September 2, 2019

You’re driving down the road, and your check engine light comes on. “Hmm, that’s strange,” you might say to yourself. What do you do? If you’re like most of us, you probably just ignore it. Maybe it will go away, right? Then you start to hear some weird noises coming from your engine. Clonk, bonk, rattle, bump. “Hmm. So odd,” you ponder. Solution? Turn up the radio, of course. Then, a little further down the road, steam comes out from under the hood of your car, and you are forced to pull over because you can’t even drive with billowing smoke blocking your view. So how does that look for us, the practitioners, students, business owners, and educators of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)? Well, just like your car, the warning signs start off soft and subtle and get louder and louder until you are forced to address the problem. It starts when you no longer look forward to treating people or going to work. You might hear yourself say things like: “Ugh, I have to go to work tomorrow,” instead of “I get to go to work tomorrow.” “I hope my patient(s) cancel tomorrow,” instead of “I hope more people schedule with me tomorrow.” You might start experiencing headaches, insomnia, or body aches and pains. Your burnout is getting worse when you find yourself complaining more frequently and making statements like these: “Oh, my Gosh! My patients are driving me crazy!” “I can’t stand working when so and so is in the office.” “I don’t even have time to think anymore.” “I’m getting so out of shape. I feel crappy.” “I don’t have enough money.” “I can’t remember the last time I got a treatment for myself.” “I’m so tired. I’m tired all the time.” “I hate these insurance companies and all the BS (bureaucratic stuff, of course) that goes along with the system.” “Does this medicine even work?” “Am I really making a difference?” “My students are driving me insane!” “These homework assignments are so stupid.” Here’s a final test to see if you are experiencing burnout. Which one best describes you lately? Question: When you drive to work or school, you: (a) Listen to music or inspiring e-books or podcasts; (b) Call friends or family to catch up; or (c) Yell at drivers to “Get the F out of my way, people!” When I was in Chinese medical school, I was a massage therapist. I worked for a chiropractor who booked me eight one-hour, back-to-back massages every Tuesday and Thursday. At first, I loved it. I had zero experience with bodywork or massage before Chinese medical school, so this was an excellent way for me to obtain practice in massage. After about six months of this, I really started to feel the toll of the excess one-on-contact with patients. I first noticed that after massaging eight people in a row I left work with headaches. Then I started having a hard time sleeping and began to become aware of many aches and pains in my neck, shoulders, and back. But I didn’t truly admit to myself that it was time to quit until… Red Flag#1: I purposely left my eighth massage patient of the day face down for an extra twenty minutes because I couldn’t stop crying while massaging her back and I didn’t want her to see my tear-stained face; and; Red Flag #2: One day before work, I was cutting fruits and vegetables for my lunch. The entire time I kept thinking to myself, “I honestly don’t know if I can do it today. This job is exhausting me.” That’s when I cut my finger so badly that I had to get stitches. And, since you cannot massage with stitches—guess what? No work for me. Does any of the above resonate with you? Has your check engine light turned on, yet you have chosen to ignore it? Most likely it has, given recent statistics that suggest that more than half of U.S. physicians are experiencing professional burnout[1]. If you suspect or know without a shadow of a doubt that you have burnout, please understand that it’s ok. In fact it’s not only normal—it may just be a blessing in disguise. Despite your fellow practitioner’s Facebook and Instagram profiles showing exuberant passion flowing in all directions, burnout is more common than you may think and not many people are willing to admit it. They are afraid people will think they are a bad practitioner, or that they are a bad person who doesn’t want to help people. Let me tell you something: I have two kids that I love more than anything in this world, but there are times when I fantasize about running away to live next door to Kate Hudson and Shakira in Ibiza. These feelings or thoughts don’t make me a bad mom or mean that I don’t love my kids. They are simply gauges telling me that my system needs attention—much like the gauges of your car. When my kids and the chaos they bring make me feel like running away, that’s when I know I need to make some shifts to get myself back in balanced and aligned with my true self otherwise I am not good to anyone. So, what do we do once we have determined that we are in a state of burnout? Well, what do you do when your car breaks down? You take it to a mechanic. Please consider me your practice mechanic. Having been in practice nearly 20 years and counseled hundreds of students and practitioners, I am an experienced, skilled and reputable mechanic that works from a space of integrity, and with your best interest in mind and at heart. I propose that it’s time to COPE with your burnout. In this sense, COPE is an acronym for Cause, Options, Pick/Plan, and Execute. It has been my experience that by following this 4-step process, you can transform your negative state of mind into one that re-aligns you with your passions, joys, and peak