I have been enjoying actively reading through my list of books for 2010 although I feel I’m going a bit slower than I’d like!  But such is life. 

If you missed my first review, you can check it out here, along with an awesome recipe for baked apples!

Also, take a look at my original book list for 2010 and see which ones I’ve read thus far and which ones I have yet to get to!  I’m almost done the first book in the Anne of Green Gables series so I look forward to reviewing that soon.  Such a classic children’s novel!

So, on to the review!

I’ll be honest: sometimes it was hard to make it through this book, "Burnout: The Cost of Caring" by Christina Maslach.  There was a lot of jargon on studies that had been done and stastics on various things that made my eyes glaze over…more than once…

However, it DEFINITELY has some redeeming qualities.  First of all, there are often stories from real-life cases of people burning out.  These snippets make the information tolerable and provide much more interest for someone like me who cares more about what other real people have experienced!

Also, particularly in chapter 6 there were quite a few good ideas on how to handle burnout on your own.  I’d like to hilight some of the quotes that stood out to me:

1. "Working harder, then, is not the best solution for coping with burnout - but working smarter is.  By ‘working smarter,’ I mean making changes in the way you handle your job so that you are less stressed and more efficient.  If we use the analogy of driving a car, when going up a steep hill, it is better to shift down to a lower gear than just to give it more gas at a high gear.  There are many possible ways of shifting gears in your work, rather than always being in automatic drive." (148)

2. "When a helper [that is mothers, teachers, ministers, caregivers, etc.!] feels helpless - trapped, in a rut, powerless - burnout is more likely to set in.  Helplessness can produce frustration and anger, and these twin demons, in turn, can leave the helper emotionally exhausted and hostile.  Handling burnout at this level means conquering the sense of helplessness." (151)

3. "The stress of people-work can be reduced by arranging intermittent breaks or rest periods.  Such breaks serve as emotional breathers, allowing you to relax, ’take five,’ and get a little psychological distance from a particular problem." (153)

4. "The emotional exhaustion of burnout escalates when you get overly involved with people - taking on their problems as your own, reacting to negative comments as if they were personal insults, and so on.  When things begin to get this intense, you should try to stand back and look at the situation in more abstract and intellectual terms." (157)

5. "When people experience chronic stress, they often display a set of symptoms including tense muscles (especially in the face and neck), increased blood pressure, and an upset stomach that feels ‘tied up in knots.’  Not only are these symptoms unpleasant, they have serious long-term implications for health.  In particular, high bloog pressure is a major cause of heart attacks and strokes.  Reduction of these health risks can be achieved by learning how to relax, both physically and mentally.  Indeed, relaxation techniques are often at the heart of various stress management programs.  Since people who burn out often suffer from these same physical symptoms, learning to relax can be an effective way for them to cope with this type of chronic emotional stress." (167)

6. "What do you do when you are not at work?  What are you besides your job title?"

These are half a dozen thoughts that provoked me, and that I wanted to share with you. 

What are your thoughts on them?  Are you able to answer the final question with conviction?  Have you ever experienced burnout?  How did you deal with it? 

Reading this book taught me a few things, and it works for me!