November 2024 Advisors Corner

I recently stumbled across a quote that said “you can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” I found some freedom in those words because oftentimes in graduate school and even beyond, you feel like you have to do everything.

Burnout is real, and something that I’ve spent the last couple of years recovering from in the professional world. “Burnout – The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle” by Emily Nagoski, PhD and Amelia Nagoski, DMA was a book that was circulating among my audiology colleagues at my last job. One of the lessons I learned was that there are three components to burnout: 1) emotional exhaustion, 2) decreased sense of accomplishment, and 3) depersonalization, which can be described as staring at something and not knowing what you were doing. Once you have recognized signs of burnout, then it is important to do something about it. The authors suggested the following action items:

• Participate in physical activity – even a walk can help!
• Breathe and mediate for a couple minutes
• Engage in positive social interactions
• Do something that facilitates real laughter
• Do something that facilitates affection, even if it’s just a hug for 20 seconds
• Have a good old cry
• Do something that allows for creative expression, such as art. 

One of the aspects that I appreciate about national SAA is that we have not shied away from having important conversations about mental wellness. Check some of the available resources such as the Audiology Today article, “Burnout in Audiologists: Sources, Susceptibility, and Solutions” by Brian M. Kreisman and this Virtual Education Series event given by Kaitlyn Kennedy, AuD.

Audrey Taylor, AuD
National SAA Advisory Committee Chair