“How do I avoid getting burned out?”
It’s likely the most asked question I see in ABA provider discussions.
And if you are a new BCBA this question has probably already crossed your mind more than once because no matter how prepared you feel stepping into this role there are a lot of things grad school just doesn’t prepare you for: billing codes, writing reports, being a good leader for staff and setting boundaries.
So how do you avoid getting burned out?
1. Recognize your pain points
It’s important to know what triggers your stress. For me it will always be report writing season. They are the bane of my existence. I would rather spend my time working with my staff and learners any day of the week. But given that it is an essential part of my job as a clinical supervisor I have had to learn how to better organize my time and set up the parameters that will make me productive and keep me sane.
Identifying the areas that cause you to struggle gives you a better idea of what strategies you need to have in place to avoid ever going down the road of the dreaded burnout.
2. Set reasonable goals
I am a list maker. I have a list for my lists. It’s my jam. But one thing I have found in my pursuit for productivity is that too many tasks on my daily to do list just leaves me feeling discouraged. So one thing I have started doing is giving myself a maximum of “5 To Do’s” a day and identifying which of those will be the biggest time-suck and which one needs to take priority.
3. Accept the permanent to do list
And on that note, accept that there will always be something to do. There will always be an upcoming report, a learner’s programming that needs to be updated, an article you want to read. Accept that there will never be a day where there is “nothing left to do”.
4. Relinquish control where you can.
If a task isn’t bound by your ethical obligation to do it yourself, consider tapping into those around you like supervisees or trusted staff. Delegating is still a bit of a tricky task for me personally but the less time I have to spend doing certain time-suck tasks the more energy I have to expend on other projects that fuel me.
5. Set Boundaries
This is probably the most important part. I had a supervisor once who was likely one of the calmest BCBA’s I have ever met. I asked them how they manage to stay so relaxed all the time and this was the advice: Say no and say it often. We are all in this field because we are eager to help but we run the risk of overextending ourselves when we overcommit. Whether this is saying yes to another client on your already packed schedule or attending an after-hours event. Remember: setting boundaries as a BCBA isn’t being rude, it’s protecting your energy and safeguarding you from burnou
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