RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Are you feeling burned out in children's ministry?  Here's some signs your tank is on empty.

• You feel that every day at work is a struggle.
• You feel emotionally exhausted much of the time.
• You have very little joy or interest in your work.  You may even feel depressed by it.
• You feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities.
• You feel hopeless about your life or work.
• You experience physical exhaustion.
• The stress from work causes sleeplessness.

Burnout won't go away on it's own.  You have to be proactive to beat it.  Here's some steps you can take.

Identify why you are experiencing burnout. 
Is it working too many hours?  Conflict with another person?  Unrealistic expectations?

Start keeping a log of what causes you stress.  Look for patterns and incidents that stand out.

Make some changes based on what you discovered.
It may mean delegating more, having a conversation with your boss, resolving a conflict or saying no to some things.  In this article, I share how to decide what to say no to.

Check your physical condition.
Are you getting enough sleep?  Are you exercising?  Are you eating well?  How you take care of yourself physically is a big factor.

Take some time off.
I know, that means you'll have to work more up front and afterwards just to be able to take the time off.  But it's vital to get away on a regular basis.

And don't be pulled into work while you're on vacation.  With smartphones it's hard, but disconnect while you're away.

Reassess your responsibilities. 
Burnout can occur when your responsibilities don't line up with your passion, giftedness, or calling.  Take a look at your job description.  Are you excited about it?  If not, it may be time for a shift.

Check your thought patterns.

The language you use helps shape the culture of your ministry.

Jim Wiltens, who teaches a program for gifted and talented children in Northern California schools, emphasizes the power of positive language.  You will never hear him say, “I can’t.”

He uses more constructive words like “I could if I…” He even promises to pay his students $100 if they ever catch him saying, “I can’t.”

When Cathie Black took over as president of Hearst Magazines, she noticed that negative speech patterns had cre­ated an environment hostile to new ideas.  So Black told her team that every time they said things like, “We’ve tried that already” or “That will never work,” she would fine them $10.

After enforcing her rule just a few times, Black effectively wiped those expressions from the office vocabulary.  The result?  New creativity and growth.

Three of the best words you can say when faced with a challenge are “How might we…?”  

The “how” suggests that improvement is always possible. The only question remain­ing is how we will do it.

The word “might” suggest a breakthrough is possible.

And the “we” establishes team own­ership of the challenge, making it clear that it will be a group effort.

Fine tuning the words you use can help diminish negativity and spark creativity.