Empathy for YOU in Uncertain Times (Reflection #9)

We are living in an uncertain world especially now during this pandemic. Just living during this crisis impacts how we handle what we do and how we react to stress. <br />Stress is when you have multiple pressures that demand too much of you psychologically and physically. When you are stressed, you may believe that if you can just get everything under control, you will feel better. Stress involves “too much.” Stress can be perceived as negative if we don’t know how to react to that stress. There are signs that the stress you believe you cannot handle may be leading you toward burnout. <br />Being burned out means feeling empty, without any motivation, and beyond caring about what happens to you. When you experience burnout, you often don’t see any hope of positive change in your situations. Burnout means “not enough” or cannot cope anymore.<br />Table 7.1 Stress vs. Burnout (From page 116 in Define Your Why)<br /><br /><br /><br />Stress (too much)<br />Burnout (not enough)<br /><br /><br /> Characterized by over engagement<br /> Characterized by disengagement<br /><br /><br /> Emotions are overreactive<br /> Emotions are blunted<br /><br /><br /> Produces urgency and hyperactivity<br /> Produces helplessness and hopelessness<br /><br /><br /> Loss of energy<br /> Loss of motivation, ideals, and hope<br /><br /><br /> Leads to anxiety disorders<br /> Leads to detachment and depression<br /><br /><br /> Primary damage is physical<br /> Primary damage is emotional<br /><br /><br /><br />Serveyev, A. (2019). 16 Important Signs You are Heading for Burnout<br />I know I’ve felt “too much” many days and “not enough” more than I would like. I’ve heard this from teachers, parents, and students. Covid19 is a worldwide crisis, and no one has ever dealt with a situation like this in over 100 years.<br />Everyone in the whole world is living with uncertainty during this pandemic. Educators who are stressed or possibly burned out told me that they are not able to balance work and home, especially when teaching remotely. Thei