Youth Worker Burnout: Dealing With The Stress

Burnout begins with the demands and stress from work, home, personal goals, and sin, but ultimately it comes down to the excessive stressors. We need to know how to handle this stress by know what emotionally and physically wears you out, establish and keep strong boundaries from your work with your family and faith, and allow God to be the one who leads the ministry.

Know What Emotionally And Physically Wears You Out
I am very introverted, though you might not know that when you meet me. I am emotionally and mentally exhausted meeting new people and working in large group environments. For me, the sweet spot is volunteer and student leadership development as well as small group ministries. Because I have identified my weaknesses (notice I did not say shortcomings), I can prepare myself with solitude before and after those large group meetings that I must still pursue. I have had numerous conversations to improve my marriage with my wife so that when a large group event ends, I can still take time to refresh myself, but be attentive to her needs. Knowing yourself allows you to capitalize on your strengths and prepare for your weaknesses. Where are your weaknesses?

Have Strong Boundaries
Boundaries are a way of life in ministry when we talk about sex, drugs, and sin. Yet we some how forget the rules when we talk about boundaries of ministry, family, and faith. My youth ministry will undoubtedly bleed over into my faith and family life, but to ignore the boundaries completely is irresponsible to ourselves, our spouse and children, and to God. We need to allow for our family time to only be that. Leave the cell phone at work or in the car and disable your email on the home computer. Give yourself at least an hour before work to be in in the Word and prayer with God daily. Hopefully you can have that expectation to be put into your organization or ministry and not have to find a different place to spend time with God. Could you truly say that your spiritual life is healthy?

Allow God To Be The One To Heal And Save
One study surveyed 2,132 church leaders looked at alternative measures of ministry orientation, burnout, and ministry satisfaction. What they found was that those “who perceive that they do not ‘fit’ their job well will experience their work as stressful and be more likely to exhibit signs of burnout.” (Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 2010, 83, 167-188) That means we need to consistently be deepening our faith and relationship with God, seeking intently after His will for our lives, and properly discerning His calling on our lives. We are not called to be God, but to allow Him to work through us. Is He the Lord of not only your life but your ministry?