WHAT IS FAMILY BURNOUT And How Do I Prevent It From Affecting My Family?
According to one study from 2018, over half of all parents surveyed were experiencing some form of burnout (i.e., exhaustion, cynicism, lack of professional satisfaction, etc.) — and that was before the pandemic. Now, as the world enters the eighth month of the coronavirus pandemic, many parents are working from home or dealing with unemployment, and many children are doing school online. Families are spending a lot of time together at home, balancing new routines — and that’s led to family burnout. When you experience “family burnout,” the kind of exhaustion that comes from spending too much time with family, it manifests itself as physical and emotional exhaustion, an inability to handle usual tasks, and increased irritability. The more demanding your work and home responsibilities are, the more susceptible you are to family burnout. Single parents are especially susceptible, but burnout can drastically affect romantic relationships and even children. Most people are not used to spending so much time together at home. With all that in mind, don’t worry — family burnout is preventable. It starts with creating a balance between work and rest. While it might feel like you don’t have a moment to spare between work and taking care of the kiddos in the house, identifying those spare moments in your day is absolutely necessary for your health.
clearly when you can rest! Those breaks don’t have to be anything special — a 15-minute walk by yourself outside or a 30-minute stretch with a good book in a comfy chair. Find time to let your kids have a break, too, like playing their favorite games, reading their favorite books, or playing outside. You’ll all feel more refreshed to tackle the remaining tasks of the day. Even though you can prevent or minimize burnout through a more balanced routine, sometimes that’s not enough. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Family therapy can be immensely helpful for maintaining your mental health when your own attempts need a boost. These are unique times, so be patient with yourself and your family as you cope with new challenges and routines. Burnout doesn’t have to be inevitable.
Establish a routine that defines time for work, sleep, studying, and other tasks. You’ll then move from task to task easier, leaving less room for conflict between others in the household. You’ll also see more
I’ve found myself thinking about some of the memorable folks I’ve helped over these many years, which, I guess, goes with what seems to be our theme this month of reflecting and remembering. I’ve been fortunate to represent hardworking immigrants — from Asia, Mexico, the Middle East and even That State Up North — who saw opportunity in America to build a better life for themselves and their families. One guy who still makes me smile every time I think of him is Guiseppe Cordi, whom everyone called “Joe.” Joe was born and raised in Italy. He dropped out of school there when he was 15 or 16 and immigrated to the U.S. at age 20. He worked as a plumber in Italy and as a baker for nearly 25 years in the States. He seriously had the physique of one
of the Mario brothers (also plumbers, by the way), short and round. He would always call me “Jam-ess.”
showed Joe could walk only about 50 feet before stopping to catch his breath. He could work no more than an hour or two per day. A desk job was out of the question because of the language barrier. (Joe spoke very little English.) He couldn’t even handle a lengthy plane ride to see relatives in Italy. Joe had continued to push himself to work even though the work environment was ruining his health. His breathing capacity was measured at 19% of normal soon after he came to us, but he didn’t want to let his family down. With his serious physical limitations, lack of high school education, and language barrier, we helped Joe obtain permanent total disability benefits. Afterward, his family brought in another huge platter of baked goods to say “thank you.” This entertaining, rotund little plumber/baker died a couple years ago, but the family bakery lives on. I can still hear him asking, “Jam-ess, have you heard from worker compensation?” in my mind as I write this … and I still smile.
In Columbus, he worked with extended family at Auddino’s Italian Bakery, one of the finest in town. They make fantastic cannoli, biscotti, donuts, breads, and pizza dough …As they say, carbohydrates are good for the soul! Joe and his family would often bring huge platters of baked goods to my office just to help me maintain my fabulous figure. (Hey, it takes a lot of work to look like me!) Over the years, he developed “baker’s asthma,” surprisingly one of the most common types of occupational asthma. It’s caused mainly by inhaling cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, and other allergens present in bakeries (eggs or egg powder, sesame/sesame seeds, yeast, and nuts). His condition had progressed so much before he filed his claim, primarily to obtain medical care, that he’d already been hospitalized three times and regularly needed oxygen treatments. Within a couple years of filing his claim, Joe’s pulmonologist declared he was permanently and totally disabled fromworking as a baker. Testing
–Jim Monast
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www.monastlaw.com
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