Chapter 13:
Stress, Burnout, and Self-Care
IM1-1
CHAPTER 13
Stress, Burnout, and Self-Care
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, students should be able to:
• Describe the A-B-C theory as a cognitive method.
• Identify three cognitive distortions.
• Describe how an agency environment is sometimes stressful.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Aim of the Chapter
Individual Sources of Stress for Helpers
Cognitive Approaches to Stress Management
The A-B-C Theory
The Path to Burnout
Some Individual Factors Contributing to Burnout
The Impaired Professional
Ethics Codes on Impairment
Strategies to Prevent Burnout
You Have Control Over Yourself
Take Action to Change: Designing an Action Plan
Chapter 13:
Stress, Burnout, and Self-Care
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Breathing and Relaxation
Self-Compassion as a Route to Caring About Others
Physical Activity as a Way of Caring for Ourselves
Diet and Nutrition
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
• One of the hazards of the helping professions is that helpers are typically not very good at asking
for help for themselves.
• Sensitize yourself to both the external and internal factors that contribute to your experience of
• Learning to recognize and cope with the reality of professional burnout is essential for your
survival as a helper. Intense involvement with people over a period of time can lead to physical
and psychological exhaustion.
• There is no single cause of burnout; rather, a combination of individual, interpersonal, and
organizational factors can lead to burnout. Understanding these factors can help you learn how
to prevent or cope with burnout.
• Burnout can be the result of the many demands placed on you by an agency. It is important to
learn specific ways of surviving with dignity in an agency setting.
Chapter 13:
Stress, Burnout, and Self-Care
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SUGGESTIONS FOR ACTIVITIES
1. Identifying Self-Defeating Internal Dialogue. On pages 348–351, there is a discussion of self-talk
that commonly gets us into trouble. A useful exercise that can follow a brief overview of Ellis’s
2. Keeping Alive! In this chapter, we discuss the importance of monitoring yourself as a way to
prevent burnout and we present some strategies for burnout prevention. This would be a good
3. Self-Care Project. Since it is easy for many helping professionals to put off taking care of
themselves due to their demanding schedules, there is no time like the present for students to
get started working on their self-care! You could assign students a self-care project. Have
4. Mindfulness Activity. We can learn to focus on one thing at a time and bring our attention back
to the present moment when distractions arise. (We seem to live in the Age of Distraction; thus,
mindfulness techniques are of paramount importance.) By being aware of our thoughts,
Chapter 13:
Stress, Burnout, and Self-Care
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5. Self-Compassion Exercise. Self-compassion involves developing attitudes of caring, being
nonjudgmental, being accepting, and being kind to ourselves. While many helpers-in-training
6. Stress in an Agency Environment. If some of your students currently work in agency settings,
invite them to talk about the challenges they encounter on a regular basis. In their view, what
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. When Cinderella was seven years old, her mother passed away. From that time, she has been
longing for mother’s affection. She felt very stressed and depressed and so she could not
concentrate on her studies. Seeing this situation, as a helper, what would you suggest
KEY CONCEPTS AND TERMS
A-B-C theory of irrational thinking explains the relationship among events, beliefs, and feelings. It is a
framework for dealing with stress more effectively.
Arbitrary inferences refer to making conclusions without supporting and relevant evidence.
Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual exhaustion characterized by feelings
of helplessness and hopelessness. It is a condition that results from constant or repeated emotional
pressure associated with an intense, long-term involvement with people.
Caring burnout comes about when our professional involvements tend to be a drain on our energy.
Chapter 13:
Stress, Burnout, and Self-Care
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Individual stressors are the internal sources of stress and attitudes that contribute to stress.
Magnification and minimization consist of perceiving a case or situation in a greater or lesser light than
it truly deserves.
Meaning burnout comes about when our work in caring for others no longer gives us sufficient meaning
and purpose in life.
Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is a theory of personality and psychotherapy that places
emphasis on the role thinking plays in influencing feelings and behavior.
Selective abstraction consists of forming conclusions based on an isolated detail of an event.
Self-care involves the practice of tending to our core needs of the body, mind, and spirit, and finding
balance in life; self-care entails taking steps to promote our wellness on all levels.
Self-compassion involves developing attitudes of caring, being nonjudgmental, being accepting, and
LO/STANDARDS CORRELATION CHART
A-head
LO
Standard 1
Standard 2
Standard 3
The A-B-C Theory
Describe the A-B-
C theory as a
cognitive method.
CACREP 1.l, 4.a
EPAS 1.b, 2.c, 6.b,
CSHSE 2.e, 9.b,
10.d
Changing
Distorted and
Self-Defeating
Thinking
Identify three
cognitive
distortions.
CACREP 3.f, 4.b
EPAS 1.a
CSHSE 10.d
stressful.
Burnout
individual factors
that can
4.b
Chapter 13:
Stress, Burnout, and Self-Care
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contribute to
burnout.
The Impaired
Professional
Describe how
burnout can lead
to impairment.
CACREP 3.f
EPAS 1.a
CSHSE 2.e
Strategies to
Prevent Burnout
Identify strategies
to prevent
burnout.
CACREP 1.l, 3.g,
4.f, 4.g
EPAS 1.b, 2.c, 6.a
CSHSE 5.b, 9.g,
implications of
the concept of
self-care as an
ethical mandate.
3.i, 5.d
10.d
Lifestyle Changes
That Promote
Wellness
therapeutic
lifestyle changes.
Mindfulness as a
Path to Self-Care
Describe how
mindfulness can
be a path to self-
care.
CACREP 1.i, 5.d
EPAS 2.c
CSHSE 10.d
Self-Compassion
as a Route to
Caring About
Others
Explain how self-
compassion is
related to caring
about others.
CACREP 1.f, 2.g,
3.i, 4.b, 5.d
EPAS 2.c
CSHSE 10.d
Personal Strategy
for Self-Care and
Wellness
own wellness
strategies and
self-care plan of
action.