Burnout in Your Ministry: Identify the Cause

There comes a point where unchecked stress breeds burn out and then burnt out collapses into depression. Either you or someone on your staff is likely close to this point, so let’s take a moment and talk about why burnout is so rampant:

tired and burned out man at desk with laptop and books and window and sticky notes behind him
  • Homelife. Everyone is experiencing stress over finances, health, and relational concerns and nothing seems to be getting easier.

  • Job changes. In the equally fast-paced work world, work conditions are constantly changing and evolving. Technology shifts in the blink of an eye and you are expected to be able to keep up.

  • The World. The Christian mission is to love and, especially in a hurting world, those wanting to help their family, congregation, and community often push self-care to the wayside.

So what happens when you’re simply tapped? When burnout has completely burnt you up. Here are three boundaries that tend to be root causes in most cases of burnout:


1. Technology

If you can, completely shut down email and social media for a time. Try to even limit answering the phone. The dedicated “workplace” has changed and, for some, it has been lost altogether. With the upswing of remote work, there’s pressure for all employees to keep up:  work at the office, work at home, work in the car, work on vacation.  There is no “work-free zone” anymore.  Today’s technology also means employees check their phone/emails/social media two bazillion times a day (approximately). Basically, no one ever turns their brain off.

The New Boundary: Set specific working hours and stick to them.  Turn off your notifications when you get home or specify a “device-free” zone or time.  Create places your brain can “turn off.”


2. Sabbath

Often employees use their Sabbath to do errands, clean the house, or grocery shop.  Most people don’t even dedicate a whole day to rest and instead justify taking a few hours here and there deemed as “Sabbath” time. Especially in ministry, Sunday is a working day and Saturday events can make the whole weekend an extension of the workweek. The brain doesn’t work like a switch, though. It takes time to slow down and actually relax.

The New Boundary:  God calls us to rest; Jesus models it. Make sure you take one full day a week to just rest. Truly rest. Cash in vacation time regularly and do something you actually find relaxing.


3. Who God Is

“There is only one God and I am not Him.” You probably knew that, quoted it, and maybe even preached about it. But do you truly model it with your lifestyle? Leaders often fall into the trap of thinking that things won’t get done if they are not doing them. Often they think, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” means those of us working needed to put in some overtime! Take time to really process why you believe it’s not ok to step back.

The New Boundary:  Keep the focus on God.  He is God and you am not.  His plans will get done with or without you. You just need to follow his lead. Create automations and fail-safes in your ministry so you can unplug with confidence, but ultimately this is an oxygen mask situation.  Your well-being is more important than your ministry.


Implementing healthy boundaries like the three above seems simple, but can create powerful shifts in mental health. Next up in part three, we’ll share our top tips to correct and protect against future burnout for your employees and volunteers.


Looking for a way to reduce your likelihood of burnout right now? Get both daily support and one-on-one coaching with ministry HR experts that help you tackle your specific HR headaches head-on. Don’t face daunting compliance requirements or uncharted personnel issues alone ever again.  HR On Call ensures you always have help in your corner.

 

 

Authored by the HRMS Team, a group of dedicated ministry HR experts who draw from extensive ministry experience to keep your organization compliant and healthy. Schedule a call and find out how we can help you simplify your organization’s HR here.