06 Apr Burnout in Your Church Staff: Recognize the Signs
As someone who has been burned out, I know it’s not a question of if your staff is experiencing burnout, but how many of them are already burnt out.
Most people have no clue. I know I didn’t. It’s not that we are clueless. We think we don’t have time to look closely and deal with it, so we ignore warning signs, writing them off as stress. The past few years haven’t been easy. Most leaders were burned in one way or another and some walked into COVID already burnt. So how do we recognize it? And more importantly, how do we help?
Warning Signs
Looking back to my own burnout, here are the warning signs I should have taken note of:
Being overly emotional. This includes a rollercoaster of emotions. I lost patience with everyone around me. My husband was walking on eggshells because he never knew what would set me off. I sobbed with no idea why I was crying, and once I even kicked a hole in our wall—not my proudest moment …
Forgetfulness or difficulty concentrating. This may be increasingly hard to distinguish from COVID-brain, but it was a whole other level when I was burnt out. I would honestly forget entire conversations, arguing they had never even happened.
Losing joy in things you previously loved. This was especially true if I had to go anywhere, talk to anyone, or expend any energy. I didn’t even want to see my friends—it just took too much effort.
Trying to escape into vices—sinful or not. I became addicted to Super Big Gulps, donuts and reading mystery novels. The biggest red flag was when I started ignoring my husband, kids, friends even when I was in the same room with them, in favor of my books.
Exhaustion all the time. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. I just wanted to sleep yet, ironically, I had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep because my mind was always going.
I would bet you can identify with at least a few symptoms in that list. If you are wrestling with burnout, first off: reach out to your family, supervisor or community, or all three, and communicate what you’re feeling the best you can. You can’t do this alone. If that list of warning signs is foreign to you, read it again and then look around. There is bound to be at least one person in your life who is veering dangerously close to the edge and could use a lifeline.
Breaking Point
As I became more and more burnt out, I finally met my breaking point. I came to a point where I just didn’t care anymore. A pastor friend had once warned about a point where the crazy becomes normal. I had reached it. Unchecked stress had turned into burnout and then depression.
I’m sure someone on your staff is close to this point. So let’s take a moment and talk about why burnout is so rampant right now. Living through a worldwide pandemic is definitely a likely contributor, but here are a few specific but common reasons:
- Homelife. Everyone is experiencing stress over health and many have serious financial concerns.
- Job changes. Employees are adapting to new responsibilities, roles, or methods–sometimes creating them. Meanwhile, their work conditions are ever-changing.
- The World. The Christian mission is to love. In a hurting world those wanting to help their family, congregation and community often push self-care to the wayside.
So there I was. In a word: Done. I scraped together all the vacation I had. There was a lot since I rarely took a real vacation, talked to my team and checked out for almost three weeks. It took time for my mind to stop racing but once it did, this is what I learned:
1. Technology was destroying my boundaries
During those three weeks, I completely shut down my email and social media. I didn’t even answer my phone, except for a few select individuals.
Think About It: The dedicated workplace has changed and, for some, it has been lost altogether. With the upswing of remote employees, 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 approximately two bazillion times a day. Basically, no one ever turns their brain off.
Prevent It: 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. I was not taking a Sabbath
I used my Sabbath to do errands, clean the house, get caught up on emails, go grocery shopping, or plan an outing with my family—and if you have young children you know that’s no vacation. I told myself I was splitting my Sabbath between Saturday, Sunday, and a few hours here and there I deemed as Sabbath time, but the brain takes time to relax. When I left for those three weeks, it took three whole days for my brain to slow down!
Think About It: In ministry, Sunday doesn’t really constitute a Sabbath since it is generally a working day. Saturday events can make the whole weekend an extension of the workweek. Even when taking a vacation the brain takes some time to unplug fully and it definitely ramps back up before stepping back into the office. Factor in travel to and from a destination and your seven-day annual vacation turns into 1-2 days of real rest, per year.
Prevent It: 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. There is only one God, and I am not Him
I knew it. I quoted it. I taught it. I said I lived it, but I didn’t model it. I thought if I wasn’t there, people would fall through the cracks and things wouldn’t get done. I thought, The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few meant those of us working needed to put in some overtime!
Think About It: I read a quote by Brady Boyd that said We’re invited to work hard and retreat frequently, and trust that whatever falls through the cracks while we’re retreating will get tackled during our next working hard time. The universe really will keep spinning. I had to get real with myself about why I thought I was so important that I could not ever be unavailable or take time off.
Prevent It: Keep the focus on God. He is God and I am not. His plans will get done with or without me. I 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.
I hope my revelations have helped you think of ways to guard against burnout in your own life. They seem simple, but simple changes have created powerful shifts in my own life. And stay tuned for part three where I outline my top tips to guard against burnout for your employees and volunteers.
Employer Issues
Burnout is rampant and, especially during a worldwide pandemic, it has become an issue almost everyone can relate to. As an employer, the issue is compounded as you try to care for your own mental health as well as the wellbeing of those under your care. Here are my top eight tips to ward off burnout before it happens to your employees—pro tip: they also apply to you!
Set Working Hours.Encourage employees to set specific working hours which apply to working in the office and remotely at home and respect them, i.e., don’t send that non-urgent message while you know the preacher is having family dinner. Suggest a device-free zone at home or at least turning off notifications while they’re spending time with their family. It takes 20 minutes for the brain to refocus after an interruption and that constant ding of the staff group text definitely qualifies as an interruption. Create daily opportunities for the brain to not be on.
Establish time off. Make sure each of your employees has a true day off. Be generous with vacation days–this includes Sundays! Make sure they know it’s ok and even healthy to turn off all notifications and even their devices during downtime. Support them in building successful systems and teams that allow them to unplug without feeling guilty or like their ministry will come to a crashing halt without them.
Allow for Flexible Scheduling. Let employees set a schedule that works with their lifestyle. Employees with kids need different hours than those with an empty nest. Of course, the office phone needs to be answered and the front desk manned, but make sure your staff can reasonably flex time in the office as needed.
Create Clarity. Communicate and over-communicate. A lack of communication is just as frustrating as poor communication. Learn your staff member’s communication style and use it as often as possible. Be consistent and follow through building trust so your employees know you say what you mean. Be known as a good listener, too. In communication, listening is just as important as talking.
Give Accountability and Recognition. Schedule regular one-on-one meetings with direct reports. Help employees create goals that will help them grow and celebrate when they achieve them. Make sure your employees know you’re on their side and want them to succeed both professionally and personally.
Equip Your Staff. You don’t need the latest and greatest all the time, but make sure your staff has what they need to get their job done. Archaic technology, tattered equipment, and insufficient supplies just slow down the process of getting work done leaving your staff frustrated and their time and skills underutilized. Ask what your employee needs to optimize their job and provide as much support as you can.
Create a Positive Environment. Make your workplace fun. This will look different in every organization: bring donuts to the morning staff meeting, celebrate birthdays and milestones with a party, take the staff on a team-building paintball excursion. You know what your staff likes and how they best connect with each other. Remember, the church is a family. Your staff should feel like family.
Focus on God. He is God and you are not. Remind your employees their ministry is important, but their well-being is more so. Ask them about their walk with God and make sure they are growing spiritually. Refocus your entire team on the mission and, most importantly, who actually carries it out.
Burnout is a complex issue. It takes time to get burned out and just as much time to correct and change the habits that created the mess in the first place, but it’s a necessary battle we want to help you wage.
About the Author: Tiffany Henning, SPHR, CRPC is a veteran in church and ministry HR with over 20 years of combined experience. Tiffany is the founder and Chief People Person of HR Ministry Solutions, a faith-based non-profit specifically created to simplify HR compliance and staff pain points for churches and ministries.
Original content by the XPastor. This information is provided with the understanding that Payroll Partners is not rendering legal, human resources, or other professional advice or service. Professional advice on specific issues should be sought from a lawyer, HR consultant or other professional.