'Is it worth it, this money from our budget being spent on me?'
'Shouldn't my organisation's resources be put directly towards its' beneficiaries?' 'I'm so fortunate compared to the people I deal with through my work. I'm not sure I feel comfortable focusing so much on my own needs - isn't it a bit indulgent?' When staff are offered counselling or put forward for psychological health consultations through the types of organisations FD Consultants (FDC) works with (international aid agencies, charities and public sector providers) the comments and questions listed above typify a concern I commonly hear. Pared down to its' most basic components, the concern seems to be 'am I worth it?', 'will this be of value?', and 'do I, myself, deserve the care and support I strive to offer others?'. Staff working within the sectors FDC supports are usually highly conscientious, driven by strong values (such as justice, equality and compassion), and acutely aware of the relative good fortune they experience in comparison to those their organisations may set out to assist. It's not uncommon for such staff to also feel frustrated having seen their organisations' resources being previously used in ways they perceive to be wasteful. It's therefore little surprise that such individuals can often be cynical and resistant to the idea of taking some time out at their organisation's expense - time to sit with a psychologist or psychotherapist and consider their own psychological health and general wellbeing. This resistance is something I always see fit to gently challenge - bringing to light that those very same strengths that generally motivate, sustain and serve staff in the aid, charity and public sectors so well, can easily tip over into proving disadvantageous, and, in some cases, even hazardous. The line between a strong work-ethic and the kind of workaholism that can lead to stress and burnout is a thin one. Similarly, potential consequences of holding strong values and ideals can be a rigidity and reluctance to engage with anyone who thinks differently, or a heavy and crushing sense of disenchantment that kicks in when these values and ideals are seen not to be upheld by others. Focusing solely on meeting other peoples' needs at the expense of one's own can also leave a person feeling depleted, with little left to give, and, over time, becoming resentful - not to mention stirring up a ripple-effect of similar emotions amongst colleagues and loved ones. Taking time-out for a standard stand-alone psychological consultation (usually a pre-assignment resilience consultation or mid/post-assignment consultation review) can help individuals working in these sectors to recognise and preserve their precious strengths and protect against them becoming exhausted or overstretched in some of the ways described above. In such consultations an FDC consultant will typically guide an individual to think about their role, and how they manage health, relaxation, work-life balance and maintaining a good support network, as well as encouraging them to consider how they manage stress and challenges in the workplace. A brief exploration of personal history and recent life events will also help to highlight anything in a person's role that might potentially be 'triggering' or evocative of issues from their past. Gaining insight into such connections and possibilities can be hugely helpful. So many people are strongly motivated (either consciously or unconsciously) to do the work they do in order to address things they themselves, or others close to them, have personally experienced. What better incentive? However, again, this is something that can can render an individual vulnerable if not explored and managed with care. Therefore it can be important to give it careful consideration. When something particularly traumatic or challenging occurs in connection to an individual's work, such as a critical incident, or within their personal life, such as a bereavement or relationship breakdown, allowing the opportunity to talk the impact of this through with an FD Consultant (in, for example, a initial trauma-assessment or assessment for counselling) can help the individual concerned to manage as best they can. This may mean taking some time off, or making time for a short-series of ongoing trauma or general counselling sessions. If taking time to treat, rest or recover from a physical injury is acceptable, we'd encourage people to consider psychological trauma or stress in the same way. Although staff can sometimes feel understandably apprehensive sharing difficult or sensitive material relating to their pasts in a work-related psychological consultation, my response to this is that it's not so much what happened to them as how they have handled it and moved forward that FD Consultants are most interested in. I also point out that FDC appointments are largely confidential (although, of course, there are some legal, ethical and professional limits to this which are always explained at the start of any consultation) and anything fed back to an individual's organisation will always be shared with them first. 'I actually learned a lot about myself in that hour so feel much more confident about starting my assignment'. 'I've come to realise there are a range of relatively simple things I can do to promote my own wellbeing and that this will have a positive impact on my team and the people we serve'. 'I can see now why that experience affected me so much so have a lot more self-compassion and strength to move forward in my work' Above are some of the types of comments we've heard as feedback from individuals who've engaged with the types of psychological health consultations FDC provides. We're more than the tools it takes to do our work so if we pay for our vehicles, IT systems and operational equipment to be serviced, why not give ourselves as humans and individuals the same kinds of treatment? Burnout, stress and unprocessed trauma amongst staff can have such a detrimental effect on individuals, teams and, ultimately, the people their organisations serve. Therefore it can be a meaningful long-term investment to seek to combat them. Felicity Runchman MBACP (Accred), MA Counselling & Psychotherapy
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Running out of gas? Recognising the signs of burnout before it's too late. Burnout is one of those road hazards in life that high-achievers really should be keeping a close eye out for, but sadly—often because of their "I can do everything" personalities—they rarely see it coming. Because high-achievers are often so passionate about what they do, they tend to ignore the fact that they're working exceptionally long hours, taking on exceedingly heavy workloads, and putting enormous pressure on themselves to excel—all of which make them ripe for burnout. What is burnout? Burnout is a state of chronic stress that leads to:
When in the throes of full-fledged burnout, you are no longer able to function effectively on a personal or professional level. However, burnout doesn't happen suddenly. You don't wake up one morning and all of a sudden "have burnout." Its nature is much more insidious, creeping up on us over time like a slow leak, which makes it much harder to recognise. Still, our bodies and minds do give us warnings, and if you know what to look for, you can recognise it before it's too late. What are the signs of burnout? Each of the three areas described above is characterised by certain signs and symptoms (although there is overlap in some areas). These signs and symptoms exist along a continuum. In other words, the difference between stress and burnout is a matter of degree, which means that the earlier you recognise the signs, the better able you will be to avoid burnout, if you do something to address the symptoms when you recognise them). Signs of physical and emotional exhaustion:
Signs of Cynicism and Detachment
Signs of Ineffectiveness and Lack of Accomplishment
If you're not experiencing any of these problems, that's great! However, you should keep these warning signs in mind, remembering that burnout is an insidious creature that creeps up on you as you're living your busy life. If you are experiencing some of these symptoms, this should be a wake-up call that you may be on a dangerous path. Take some time to honestly assess the amount of stress in your life and find ways to reduce it before it's too late. Burnout isn't like the flu; it doesn't go away after a few weeks unless you make some changes in your life. And as hard as that may seem, it's the smartest thing to do because making a few little changes now will keep you in the race with a lot of gas to get you across the finish line. About Fiona Dunkley Fiona Dunkley is a BACP senior accredited psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer, is also a member of EMDR, UKRCP and ESTSS. Fiona founded FD Consultants, offering psychosocial support and trauma specialist services for humanitarian aid organisations. Fiona worked within the NHS, with emergency first responders and was the lead counsellor at Transport for London. She helped develop a critical incident plan after the 7/7 bombings. She has presented on ‘Good Morning Britain’ as a trauma expert, has published several articles and has been asked to speak at various international conferences. Fiona Dunkley's new book has been described as 'the only source that explores the impact of trauma and critical incidents on aid workers, including sexual violence' and 'the book examines the impact of cumulative stress and trauma on the aid worker and provides practical actions to offer recovery and healing.' Psychosocial Support for Humanitarian Aid Workers, is available from Amazon. By Claire Pooley, BACP (Snr Accred) pluralist therapist, traumatologist and EMDR practitioner Although this book is mainly aimed at the humanitarian sector, I would also highly recommend it to counsellors, therapists, psychiatrists and emergency first responders, who are likely to be, or are already, working in an arena where a traumatic incident could take place. The workplace setting means that our clients will often be exposed to primary or secondary trauma and can all experience trauma as a one-off event or an accumulation over time. The book offers the reader an insight into their own risks of vicarious trauma while working with the trauma of others. Fiona Dunkley captures some thought-provoking vignettes of real-life experiences, with several chapters guiding organisations through a systematic approach, including how to support staff in caring roles such as the police, how to manage a critical incident and how organisations can implement a Trauma Management Programme into their critical incident plan. The book also considers the various treatment pathways, from the preventative to recovery from trauma and PTSD. The book comprehensively covers the need for a cohesive screening process pre deployment, the attention required during deployment, and the monitoring, assessment and subsequent trauma-specific treatment options post deployment, considered from many cultural perspectives. I found the author’s explanation of the neuroscience of the traumatised brain simple and easy to explain to clients, thus normalising their responses to their own traumatic experiences. For example, she covers how the brain responds to a traumatic experience, the natural responses of fight, flight, freeze and appease, and how this may need re-adjusting to return to its natural balanced state. The text also explores some recognised stabilisation techniques to help restore an individual to that state, before therapy can resume. Dunkley bravely interweaves her own experiences of trauma, including what happened, and how she reacted, both at the time and subsequently. Her common reactions to the trauma and her eventual diagnosis of PTSD bring the book to life, and touched a few areas for me, of similar reactions to trauma while working abroad. In doing so, I think this book raises the importance of an effective pathway from prevention to treatment and care, which could help ensure that those working with the trauma of others are safely and professionally cared for too. Get your copy of the book today from Amazon. Today is World Mental Health Day. Mental health problems can affect anyone, any day of the year, but 10 October is a great day to show your support for better mental health and start looking after your own wellbeing. Taking care of our mental health We all need to take care of our mental health and wellbeing whether we have a mental health challenge or not. Mental wellbeing describes how you are feeling and how well you can cope with day-to-day life. It can change from moment to moment, day to day, month to month, or year to year. We have some tips on practical steps you can take to improve and maintain your wellbeing including making time for yourself, building positive relationships and getting active. If you have good mental wellbeing you are able to:
Think about what is affecting your wellbeingWe're all different. What affects someone's mental wellbeing won't necessarily affect others in the same way. But we all have times when we have low mental wellbeing, where we feel stressed, upset or find it difficult to cope. Common life events that can affect your mental wellbeing include:
Stress, loneliness, inactivity, lack of sleep will all have a negative impact on your mental wellbeing. Other times there is no clear reason for why we feel the way we do - which can be frustrating. There are some factors that may make you more vulnerable to experiencing a period of poor mental wellbeing. These may have happened in the past or might still be happening now:
No matter the reason, it can be helpful to remember that you deserve to feel good and there are steps you can take to improve and maintain your mental wellbeing. Build positive relationshipsConnecting with others can help us to feel a greater sense of belonging and can help to challenge feelings of loneliness.
Take time for yourselfAt times you may feel guilty for spending time on yourself. But it's essential for your wellbeing and can help you to be more resilient.
Look after your mental healthIf you're living with a mental health problem, taking steps to look after your mental health can help you improve your wellbeing.
Look after your physical healthLooking after your body can help to keep you mentally well. Making small, gradual changes can have a positive impact on your mental wellbeing - try to start with one or two things you feel able to do.
Set yourself a challengeFind something you like doing and do more of it. You could take up a hobby, join a class or volunteer your time for something you feel passionate about. At times it can be hard to find the motivation to set goals for yourself, especially when you don't feel confident or worry about what other people may think. But it doesn't have to be something big. Making small goals such as trying a recipe or learning the days of the week in a new language can help you to feel more positive about yourself. Ask for help
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