Episode 8: How To Overcome Burnout With Boundaries

In May of 2017, my oldest sister, Cathy, passed away from breast cancer. In July of 2018, my twin sister, Ruth, passed away from breast cancer. In February of 2019, my sister Marcia passed away from a heart attack. Three sisters in three years. Fortunately, my school has an excellent Employee Assistance Program and I was able to connect with an outstanding grief counselor named Virginia. We talked a lot and she helped me a lot. So, when my 92 year old father passed away in September of 2021, I reached out to Virginia again. I talked and she listened. After about 20 minutes, she said, “Mark, I don’t think that you are only dealing with grief. I think that you are experiencing severe burnout.” Over the next 11 months, I went on a journey of learning about burnout, what it is, what it isn’t and learning how to get better. It was a long process, but I am doing much, much better now. On today’s episode of the Private School Leader Podcast, you are going to learn “How to Overcome Burnout With Boundaries”. You are going to hear some shocking statistics about the state of independent school leaders. Many of you are “not OK”.  You will also learn the five ways that you can prevent or overcome burnout by creating some boundaries in your life. These 5 strategies are: 1) Establish your priorities, 2) Take a mini-sabbatical, 3) Use a designated workspace at home, 4) Beware the “Electronic Leash”, 5) Clearly and assertively communicate your boundaries. These strategies took me from depleted, burnt out and miserable to energized, happy and optimistic about the future.  I know how busy you are. That's why I created a weekly podcast that you can listen to while driving to school, working out or running errands. Think of this podcast as your weekly dose of inspiration, motivation and PD, all while doing something else! I hope that you will listen. More importantly, I hope that these strategies will help you prevent or overcome burnout in your life. Thanks for making a difference! You can get show notes at www.theprivateschoolleader.com/episode8 and you can check out a bunch of free resources for you at www.theprivateschoolleader.com/resources