09/01/2024

Mitigating Burnout in Career Development Professionals: Tangible Tips for the Exhausted Provider

By Emily Overholt

The buzzword “burnout” is presently circulating around industries, yet can still seem inaccessible at times. What does burnout even look like? What if it happens to the career development professional? Does everyone fall victim to burnout? By demystifying the term “burnout” and preparing ourselves as professionals in career development, we will not only reduce the symptoms of burnout for ourselves as providers, but also prepare our clients for the realities of this phenomenon.

Know the Signs

Feeling burnt out presents itself differently for every individual. It is a state in which the individual experiences overwhelming stress linked to work (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2023). While burnout may be temporary, it can lead to negative emotional, physical, and relational consequences (Valcour, 2016). Burnout decreases productivity and unprecedented leave from work, while increasing job dissatisfaction and the risk of detrimental physical and mental health consequences (Muffarih et al., 2019).  Burnout also presents in different ways for different professionals, so the ability to recognize these stress signals may come far too late (Valcour, 2021). This emphasizes the importance of noticing and reversing burnout and its effects as career development providers, so that we may pass along this knowledge in hopes of creating a healthy workforce.

Being mindful of symptoms of burnout as a career development professional and being proactive about how to combat the symptoms can mitigate the effects. Starting with physical well-being, the career development professional should ask themselves a few specific questions: Have your sleep patterns changed? What about your appetite? The body often sends warning signs when encountering stress, so be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. Even headaches, stomach issues, and sore muscles can be early signs of stress related to burnout (Therapy InMotion, 2023).

The most significant symptoms of burnout might lie in emotional wellbeing. More guiding questions to help identify emotional warning signs that lend themselves to burnout could be: Are you indifferent to the work you used to be passionate about? Feeling jaded, cynical, or experiencing imposter syndrome in the workplace? Noticing increased irritability? Can’t seem to focus or concentrate? Feeling drained or numb? These are the emotional alarm bells we need to pay attention to in order to mitigate burnout holistically, especially in the field of career development (Therapy InMotion, 2023).

Engage Your Resources

After noticing the signs, the next step is to move toward resolution. First, identify resources that are readily available. Maybe professionals have saved Personal Time Off (PTO) for a rainy day.  Perhaps the organization has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that could find therapy or behavioral health resources. There could also be peer groups and professional organizations that could be explored which provide opportunities to connect with others with similar experiences. Or, maybe an individual has a close friend or peers on speed dial. By sharing feelings and seeking connection with others, it can prevent career professionals from feeling isolated and alienated, therefore avoiding burnout (Valcour, 2016). Investing in relationships outside of work is also proven to help recharge and create balance between professional and personal selves (Goodwin University, 2024).

Selecting resources and resolutions that are effective is important. Plan time off well in advance, and make sure to fully disconnect when away from work. Though taking a vacation won’t “cure” burnout symptoms, it may aid in finding a clearer perspective on a stressful work environment or situation (Therapy InMotion, 2023). Overall, intentionally separating personal time from professional time is also a key factor in reducing burnout symptoms in career development professionals (Goodwin University, 2024).

Create a Practice

Engaging in self-care must become a sustainable practice in order to mitigate stress and burnout as career service providers (Goodwin University, 2024). Taking a spa day only after reaching peak states of burnout is not going to be effective. Start with small practices – what is something you can do daily? Weekly? Monthly? Yearly? Having synchronous routines embeds caring for yourself into your life – this is a significant factor in curbing burnout (Goodwin University, 2024). 

Career development professionals must look at self-care holistically – how are you caring for your physical self? Your emotional self? Your social self? Your professional self? Creating small practices in each area of professional life leads to a more well-rounded practice of self-care.

Models of Wellbeing

By being mindful of wellbeing, proactive about connecting with others, using resources, and practicing self-care, career development professionals will be able to mitigate burnout in a high-stress professional world. While guiding others in navigating the world of career, perhaps career development professionals may even become a model in how to appropriately cope with burnout themselves.

References

Goodwin University.(2024, January 25). From surviving to thriving: 7 self-care strategies to prevent burnout at work. ENEWS. https://www.goodwin.edu/enews/from-surviving-to-thriving-7-essential-self-care-strategies-to-beat-professional-burnout/

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2023, November 30). Know the signs of job burnout. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642

Mufarrih, S. H., Naseer, A., Qureshi, N. Q., Anwar, Z., Zahid, N., Lakdawala, R. H., & Noordin, S. (2019). Burnout, job dissatisfaction, and mental health outcomes among medical students and health care professionals at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan: Protocol for a multi-center cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Psychology. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02552/full

Therapy InMotion. (2023, February 15). Career counseling and job burnout. https://therapyinmotion.care/career-job-burnout/

Valcour, M. (2016, November). 4 steps to beating burnout. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/11/beating-burnout 

Emily Overholt, MSW, LSW, CCSP, is a Licensed Social Worker and Certified Career Services Provider. With a background in clinical mental health and higher education, she received her Master’s degree in clinical social work from University of Pennsylvania. She is passionate about supporting folks from all backgrounds in finding fulfilling career paths. She can be reached at emilyoverholt7@gmail.com or connected with via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/emily-overholt