5 Ways to Beat Burnout

Summer is unique in that it is usually one of the toughest times of year for those in children’s ministry. In fact, no matter what ministry you serve in, the top threat to your ministry is GUARANTEED to come knocking at your door during the summer. What threat is that? The answer is: BURNOUT.

The long hours in the office. The blazing heat outside. Oh, and did I mention that camp is going on this week? Ugh… now you have to take some work home with you. We all know what it’s like to face burnout. The trick is, you don’t have to give in! In fact, try these five ways to defeat burnout before it defeats you:

1. Take a short vacation. Find a few days that you can pull away and unplug (and I mean, COMPLETELY unplug). In order to truly rest, get away from it all and simply recharge yourself. I am actually doing this myself soon (no email for THREE days, can you believe it?).
2. Schedule personal prayer time several times each day. The key to this is being consistent. If you make the effort to bring things before God at least several times a day, don’t you think that you will be comforted by the One who is truly in control?
3. Go for a walk. It’s that simple! Stretching your legs and clearing your mind a little bit will help bring life back into perspective and give you a much needed breather.
4. Delegate. Let me say that again. Delegate! If you are getting burned out, start sharing the workload! In most situations, there is someone who can help you out and do a few things so that you can focus more on the remaining tasks at hand.
5. Grab coffee with a friend. Take initiative and ask them to spend time with you. Having a social life outside of work is definitely possible, even during the busiest seasons.