Burnout in conservation

Have you ever felt like you’re energetically exhausted, mentally distant from your job, or less able to produce results at work? There’s a chance that these symptoms could be related to burnout. According to The World Health Organization (WHO), burnout is a syndrome “…resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” As conservationists, our work is our passion, but that passion doesn’t make us immune to burnout. In fact, it might even make us more susceptible. And the effects of burnout can be dire for conservationists and their work. The WHO characterises burnout by 1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; 2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and 3) reduced professional efficacy. In this special episode we discuss burnout in conservation, and why awareness of burnout is so important for conservationists personally and professionally. Joining our host Dr Nick Askew is Dr Fernando (Nando) Mateos-González of Bioblogía and Kristi Foster, Head of Programmes at Conservation Careers. We talk about our own personal experiences with burnout and what contributed to them. We also share some solutions we’ve learnt for avoiding and managing burnout – or even transforming it into healthier ways of working. It’s a very open, real and honest chat. We hope will support other conservationists – whether you’re just starting your career, concerned about burnout or have experienced burnout yourself. Enjoy.