“Burnout is what happens when you try to avoid being human for too long”, says Michael Gungor. Especially in healthcare, we often look to others for cues about acceptable behaviour, feel guilty about setting boundaries, and struggle with the expectation to be perfect. That makes taking necessary care of ourselves all the more difficult.
What we need is to give ourselves permission to meet our needs. This means acknowledging our human limits and understanding that self-care isn’t selfish; it’s essential for providing quality care to others.
Many people in high stress, high stakes jobs reach a breaking point where they physically can’t continue. By this point, recovery requires significant time and effort that could have been avoided.
But by giving yourself permission to rest, to make mistakes, and to be authentically you, you become more resilient and capable. Whether it’s taking a proper lunch break, saying no to an extra commitment, or simply acknowledging your feelings without judgment, this episode will help you find small, actionable steps you can take towards necessary self-care.
