Why addressing your needs is critical -- and strategies you can implement today.
You cannot pour from an empty cup—It’s a simple saying that holds significant weight. For BCBAs and other ABA professionals, the ongoing challenge of balancing client and caregiver needs with personal well-being can quickly lead to burnout. The work one does in a helping professional, like ABA, is undeniably rewarding. However, it can also be physically and emotionally draining.
The Burnout Cycle
Burnout has an insidious effect. What may start with a single stressful situation at work can mount to an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. For many, it feels like one is trapped in a never-ending cycle that can be challenging to dig oneself out of. Taking a day off to take a bubble bath or self-love spa day is rarely effective at reducing burnout. While those acts of self-care can be beneficial and may serve as a temporary Band-Aid, they fail to address the root causes of burnout, resulting in those feelings returning just as quickly as they have subsided.
What is Self-Care?
Let’s start with an objective definition–What exactly is self-care? Self-care is much more than eating well, drinking lots of water, and getting enough sleep. While those are essential tasks to help you feel your best, let’s orient you to a more encompassing view of self-care. As discussed in Fiebig et al. (2020), self-care is increased correspondence with your personal and work values. Proper self-care can reduce the likelihood of burnout, making for a more meaningful and satisfying life.
Values-Driven Self-Care
Becoming more aligned with your values on a personal and professional level will allow you to provide effective care while prioritizing your own mental health. While this may sound like a lofty idea, rest assured, it’s possible. As behavior analysts, we are well-versed in breaking down overwhelmingly large tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. Let’s explore how to do this. First, ask yourself, “What kind of practitioner do I want to be?” Then, consider the following questions to help you identify your values and translate those into goals.
| Value-action identifier | Goal |
|---|---|
| What makes me feel proud at the end of the day? | Do that action one time today |
| What do I wish my supervisor recognized me more for? | This is something you are passionate about. How can you improve that skill? Read about it, take continuing education courses, and seek mentorship to further develop competencies in this area. |
| What tasks do I avoid doing or put off to the last minute? | These tasks may be difficult or uncomfortable for you. Lean into them—Ask for guidance on how to do them, identify what about the task causes discomfort, and determine whether you can learn about, improve, or adapt to them. |
| What do I wish I could tell my supervisor or team? | Identify how you can increase openness and authenticity in your daily interactions. You may not change your workplace overnight, but you can start with one person a day or week and systematically work up from there. |
| What is it that I do on a typical day? | Identify your current daily tasks (work and personal). Write out what your tasks should be. Having clearly defined tasks and expectations has been linked to improvements in potential burnout (Veage et al., 2014) |
| What was the last thing that really challenged me? | This question will help you identify a value that you felt was compromised. What can you glean from this experience about yourself, and how can you move it toward a direction you can grow in? |
Turning Values into Action
After reflecting on these questions, you should have 5-6 developed goals. As you’ll notice, you now have a list of goals to help identify what you value at work and in your personal life. Nothing happens overnight. Gradually shape your behaviors to achieve your goals and live within your values.
You may also find yourself saying, “Well, I used to do X, Y, and Z for self-care, but that’s not an option now.” Humans tend to grip strongly on routine and expectations. As life takes us on new paths, those routines aren’t always possible to maintain. Instead of trying to replicate what used to work for you previously, identify what values those activities filled. Perhaps you led a book club or had an after-hours group training with colleagues. Those activities satisfied you because they fulfilled a value–Whether for the fun social activity, increasing your knowledge in a topic of interest, or improving your relationships with loved ones.
Once you identify the value that activity brought to your life, think of different ways to achieve that value in new ways. For example, if your team at work no longer does after-hours group training, you could explore offering continuing education courses privately. Or if your book club stopped because friends moved away or are too busy to meet in person, put out the feelers for virtual book clubs. There are many potential paths you can take to bring you closer to living within your values.
Aligning Values for Personal Growth
After taking a moment to jot down some notes, you may realize that you respond a little differently to an irritating comment from a colleague, an exhausting situation, or a frustrating interaction at home. From these situations, you may find yourself identifying a positive response indicative of growth and taking one step closer to living in accordance with your values. You may also find yourself frustrated or distracted. This is going to happen and it’s okay. It’s important to practice some self-compassion during these times. We as practitioners may not always find this the easiest to do, but it is essential for preventing burnout and living within our values. Understand that progress is sometimes a few steps forward and a few steps back, but every step is a recognition of where you are in relation to your values.
Melissa is a BCBA and has been practicing in the field for 10 years from residential services to working overseas. Combined with a background in Computer Science, she is passionate about how technology can increase effectiveness and availability of services.
Posted in Clinical, Practice Management
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