Preventing Burnout ~ What I've Learned in a Long Dance Therapy Career
Preventing Burnout ~ What I've Learned in a Long Dance Therapy Career
Somehow, I've managed to prevent burnout over the course of my decades long career. What's my secret? First of all, it's learning to listen to myself, taking myself seriously. When I begin to feel tired of what I'm doing or that I'm not continuing to grow and learn, I have left my position to find something more fulfilling. In doing that, I have worked with different populations and discovered what human beings have in common, despite their particular sufferings.
Another important thing is recognizing when I'm beginning to feel like a martyr. I think that many caregivers suffer from a martyr complex. We feel so good about giving to others that we can easily fall into a trap of feeling indispensable to that person or that job. When we do so, we deprive the other person of equal status and we burn out. We fail to recognize what we are getting out of what we're doing. And the truth is, it does feel good to give, but it is equally important to receive.
In the field of dementia care, I have found in Tom Kitwood's Dementia Reconsidered my bible. Take this quotation of Kitwood talking about Martin Buber: “His central assertion is that relationship is primary; to be a person is to be addressed as Thou. There is no implication here that there are two different kinds of objects in the world; Thous and Its. The difference lies in the manner of relating.
Kitwood goes on to say, p.11:
“One of the most famous of all Buber’s sayings is ‘All real living is meeting’ (193:11)…. In the meeting of which Buber speaks there is no ulterior purpose, no hidden agenda. The ideas to be associated with this are openness, tenderness, presence (present-ness), awareness. More than any of these, the word that captures the essence of such meeting is grace. Grace implies something not sought or bought, not earned or deserved. It is simply that life has mysteriously revealed itself in the manner of a gift.”
Kitwood continues so poetically. I could easily quote half of the book. I am grateful for all I learn from the many readings I do about dance/movement therapy and dementia, dance and dementia, and neuroscience, dance and dementia. I am also grateful for my network of friends and colleagues who also love dancing with people with dementia. And, importantly, I receive abundant gifts from the encounters I have with people living with dementia.
On June 15, you have the opportunity to learn my most current thoughts about dance and dementia in a webinar sponsored by HKDMTA, open to all for a modest fee - just under $40 for an individual webinar, full bundle: $256 USD.
👫 Bring a friend – both get 20% off ($31 USD)
👭 Bring two friends – everyone gets 25% off ($29 USD)
This session is ideal for therapists, caregivers, and healthcare professionals involved in dementia care.
Time Zones: 5:30 - 7 AM EST, 8:30–10:00 AM PT, 1:30 - 3:00 PM BST, 2:30–4:00 PM CEST.