Burnout and the Field of ABA

What is Burnout?

Burnout is a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion caused by long-term involvement in emotionally demanding situations.

Have you ever felt this way?

Burnout can feel like everything is dragging on and nothing is getting done. You’re overworked, overwhelmed, and just over it all.

Why are burnout rates so high in our field?

We are at high risk of experiencing burnout due to the high levels of stress and demands of work.

We often work with individuals facing significant behavioural challenges and the nature of the work requires significant effort to develop and implement effective treatment plans. Administrative tasks, such as documentation and progress reporting can add to workload pressure.

How do we avoid burnout?

It is crucial for professionals in the field to engage in:

• Self-care practices

• Set appropriate boundaries

• Seek support and supervision from experienced colleagues

• Continuous learning and skills development

My experience with burnout

While studying for the exam, I was working full-time, had health concerns, family issues, and many many many challenges in actually collecting supervision hours. By the time I was close to finishing my supervision hours, I was exhausted. I wanted to quit the field and change careers. I even looked into other potential careers but everything came with more schooling, which I desperately needed a break from.

What I started doing is informing my supervisor of the challenges that I was facing and she helped me to work through them. I also started going to the gym more consistently, which was great for my physical and mental health. I took frequent breaks during work and outside of work too. I had to give myself permission to rest without feeling guilty.

Now that I’m done my exam, I can take a longer break in the form of a nature vacation in Banff, Canada. You can see some highlights on my instagram page https://www.instagram.com/travelling_deols/