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Writer's pictureMegan Filoramo

What to do when you're sliding toward burnout.

Work is really hard sometimes. This week I had really complex patients, patients whose cases kept me up at night hoping to come up with whatever I was missing, or confidence in the plan of care I had chosen.

And then there were constant changes to the schedule, trying to figure out staffing for new practice locations, coverage of new providers, and accommodating call outs. 

The days were long, and I am really tired.  Admittedly I didn’t have a lot of energy left for any of the day-to-day drama that happens in every workplace.


It would be easy to say that by Friday morning, I am sliding my way towards burnout.


Good thing this isn’t really a problem.


Yes, I slept poorly. 

Yes, I have a headache.

Yes, my house is a mess, my unread emails are somewhere in the hundreds, I have an appointment this morning that can’t be rescheduled and I have to leave for the airport in 3hours.


And it’s still not a problem, despite being so wound up and simultaneously exhausted.


It’s not because I’m delusional, it’s because I have the solution. I have been here before 🙂


There are lots of ways to get out of this but the one I am using today is so easy, so little work, and so soothing that I wanted to share it with you.


I am going to sit in appreciation. That’s it. It only takes a few minutes and you can totally reset your nervous system. (Palpitations be gone!)


I can tell you all the things that were really stressful this week, the list above was only the beginning, but these situations are already front and center in my mind. Replaying them will just keep me in this cycle I am in, it will keep my body in this pseudo state of panic, of looking for danger.


This is exactly the opposite of where I want to be.


So, I take a quick pause to give equal airtime to the things I really appreciated about this week (not just things that went “right”).


This is the list.

  • I really appreciate that when I was struggling with a methadone conversion, I could text my friends who work in pain management at the Mayo Clinic, Stanford, and Chicago and ask for input. 

  • I really appreciate that despite the fact that the work is hard, that I am able to financially provide for my family.

  • I really appreciate that I work with a great team of providers, ones who are approachable, respectful, and genuinely care about the patients and each other.

  • I really appreciate the beautiful weather this week, at least it was sunny.

  • I really appreciate that my husband preps the coffee every morning so I don’t have to do one more thing before work.

  • I really appreciate that I am able to have an appointment this morning with my coach, that I will get some support while feeling wound up.

  • I really appreciate that I get to spend this weekend building relationships with other APPs at a neuromodulation educational event.

  • I really appreciate the life that I have as an NP and as a coach.

  • I really appreciate that I have had the opportunity to really try and help people in a meaningful way.



I think you get the idea.


This is more than just making a list. It is a signal to your nervous system that everything is ok. After all, if you were really in danger, you wouldn’t be taking time to make a list of things that you appreciate, you wouldn’t be stopping to smell the proverbial roses. It allows you to unclench your jaw, to drop your shoulders, to slow your breathing. It allows you to unwind.


It’s basically mindfulness without meditation. It’s directing your thoughts to things that make you feel better, not worse.


We will always have weeks at work that put us to the test. It’s so much better when it’s simply not a problem.


(and hopefully next week is a little easier!)


 

Are you too fatigued to even try these types of strategies? I understand because I have been there too. You don’t have to do it alone and you don’t even need to figure out how to do it. Reach out to book a call. Even if we aren’t a good fit to work together, the hour won’t be wasted. In that time I can help you get clarity on why what was once easy for you to do is now sucking the life out of you, and what steps specifically can be taken to reverse that trajectory. You can love the work you’re doing. Click here to schedule a time today.




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