Burnout! . . . And How to Avoid It.

With the stress and pressure of daily life, all of us will probably experience burnout at some time in our lives.  Although burnout can negatively affect our physical bodies, it is not a physical condition.  Burnout results from the depletion of the human energy field. 

Since most people are unaware of their energy fields, and even those who are aware don’t know how to manage them, depletion is a common problem. This condition can result from many things, but the most common factors in all of them are:

1. Giving out more energy than we get back, and
2. Not knowing how to generate energy for ourselves.

Since the energy field is not physical, we can neither see it, hear it, taste it, smell it, nor touch it.  We do have an energy sense, usually called the sixth sense, which allows us to sense energy. This energy sense is often associated with intuition, but it is really a much larger, more dynamic group of energy senses that encompasses intuition but is not limited to it.  Because we normally rely on our physical senses to give us reliable readings on our surroundings, our use of these energy senses is usually unconscious, and when it becomes conscious, often dismissed as unreliable.

This means that everything that happens regarding our energy field usually happens underneath our conscious radar.  We are only vaguely aware of when other people are taking more of our energy than they should, and also unaware when we, in turn, commandeer others’ energy to shore up our own depleted stores.

When someone steals our physical possessions we have recourse to the legal system.  As a society we believe it is wrong to steal money or possessions from a another person.  But energy is invisible and intangible, so we have not yet even recognized that it is possible for people to take this invaluable ingredient from us.  So all of us steal energy, some to a greater extent than others.

Just like food, humans need energy to survive.  Babies learn early how to get energy from their parents.  They smile, laugh, act really cute, cry or have tantrums.  Later children, use good grades or athletic prowess.  Whatever works.  If positive energy, (unconditional love and caring), is not available, children will act out, for even negative attention is better than nothing.

As adults, when feeling depleted, we seek energy (attention) from those around us just as we did as children. But just like physical resources, there are unhealthy and illegitimate ways to acquire energy, as well as healthy and appropriate ways.  When faced with someone using illegitimate means, we may not know exactly what’s happening to us, but we definitely feel that something is very wrong.

There are many different levels of energy stealing, from the most subtle to the most obvious.  Any attention seeking behavior is an attempt to acquire energy, whether its dominating a business meeting, stonewalling on a vote or a project, intimidating a co-worker, or being the class clown or drama queen.

The sure sign of a chronic energy thief is someone for whom no amount of care or attention will help.  They always have excuses as to why they can’t do what you suggest or can’t possibly engage in any kind of self help, no matter how available or easy to implement.  This is because energy stealing has become a way of life, and solving their problems would take this valuable source of getting energy away from them.

Energy stealing from those around us is the most common cause of burnout.  While family, friends and co-workers are often guilty of energy stealing, we can often try to limit our contact with a person who is a chronic abuser in order to avoid burnout.

Nurses, doctors, social workers, clergy people, and all those who work in mental and physical health, however, are especially at risk for burnout from energy stealing because they must deal with chronic energy thieves every day.  These professions are particularly popular with energy vampires since they know they have the undivided attention of the care-giver for at least a certain amount of time.

If a person is willing to work with the care-giver to help him or herself, then there is mutual energy exchange.  The caregiver provides the medicine or the advice, and the patient or client takes it and their life improves, thus giving the caregiver the satisfaction of having helped.

But if the person always has an excuse as to why he/she can’t take the advice, or that the medicine didn’t work, then that person really doesn’t want to get better, they just want to steal energy. The energy is going only one way, OUT, with nothing coming back.

The reason most of us steal energy in some form or another is because we believe energy to be finite, like all physical resources.  After all, there is only so much water, so much oil, so much land, so much money, and if you have more of those resources, that means I have less.  We seek energy from each other because we don’t know where else to get it.

The good news is that energy is not finite and there are healthy ways to exchange energy with other people, as well as ways to create energy for ourselves without having to steal it. Even if you are in a profession where burnout is endemic, you can develop tools to combat it and learn to replenish yourself.

Healthy social energy exchange is one of the best ways to generate energy.  This is when both people freely give of their energy to each other, not because they have to, but because they want to.  For example, two friends go to lunch and each has time to talk about themselves and their concerns while the other listens.  Then they might talk about something of mutual interest.  They laugh a lot and enjoy each other’s company, and each comes away feeling refreshed and renewed.  Each person knows they can count on the other to be there when they are going through hard times and need extra energy.  But both know they will reciprocate and it will all come out even in the end.

Mutual energy exchange is entirely different from a mutual exchange of physical things.  If I give you $20 and you give me $20, it’s a wash.  Neither of us is any better or worse off than before.  But mutual energy exchange multiplies energy exponentially.  In other words, you get far more out of it than you put into it, and so does your friend.  This is why lunch with a best friend or beer with a good buddy is so refreshing.

Healthy social interactions are great ways to avoid burnout and replenish yourself when it happens.

We are also able to easily generate energy for ourselves.  Laughter and artistic creation are two excellent ways to create energy.  Laughter is healing and energizing.  We need much more of it in our lives.  Laughing with friends or watching funny movies or videos on our computers is great for a quick lift.

Artistic creation is an expression of the Soul that nourishes the very essence of our being.  Whether it’s singing, painting, gardening, making a rock wall, wood-working, dancing, singing, writing in a journal or just doodling, any kind of creation or self-expression can be energizing as long as we relax into it and don’t bash ourselves for not being “artistic”.

Exercise is another excellent way to generate energy even though it seems counter-intuitive.  While exercise depletes physical energy, it restores and strengthens the energy field.  After vigorous exercise you feel completely exhausted, your muscles ache and you can’t wait for the hot tub, but you feel great nonetheless.

Having alone time is important not only as a way to restore your energy field, but is also necessary for understanding where your energy boundaries leave off and others begin.  It is hard to learn to manage our energy fields when we don’t even know what our own energy feels like. Constant interaction with others will leave us depleted even if the others are not necessarily energy thieves.  The energy field needs time to reballance after any lengthy engagement with others.

Being in nature is yet another way to replenish your field.  Mountains, bodies of water, rivers and streams are especially helpful, but almost any wild area has the ability to recharge and refresh.  Being in nature often means hiking, biking, swimming, skiing or other exercise which then makes it twice as beneficial.

Unlike physical resources, the supply of energy is infinite.  There is an unlimited source of energy available to us all the time, free for the taking.  One of the best ways to access this Source is through meditation.  Practice sitting quietly and breathing your energy back to you on the in-breath, then down into the Earth on the out-breath. Imagine bringing energy in from Source and also from the Earth.  After using the meditation for a while, just simple intention and grounding can bring energy in from Source any time you need it.  Knowing this Source is always available can put burnout behind us, as well as help restore a passion for life.

And finally, the very best way to generate energy is to learn to love ourselves unconditionally (a tall order but well worth the effort).  Unconditional love for self also brings the ability to love others unconditionally.  When we need nothing from others, we are free to give generously and choose consciously where and with whom we share.

Just becoming aware of your everyday energy interactions can go along way toward preventing burnout.  It can be avoided completely if we consciously choose how and to whom we give energy, and always remember that we have the skills and knowledge to access and generate unlimited energy for ourselves anytime we need it.

You can learn more about the energy realm in my book, “It’s All About Energy:  Adventures in Expanded Reality”, found on Amazon, and on my website, www.transformationalexpansion.com.