Counselor Burnout can happen when a counselor succumbs to stress or even subjectively views the job and its stresses in an ineffective way. It can be a coping mechanism that is pathological. Burnout is negative emotional and behavioral reactions to stressful jobs that involve viewing human misery on a regular basis. Signs that the person is unable to cope can be the anxiety of going to work again, mental strain and hysteria over situations that arise when there is no need for this reaction.
Indicators of Counselor Burnout
Some of the indicators of Counselor Burnout can be that someone is late to meetings, they have more Illness than usual, they begin taking more time off, or the start to perform substandard work. When someone is late to a meeting this just might be a life situation. If someone is late for meetings on a regular basis and this is not their usual behavior then perhaps it needs a closer look. When the person experiencing counselor burnout begins taking more time off than usual and there is not an accompanying life event such as death in the family etc., then this also may be an indicator that something is wrong. One area that can be glaring is that if the attention to detail that one normally gives to their work falls off. Another aspect of this same problem might just be that the work is not being completed or is not being finished on time.
Signs of Counselor Burnout
Signs of Counselor Burnout can be detachment, pessimism or even sarcasm. At times there may be coworker distrust, low self-worth or esteem and feelings of depression. Counselor Burnout is not something that just pops up. It is something that happens over time. You may notice noticed by looking for these earlier signs. As the detachment happens people tend to pull away. Maybe they isolate or stop having interactions with others as they did in the past. These are all signs of detachment. Maybe there is bitterness sarcasm or cynicism occurring in the actions of the person who is experiencing burnout. They may scoff at something that is serious. As for low self-esteem and feelings of depression, these can appear through negative affect, slowed speech and an unkempt manner. It will be evident in a change or lack of care that the counselor would normally give to themselves.
Possible solutions to Counselor Burnout
Some ways to deal with Counselor Burnout are to have fun on the job as much as possible with co-workers. Or how about spending more time helping clients than doing paperwork, discussing ones problems with others and promoting good social support at the workplace. One might increase their feelings of accomplishment for a job well done. Or perhaps give an acknowledgement that clients have benefitted from the work performed. These are all ways in which a counselor or coworker might not succumb to Counselor Burnout. It is also a good way to build self-esteem and keep things level and moving in the right direction in the high stress environment of the human services worker.