Stick a fork in me. I'm done!!!

"Stick a fork in me. I'm done." Those are words I hope to never use about my chosen profession.  Having been in school for the last six years while attempting to maintain a healthy marriage, happy kids, and my sanity, I know a little something about burn out.  I think we have all been in situations that we are just so sick and tired, it becomes a huge effort to even meet the standards of mediocrity.  How does this happen? Why does this happen? What can we do to prevent it?

One reason I think burn out happens is because we are no longer intellectually challenged.  The work we do becomes tedious and repetitious.  We have seen and done it all, and nothing new has been presented in a very long time.  I think another reason it happens is because we are working in an environment where we are not valued or our work is not respected.  It becomes a grueling task going to work every day when, even though your clientele are interesting, your work is not recognized or deemed important by the other professionals with whom you work.  What can we do when this happens? Fortunately, our field offers many options.

First, recognize the warning signs of burn out before you run out of fuel.  These signs can vary from person to person.  For me, it is excessive changing of hairstyles or hair color.  Women often want to change their hairstyle or opt for a new color to compliment a season or just update their look, but feeling the desire to do this on a weekly basis is a little much! I have come to recognize this as a sign that I need to explore other aspects of my life to find what it is that really needs some changing.  I have a friend who says that her warning sign is obsessive rearranging of furniture. What are your signs? Knowing what they are is the first step in preventing total burn out from occurring.

Now you know it's coming, what can be done? The field of speech-language pathology provides so many opportunities to learn and grow.  There is no way a person will learn everything there is to learn in the field in their lifetime.  Our professional license does not limit us to work in one setting our entire careers.  If we tire of working in a school setting, we can find employment in a medical, home health, early intervention, or a myriad of other settings.  We have the opportunity, through continuing education, to learn new skills that will allow us some of the greatest career flexibility.  Can you imagine being a pastry chef and told the only thing you can make are apple turnovers? You may begin by being challenged to make the BEST apple turnovers the world has ever known. You can research where and how the best apples are grown, the best spices are processed, what chemical processes occur when these ingredients combine and how they affect human physiology, but eventually you are going to tire of making apple turnovers.  Maybe you decide you want to design a new way of processing a certain spice, or a new technique for growing apples, or decide you want to learn how to cook steak.  Well, you can! The only thing holding you back is YOU!  Okay, that may be more than a little oversimplified, because some of us do have other things to consider such as family and finances.  I, for one, do not have the luxury of just picking up and moving because I have my family to consider.  The children are almost done with school, and I wouldn't want to uproot them now.  My husband has a good job and has worked for the same company for almost 20 years.  You can't give up the benefits that go with that!  Many people also need to stay in certain jobs because they cannot afford to take a  job that may be more interesting but pays significantly less, or maybe they need the health benefits their current job provides.

In my experience, there are always options. There is always something that can be done to effectively change your situation.  Perhaps finding a volunteer opportunity. One of my SLP friends that works in the schools also does pro bono work for people with ALS.  There are some SLPs who work in one setting but do PRN work once a month in a completely different setting.  There is always the option of taking private clients on the side, as long as this does not conflict with your current employer.  Another school-based SLP I know designs therapy tools and has set up a side business for that.  If you are in a setting that is not particularly respectful of the work an SLP does, you can design some inservice training to educate them.  After all, the lack of respect probably originates from a lack of knowledge.  If there are policies in place that prevent you from serving your clients best, perhaps there is a committee you can chair or other avenues you can pursue to effect positive change rather than stewing in an unhappy broth that always turns out bitter.

Given the realms of possibility in this profession, the limitless knowledge there is to be gained, and the boundless opportunities to enrich the lives of others, I don't see how I could possibly become burned out on this profession.  I will keep track of how often I run to the beauty supply store, however, to ensure that I never say, "That's it. Stick a fork in me. I'm done!"