By Lauren Rittle MS, LAT, ATC, CSCS

Burnout is defined by Maslach et al., as a psychological syndrome that includes emotional exhaustion, depersonalization of patients, and decreased perception of personal accomplishment¹. It can be caused by many things, and the effects have not been well studied but through a literature review of burnout in athletic trainers, Oglesby et al. found some commonly reported physical symptoms to be headaches, weight concerns, fatigue, and indigestion, as well as emotional problems such as irritability and depression. They also found that athletic trainers tend to leave the profession due to burnout from hours worked, salary, and lack of job satisfaction². However, a great way to combat becoming burnt out is to have a healthy work-life balance.

We often talk about the importance of work-life balance, but what does a healthy balance look like? Most importantly, how can you better yours?

Oglesby et al found that work-life conflict, role strain and challenges with professional socialization were three big contributors². For this article, the focus will be on work-life conflict and role strain as it relates to work-life balance.

Some examples of work-life conflict may include hours worked, travel requirements, and staffing discrepancies because these are not always within one’s control but can cause serious strain in other parts of life, such as time with family and friends, time enjoying hobbies, and time investing into oneself. Additionally, our jobs are unarguably stressful no matter the level which can cause role strain. They are physically and emotionally demanding because we take care of others for a living. In most cases, we spend more time with our teams than we do our own family, and this separation can add to feelings of burnout.

Our time is not our own during hockey season, which is something we recognize and willingly sacrifice when choosing to get into this field. The support staff is not in control of scheduling, so this contributes to long hours away from home, though none of us got into this field for the hours or the pay. We also are not in control of staffing, so oftentimes the hours increase due to this as well. However, we do it for our love of helping others.

While doing so, one thing that can fall to the wayside when caring for others becomes caring for oneself. That is where work-life balance comes in; we must actively choose to separate work from life when able. There are many ways to create a healthy balance with a few examples being having a strong support system, hobbies outside of work, time to decompress and not forgetting self-care.

Hockey season is long and we all know it is a grind, which is why it is so important that we each take time for ourselves away from the rink to maintain that balance.

Some strategies to do so include:

Load sharing or flexible scheduling – when possible, split shifts or alternate treatment days. If it is feasible for 1 person to cover to give an off day and rotate these off days. If everyone is required, stagger the start times so that you share the load and alternate when each person gets the “late start”. If you are the only one in your role advocate for days off if there aren’t required events for team off days.

Schedule recovery for yourself – Make sure to schedule time for yourself to decompress and reset. “You cannot pour from an empty cup”. It’s cliché but it’s true. If you are running on fumes, how can you be expected to take care of your athletes well? Book a massage, go for a run, or spend time with friends or family. Do something that allows you to reset to give it your best at the rink each day.

Maximize time with loved ones – Like previously mentioned, a strong support system is important to maintain a healthy balance. Use time away from the rink to spend time with your loved ones doing things you enjoy together. Try planning “date nights” on an evening off, whether this be with your significant other, or friends. For those with children, spend as much quality time with your children as you can even if it is shuttling them from activity to activity; the time spent together is invaluable. Schedule time to catch up with friends and family you may not get to see very often due to the grueling schedule in season. We may not get to control our schedule during season, but we can control connecting with our support system during the season and leaning on them when needed.

Find a new hobby or focus on an existing one – Try a workout class, join a book club, start traveling for pleasure, take a cooking class, or take up golfing. These are just a few options. Look for an activity you can do that does not require you to think about work. Find something that brings you joy and allows you to refill your cup.

Set boundaries and communicate them – Our jobs are undoubtedly demanding, but for us to work effectively, we need to implement boundaries to keep ourselves sane throughout the season. Make sure to communicate these boundaries clearly and stick to them. Allowing 24/7 access to yourself can be draining and sometimes a break is needed. Some examples include, taking “me time” where you aren’t on your phone, taking your commute to decompress and reset, or implementing “Do Not Disturb” hours where if contacted for a non-emergent reason, you can respond in the morning. Setting boundaries and communicating them can help allow for better work-life balance.

Talk to a professional – Due to the stress of our jobs, sometimes talking to an unbiased individual who is professionally trained can be beneficial. Therapists and Mental Health Professionals can give other strategies to cope and can help navigate through feelings of burnout and stress within our lives. Having an “outsider’s” perspective can help pinpoint where areas of improvement are and can help make your life more fulfilling.

Try your best to be at important life events – We can feel guilty for missing a game or practice and “leaving our athletes” in the care of others, so instead we sacrifice weddings, funerals, birthdays and other special events of friends and family. If there are “back-ups” that can cover, utilize those resources to help staff so that you do not have to miss these moments with your loved ones. There will be more hockey games, but some of these events only happen once in a lifetime, don’t miss out if you don’t have to.

Use off-season to your benefit – It is so important to use the off season to the fullest so that when hockey season comes back around, you are ready to get back into the grind and show up fully for your athletes. Enjoy your hobbies as best you can; you never know, maybe you will find a new hobby, or find things out about yourself by exploring new hobbies or places. However you spend your down time, make sure to use it to the fullest.

Take your PTO – That’s it. You have it for a reason – TAKE IT.

There are many ways we can all work to improve our work-life balance. I highly recommend taking a moment to self-reflect and recognize where you can make some improvements for continued success within your position. If you are experiencing feelings of burnout, please lean on your support system or reach out to a mental health professional. Be well, friends!

Sources:

1. Maslach C. Burnout: The Cost of Caring. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice-Hall; 1982.
2. Oglesby, Leslie W., et al. “Athletic Trainer Burnout: A Systematic Review of the Literature.” Journal of Athletic Training, vol. 55, no. 4, 20 Mar. 2020.
3. Google Images