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March Madness…Burnout, not Basketball!

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March Madness…Burnout, not Basketball!

Good riddance March!  If you are a teacher, principal, school nurse, parent or provide any service to students or families, then let’s collectively give a huge sigh of relief that March 2021 is coming to a close. 

For these folks, lovingly referred to as “servant leaders,” the month of March has always been an endurance test.  But then, with the arrival of spring break, they get their second wind, knowing they are almost at the finish line for the school year.  But this year is different, way different.  Already having gone through a full year of pandemic, these essential workers feel like they are failing the endurance test and to make it worse, they see no finish line to motivate them to keep going.  But they keep going anyway hoping the finish line will appear, hence the burnout.  Why do they keep going you ask?  Because they are, well, servant leaders, and their goal is for humans to thrive, and in this case, little humans.   They are empathetic, humble, compassionate, caring, patient people and their heart-felt gifts have a long-lasting affect.  Are you a Servant Leader?  I thought so!

So, as I see it here is the madness.  There is no finish line in sight for Covid, coupled with the fear that our little humans will not thrive physically, academically or emotionally.   Not to mention the stress over the uncertainty of how much longer one can push through without breaking.

Whelp, with March Madness almost behind us, may I humbly offer you just two tips that will start to open the door for you to spring forward to a place we all desire.  That is a place safety, connection, peace and freedom.  Yes, that’s quite a leap, so it is crucial to take these tips in teeny tiny steps, then noticing the little gold nuggets along the way.  Teeny tiny steps and noticing the golden nuggets will motivate you to keep springing forward.   This is no April’s fools’ joke, it really works, but these are essential:

Be gentle with yourself – I am talking about the way you would be gentle with a new born baby.  The kindness, soft voice, gentile way one would hold and talk to a newborn.  We all have a strong inner critic warning of and wagging a finger at perceived screw ups.  We demand so much of ourselves, what if we lighten up just a little?  Many of us have acquired a belief that being tough on ourselves somehow prepares us better for some future unknown disaster.  Actually, the opposite is true.  The inner critic zaps our energy, sucker punches our self-esteem and shuts down any creative, out of the box thinking that benefits us, especially in tough times.  We can and should swaddle that baby in ourselves and lovingly lay him/her down to rest.  The beautiful thing about being gentle with yourself is that your gentleness with others will then flow freely and authentically.

Don’t believe all your thoughts – Yes, you heard me right, stop believing everything you think.  Not all our thoughts are true.  Besides, our thoughts can make our mind a living hell.  We all have a lot of clutter in our brain, and truthfully, it’s a bit seductive.  Often it makes us feel busy, important and helps us to avoid feelings.  We can choose which thoughts we want to believe.  Keep in mind, when we believe something, we act on it and put energy into it. Each of us are worthy and have a responsibility to ourselves to monitor how we use our precious energy.  The beautiful thing about this tip is you will soon become so positive, that you attract more of the same.  The negative Nelly’s in your life will start to fall away.

So, there you have it, just two tips to take in teeny, tiny steps and notice how much closer you are to that place of safety, connection, peace and freedom.  Thank you for your service in helping our “little humans” thrive.

If you would like more of these tips along with support, I invite you to join me in April for a “Mini-Retreat.” Servant Leadership – Serving Ourselves First is a series of four one-hour sessions to take steps on the path back to your true nature.  Now more than ever, our world needs the gifts of a Servant Leader, the world needs you.  I hope to see you in April!

Parent Action for Healthy Kids - Barb Flis

Barbara Flis,
Founder Parent Action for Healthy Kids

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