a long day.
Poor eating habits - if you are working all the hours it is very difficult to sit down and eat a healthy meal. I know many of you will eat on the go and be lucky to get 10 minutes for lunch time and you need to prepare for the afternoon teaching session. If you are busy it is also easy to live on snacks and ready meals rather than having proper food.
Other life stresses - as well as your work life there may be other stressful events happening in your life such as moving house, caring for others, break ups and divorce and just general life events. All of these can make work even more difficult to cope with.
Health issues - managing working life is hard enough when you are fit and healthy but if you are also coping with a long term or debilitating health condition then this is adding to the stress that your body is under.
Signs and symptoms to look out for
Initially developing an awareness of our own needs can help us to know when to take a break but unfortunately this can often be re-active rather than pro-active.
Be aware of feeling more tired than usual or a developing sense of overwhelm.
If the problem is not sorted at this stage then it can lead on to worsening problems such as:
Fatigue and sleep issues - this may manifest as insomnia thus leading to a cycle of fatigue made worse by lack of sleep.
Trouble concentrating - unable to focus on day to day tasks and finding that things take longer to accomplish than normal.
Appetite and weight issues - this can go either way leading to weight gain or weight loss. This is only made worse by the poor eating habits mentioned previously.
Depression and anxiety - feelings of sadness, overwhelm and physical panic attacks can also be signs of burnout.
Detachment from reality - this is best described as a feeling of numbness and can also lead to compulsive behaviour and an unwillingness to accept the current situation. Sometimes described as toxic positivity.
Self doubt - maybe you are beginning to think that this is not the job for you, you don’t feel confident in your role or it feels like others are making you feel inadequate.
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Some solutions:
Set clear boundaries- this could be with work, with your managers, with colleagues and most importantly with yourself. Decide what is right for you and if that means no working after 6pm then that is what you need to do. Make sure it happens, let friends and family in on your boundaries so they can help you keep them. Switch off notifications on your phone after a set time, turn off your laptop and plan other activities to do instead. If you need to work late or at a weekend for a particular reason such as completing a set project then be really clear with yourself about why this is happening. Don’t make excuses!
Take time off - actual time off, get away from the work environment and go do something different. Plan a day out with friends, family or even on your own. Have a spa day, go to a nice coffee shop (one of my favourites) or book to take part in an activity or to learn a new skill.
Write a journal - this can be a really useful way of exploring what is bothering you. If I have had a difficult day then I will write down all the detail about the problem and then write down the possible solutions and who can help with those solutions. It can also work to write a gratitude list - think of 5 things that have gone really well during the day, maybe you had a great bunch of learners on your course, the venue was lovely to teach in, coffee was free and delicious, someone brought cake, the sun shone! There are always things to be grateful for.
Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash
Work on your Mindset - this is a big thing for many people and it is really important to develop a growth mindset. This is going to be a topic for a future blog and training session but for now try to think about self development and improvement. What one thing could you improve now to make your life a little bit easier?
Network with others - so important if you predominantly work on your own on a day to day basis. I have set up a Trainer and Assessor support and advice group on Facebook so that people have somewhere to go and be part of a community. It is important to seek out others with a positive growth mindset, by association you will then attract more positivity into your own life.
I hope some of these ideas resonate with you and enable you to be pro-active in terms of self care and avoid heading towards burnout.
If you are a trainer, assessor or quality assurer and would like more support I am starting a paid membership in September 2022 where you can be part of a community of like minded professionals who want to be the best they can in their work and personal life. In the membership you will get access to weekly group coaching sessions, online training and resources through a dedicated members login and also a private facebook group where networking and community can really happen.
The initial offer will be only £30 per month and the first 5 sign ups will get a free 30 minute 1:1 coaching session with me to explore any current issues with your own role in training and assessment.
If you are interested then email me at peritiatrainingltd@gmail.com or message me through facebook or instagram @peritiatraining