5 Steps to Handling Burnout—Plus How to Avoid It
Ministry can mean long hours. And it’s not just the workload that can be overwhelming; sometimes the emotional toll it takes can feel even greater. That means at times, it’s natural for all of us to feel some level of burnout.
The question is, how can you best handle burnout before it makes you want to leave ministry? How do you know when it is time to leave? And how can you avoid burnout in the first place?
We interviewed Dr. Kristen Kansiewicz, Licensed Professional Counselor and ordained minister with the Assemblies of God. She is also Program Director for the graduate counseling program at Evangel University (Springfield, MO). Read on to find out how a mental health professional suggests you address burnout.
Why Burnout Happens
The Francis Burnout Inventory for Ministers by Leslie Francis suggests burnout isn’t just one thing. Burnout happens when two different things are out of balance: stress or emotional exhaustion being high, and purpose or satisfaction being low.
You may experience a high level of stress in your job. Perhaps a huge event is coming up and there are big demands on you and long hours. But if your sense of purpose is strong—you’re excited about the event and feel like it’s going to make a lasting difference in kids’ lives—that stress won’t lead to burnout. The sense of fulfillment you get from planning a meaningful event outweighs the stress.
But sometimes, you lose a connection to your calling. Maybe you thought ministry would be more about connecting with people, but you’re finding the job feels more like an event planner than a minister. Maybe your church’s vision has changed and it doesn’t match the mission you feel called to.
When that happens, the lack of purpose combined with the stress of the job can lead to burnout. Here’s what you can do.
Burnout Tip #1: Self-Care
If you’re finding yourself in a place of feeling burned out, Dr. Kansiewicz advises you make self-care a priority. You may already be making excuses in your mind: “But I have too much to do!” “I don’t have time for self-care!” Make the time. Your mental health and your ministry depend on it!
That might look like taking a weekend off. It might look like a vacation (or staycation); it might even mean a sabbatical. It will certainly mean taking some amount of time to stop working and take care of yourself. And it doesn’t necessarily need to take a lot of time, but it can mean doing things you find fulfilling and enjoyable.
Look at this as ministry—with you as the recipient.
Burnout Tip #2: Social Support
Ministry can be lonely. You might feel like you can’t talk with your friends about the stresses of work, because your friends are volunteers and parents at the church. Find friends outside of your church context. Think creatively; this may mean people you’ve had meaningful relationships with in the past and want to reconnect with. Friends from childhood, college, a previous job, or your neighborhood could all be support systems for you.
Dr. Kansiewicz offers a word of caution: You may find yourself viewing your coworkers or lead pastor as friends and as a social support. While these friendships can be meaningful at other times, it can be complicated to get support from them when you’re feeling burned out. After all, your pastor may be your friend, but they are also your boss—and possibly part of the reason for your stress! Having healthy boundaries and role clarification can be helpful.
Burnout Tip #3: Reflection
If you’re feeling burned out, Dr. Kansiewicz says it’s important to spend some time considering where you are on the burnout scale. Figure out if you’re at a decision point where you need to think about leaving your role altogether, or if this is a more temporary situation.
Dr. Kansiewicz says, “Sometimes people are stuck for a long time and they’ve never asked themselves, ‘Do I want to leave?’ And sometimes just asking that question helps because they realize, ‘No, actually I don’t…here’s what’s keeping me here.’ ” You may discover that just asking the question makes you realize how much you love the mission of what you do.
As you reflect, you may realize there are things within your control. Perhaps that big event you do “because we’ve always done it” really isn’t fitting the mission it once did. Your pastor may be just fine with you letting that go. Perhaps you can delegate a key responsibility to a volunteer to allow you to prioritize a weekly Sabbath.
On the other hand, you may realize the things that are causing you to feel out of balance are outside of your control. Sometimes the dynamics at a church can simply become dysfunctional. In-fighting and power trips from leadership can be something out of your control that can bring major stress.
At Group, we’ve seen a lot of posts in children’s ministry groups on social media about people feeling like their pastor has changed the vision and they don’t feel connected to it anymore. That’s a quick way to get your purpose/stress scale out of balance.
Dr. Kansiewicz coaches you to view this reflection as a time of empowerment. Really consider what is in your power to change, and be willing to take big steps. You’ll either be reinvigorated in your purpose, or you’ll realize the only thing you really have the power to change is to step down.
And here’s a major sign that it’s time to step down: If you don’t feel like you can have an honest conversation with your lead pastor about your concerns because you’re afraid of their reaction. That’s a sign of dysfunction.
Burnout Tip #4: Seek Counseling
According to Dr. Kansiewicz, sometimes getting the perspective from a mental health professional can be really helpful. It can offer you a paid version of the social support you need. It can help you do the reflection and self-assessment you need to do.
The counselor may or may not be a Christian counselor, but it’s important to seek out a trained mental health professional who knows how to help you work through your stress.
Burnout Tip #5: Don’t Just Push Through
Sometimes in the moment, it can feel easier to simply “push through.” Taking the time to prioritize self-care, to find meaningful relationships, to assess the situation, and to seek counseling all take effort. But if you continue to push through burnout, you may find yourself having physical symptoms of the stress you’re feeling. These can include sleep issues or trouble with digestion.
But Dr. Kansiewicz notes that studies show that people who push through burnout are much more likely to quit ministry altogether. In other words, pushing through might get you to next month or even next year. But once you hit your breaking point, you’re unlikely to find a resolution at your church or even to seek out a new ministry role elsewhere.
It can even lead to a crisis of faith, as you may feel jaded and mistreated from your experience. Some have even experienced spiritual abuse in their ministry life. And these can lead to clinical depression or trauma responses. This means your body and your brain will have a harder journey ahead to recover.
Think of it like walking around with a rock in your shoe. You can hobble along for a while, but sometimes you just need to pause (that’s the self-care piece) and take the rock out of your shoe. You may find that taking the rock out resolves the situation. Or you may find that it left a blister and you need to rest longer to heal. But if you just keep going unchecked, the injuries could get more serious.
You got into ministry for a reason; don’t let unchecked burnout push you out of it!
How to Avoid Burnout
Maybe you’re not feeling burnout right now. That’s great! But don’t just save this article for when it comes. Be proactive!
The steps are pretty similar, just more preventative.
Avoid burnout in the first place by having regular rhythms of self-assessment, checking for warning signs. Check in on these categories:
- mood
- stress level
- occupational demands
- congregational demands (such as demands from parents or volunteers)
- connection to purpose and mission
By regularly checking in on how you feel in these areas, you can take small steps to correct issues before they become big issues. Sometimes you’re starting to veer off mission, but meaningful connections or a small shift can reorient you to be back on track.
Make sure you have social support in place now. Don’t wait until you’re in crisis mode! Social supports can help you avoid burnout, and it can also be helpful to already have those connections established in case burnout does come.
And make sure you’re taking time for self-care. Having good boundaries to help you do the things that feel restful and meaningful outside of work will keep you more engaged and fulfilled at work.
Additional Resources
Burnout is a natural thing; it happens to many people. Don’t feel guilty if you feel burned out, and don’t feel like you’re in it alone.
For additional support, check out helpful organizations like Care for Pastors and Associate Leadership coaching. For an encouraging resource to reconnect you to the mission, check out Heartfelt Thanks.
Dr. Kristen Kansiewicz is a Licensed Professional Counselor and ordained minister with the Assemblies of God. She and her husband have 20 years of urban ministry experience, where she developed a model for integrating clinical mental health care into church settings. She is currently the Program Director for the graduate counseling program at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. Kristen has conducted research on well-being, burnout, and mental health for clergy populations.
© Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. No unauthorized use or duplication permitted.