Staving off burnout

I'd wanted to be a veterinarian since I was 7 years old, but after 12 years in practice, I didn't know if I could stand another day. I was frustrated, tired, and worn out by the constant stresses of practice, including staffing headaches, client turnover, and financial strains. And those stresses were having a profoundly negative influence on my personal life, too.

Dr. W. Bradford Swift, DVM

I felt disjointed and disconnected from those I cared about most. My life was out of balance and nearly out of control. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, I was exhausted.

The pain of burnout became so intense that I started abusing alcohol and drugs in an effort to make it through another day. I even contemplated suicide before I finally realized veterinary practice didn't need to be so hard and unrewarding. In fact, life itself didn't need to be such a struggle. I finally sought help and turned my practice—and my life—around.

The clouds didn't part overnight, though. Recovering from burnout was a process that took years. I hired a business coach to help me get on track and, eventually, sell the business. As I started to transform, professionally and personally, I realized I still loved veterinary medicine. Yet in the end, I found the calling to write was even stronger, and I changed my life.

The facets of burnout

Of course, the choices you make to realign your life may be different. Think through your options with these strategies.

STOP the cycle of stress

Step back, Think, Organize your thoughts, and then Proceed. Taking such STOPs regularly gives you an opportunity to recover from stresses that build up at work. Unfortunately, as Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz point out in their book

The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal

(Free Press, 2005), most of us approach our work and lives like a marathon runner rather than a sprinter. Many people just keep running, instead of running and then resting, so it's no wonder many of us burnout before we reach the finish line.

Start by adding short STOP periods of 10 to 15 minutes every couple of hours throughout the day. Then, add longer STOPs, such as regular organizational meetings that give you time to look at the big picture. Your team benefits from time-outs, too, so consider hosting an occasional company picnic or brainstorm other ways to recharge and rejuvenate your staff members.

Get some perspective

Finally, make sure you build in vacation time. A vacation lets you truly get away from work for rest and relaxation. Trust me, it's worth the hassle to organize that time away.

Try doing less

Many practitioners aren't naturally gifted at delegation, so they end up trying to do everything, including paperwork, scheduling, and payroll. While these detail-oriented tasks need to be done, you don't necessarily need to do them yourself. Someone who enjoys the work—and is therefore better equipped to do the tasks—would be a better choice.

To drop the stress of doing someone else's job, make a list of tasks you find unpleasant, then delegate them to a staff member or hire someone to handle them. Chris Barrow of The Business Coaching Co. in the United Kingdom points out that many professionals would be far more productive and less stressed if they hired a full- or part-time assistant.

Making the most of road time

Ignite your passion through purpose

One of the best ways to prevent or overcome burnout is to re-ignite your passion for work and life by re-focusing on your unique purpose and contribution. According to authors Loehr and Schwartz, senior partners and principals with LGE Performance Systems Inc. in Orlando, Fla., your spiritual energy comes from your connection to a deeply held set of values and to a purpose beyond self-interest. "This energy is our most powerful source of motivation, perseverance, and direction," they say in

The Power of Full Engagement

. In other words, a sense of purpose is key to creating energy that will help "to drive full engagement and to maximize performance" for whatever task is at hand. In turn, this energy will help you avoid and recover from burnout.

Seek assistance and support

Depending on the degree of burnout you're experiencing, you many need to seek assistance and support from others to turn your life and work around. Don't try to be a macho man or superwoman. Reach out to a trusted friend, personal coach, therapist, or some combination. Burnout is not something to take lightly. Treat the condition with the respect it deserves; get the support you need.

Make your vacation a real vacation

The power of combined strategies

As you can imagine, these strategies are most powerful in combination. Scheduling periodic STOPs is essential to carving out the time to get back in touch with your purpose in life and at work. Delegating the smaller stuff at work will make such STOPs easier to schedule. Igniting your passion will make your STOPs and your delegation more effective.

The good news: Once you start using these strategies, you'll find it easier to increase the time you take to restore yourself. The catch: You have to start somewhere, even if it's only 15 to 20 minutes at the beginning of your day, sitting quietly, reflecting on your life.

Incorporating these strategies into your life will give you the grounding you need to enjoy a rebirth of energy—a bit like the mythological phoenix. After living in the desert for 500 years, the Egyptian bird consumed itself with fire, later to arise renewed from its own ashes to be more powerful and passionate about life. You, too, can renew your passion for practice and for life, even if you feel as though your wings were singed today.

Quick facts

The bottom line

The challenges of practice can leave even the most dedicated practitioner feeling as burned out as an overcooked French fry. The key: Keep taking small steps back toward balance. For example, take breaks; delegate tasks; identify your purpose; and reach out to friends, family members, and colleagues.

As the founder of the Life on Purpose Institute, Dr. W. Bradford Swift empowers people to live true to their life purpose through writing, public speaking, and coaching professionals to design businesses on purpose. Please send questions or comments to ve@advanstar.com.