Wellbeing Connections with Dr. Carla is a weekly blog post written by Dr. Carla Chugani, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh.  At the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Chugani (a therapist and mental health researcher with expertise in collegiate mental health) was asked to begin preparing weekly wellness emails for her division.  These messages have since spread across her university and she is delighted to share them with the University of Delaware community.  Her weekly messages are a mix of skills from evidence-based practices such as cognitive behavior therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness practices, practical tips for solving everyday problems (e.g., email overload and zoom fatigue), and reactions to major world events.  Overall, the goal of these messages is to provide weekly reminders to create space for wellbeing, self-care, and reflection.

Hi Everyone,

Today I’d like to spend some time discussing burnout, because…well, I’m noticing some signs of feeling burned out.  Burnout isn’t something that just comes on suddenly, like a cold.  It’s the product of prolonged exposure to stress, excessive demands, and the physical and emotional exhaustion that comes along with these experiences.  Burnout is often discussed in work environments, but it can happen in many different parts of our lives (e.g., caregiving or parenting).  Many times, when people feel burned out, there is an unspoken implication that it is because they aren’t taking care of themselves well enough – in other words, there is a misconception or stigma around burnout as a personal failing.  It is really important to name and acknowledge that burnout is not a personal failing.  And this is actually why I chose to write about burnout today – I want to model that it is okay to feel this way and to talk about it.  We have all been through some really unprecedented times.  And even beyond the pandemic, there are systemic issues that make certain jobs and responsibilities chronically stressful and overwhelming – and these systems also put the onus on us to “cope effectively” with what is often an inherently unhealthy environment or set of expectations.  

So, what can we do about the burnout we may be experiencing?  There are many self-care activities that can help, although I won’t provide you with a laundry list of those today.  What I’d like to focus on today is the idea of finding your joy.  Having enough positive emotional experiences in each day is one of the keys to resilience.  And these positive experiences do not need to be huge wins – it can be as simple as getting a workout in, taking a break from work to text for a few minutes with friends, or wandering outside to see all of the buds appearing on your raspberry bush.  In case you couldn’t tell, those are some of my little joys (I have SO MANY raspberry buds!!) -- yours can be whatever you like!  The other thing that’s really important is that while you are engaged in these small, positive moments, you’ve got to pay attention to them and savor them so that you begin to feel a greater sense of balance between positives and negatives in your life.  For this week’s wellness practice, let’s all focus on finding, experiencing, and savoring our joy!  Write to me at carla.chugani@chp.edu and let me know how it goes!

Best,
Carla