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Intervening into Burnout, Building a Sense of What’s Possible

Filed Under: Emotional Literacies, Everyday Feminism, Higher Education, Racial Justice By Beth Godbee July 7, 2023 Leave a Comment

A new article, “Intervening into Burnout,” appears in Inside Higher Ed today.

This screenshot from Inside Higher Ed reads: “Career Advice. July 07, 2023. Intervening into Burnout. Beth Godbee presents a number of tangible ways that academics can build a sense of what’s possible, structurally as well as individually. By Beth Godbee.”

In this follow-up piece to “Honoring Ourselves and Each Other Through Burnout,” I offer examples of creative interventions into burnout. These examples are gifted to me through coaching, so I write with deep gratitude for people who are trying different ways of being, doing, feeling, thinking, relating and imagining in higher education.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Burnout is also never just about burnout. Collectively and individually, our nervous systems are overtaxed by continuous crises and denial of how much violence we’re facing. Intervening into burnout, therefore, can involve actions like blocking institutional harm or moving from denial to recognition. It can also involve a lot of self-inquiry and self-work.

In order to navigate and intervene into dehumanizing systems, interventions will often require us to engage in career discernment. We may face questions of what’s in and out of our hands, where and when we can make changes, when instead we need to walk away—and why. Interventions often invite curiosity about commitments, habits and practices. They can highlight unmet needs, hurts and longings. And they can teach the wisdom that the absence of a strong yes is actually a no.

The more I learn about burnout, the more I realize how much hurt and wrongdoing underlie burnout and, therefore, how many multidirectional interventions are needed. Luckily, we can learn from how other academics are intervening into burnout. Examples of interventions can expand our sense of what’s possible.”

My hope is that reading the article’s examples may inspire many more interventions, particularly toward institutional accountability and change. Because, truly, so many are needed.   

As individuals, we may ask what’s in our hands and act on those answers. But, again, this is not enough. Collectively, it feels as if we are near a breaking point. So many of us are leaving higher education. We are raging and grieving in the process, longing for education to be life-giving instead of life-denying. If burnout is signaling untenable conditions, then is it not time to listen to the underlying messages? Is it not time to ask what changes must be made? 

In asking these questions, many people are my teachers, and I’m so grateful to be learning from colleagues through and beyond coaching. By name, I recognize feminist educators Rasha Diab, Candace Epps-Robertson, Chloe de los Reyes, and Elaine Richardson (Dr. E). May we continue learning with and from each other toward building a sense of what’s possible, toward intervening into the collective experience of burnout. 

I hope you’ll read the full article here. If you do, reach out with any feedback. I am continuing to learn and unlearn so much about burnout, particularly toward co-convening a gathering around burnout for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Pathways Through Burnout: A Cohort Experience

Today’s IHE article is part of the lead-up to a new offering I’m co-creating with Candace Epps-Robertson: “Pathways Through Burnout: A Cohort Experience.”

This image shows a campfire and reads: “Pathways Through Burnout: A Cohort Experience. September 2023—April 2024. Learn more at Heart-Head-Hands.com. Offered by Beth Godbee, Ph.D., & Candace Epps-Robertson, Ph.D.”

Some information is now online here, and more will be coming in the next few weeks.

Though burnout can feel like such an isolating experience, we’ve found that it helps to be in community. One of the most important things a cohort can offer is shared experience, shared space. Together, we come to know (to feel and experience and not just intellectually understand) that we are not alone in being burned out/up. Together, we can witness that while our stories and experiences may be unique, there is a power to working with and alongside others.

Our hope is to co-create a supportive, imaginative space for discussion, reflection, processing, and guidance. During the cohort experience, we (Beth and Candace) will offer readings, discussions, guided writings, meditations, coaching, and resources. We’ll journey together on pathways toward living aligned with commitments.

You can read more about the cohort experience here. Please send us a message if you’re potentially interested, and we’ll be in touch with more information. And, again, reach out with questions, feedback, or suggestions ~ anytime.

This image shows a campfire and reads: "Sign up to receive more information. We'll be in touch! Thanks, Beth and Candace."

—
This post is written by
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Tagged with: burnout, career discernment, coaching, commitments, community care, countering perfectionism, creative, disruption, emotional literacies, habits, higher education, intuition, learning, pacing, practices, processing, racial justice, resistance, self-care, self-work, social justice, strong yes, teaching, understanding injustice, wellness, writing

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Update: THANKS to everyone who alerted me to the a Update: THANKS to everyone who alerted me to the account and who reported it. It appears to be down. I’m really grateful. 💚

*************

So … apparently someone has cloned my account and started one at @bethgodbeee (with eee — 3 e’s at the end). 

If you’ve received a request from this account, will you report them?

And if you’ve had this happen or know more about this sort of copycatting/cloning, I’m so grateful for camaraderie and advice. I’m in a learning curve.

Thank you!!!
If you're currently on a journey with a writing pr If you're currently on a journey with a writing project, consider joining this Thursday's #writing retreat.

I think of retreats like this boardwalk: there's a pathway to follow with clear edges and a lot of spaciousness to work/walk throughout the day.

Learn more about one-day online retreats, sliding-scale registration, and upcoming dates here:

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✨✨link in bio✨✨
It's fall! A few views from here: 1. My partner J It's fall! A few views from here:

1. My partner Jonathan and me hiking at Great Falls.
2. Crocheting in progress. I'm picking back up this project started early in the pandemic.
3. Pumpkin pancakes. Yum!
4. Weird leg-like mushrooms sticking out of a log.
5. Book display on whole food plant based (WFPB) eating.
6. Embers in a simmering campfire. 
7. Shadows of me and my partner on a winding trail.

{Not pictured: Recovering from covid and flu vaccines. Send healing wishes! :-)}
Updates to the new offering “Pathways Through Bu Updates to the new offering “Pathways Through Burnout: A Cohort Experience”:

For the past year, Candace and I have been listening to requests for an offering around burnout (or, more precisely, being burned up), and we launched a new cohort experience August 1st. We are deeply grateful for the range of responses we’ve received since then, and we’ve been prioritizing time to listen and discern what people want and need.

Through a lot of conversation and reflection, we’ve decided to slow down further and to reshape the offering. 

We’ll continue offering interactive workshops on practices for navigating burnout—with new dates announced for November 3rd and December 15th (and more to come in 2024). 

Starting in January, we’ll hold a few one-day retreats with time for art, play, contemplative practice, conversation, and coaching. We hope the retreat will feel like something that’s possible now (with so many pushes and pulls on time and attention).

All of this is leading to a 12-week version of the cohort experience: a season of connection to match a season in life. We’ll reopen applications in the spring and hope that a small group forms well ahead of our start date in September 2024.

The details of all of these experiences—and an invitation to join the workshops in Nov and Dec—are shared online here: https://heart-head-hands.com/pathways-through-burnout/ 
✨✨link in bio✨✨

And we continue to appreciate all sorts of feedback (questions, suggestions, affirmations), so please reach out anytime. <3

[Image says: “Pathways Through Burnout / Practice Workshops / One-Day Retreats / Cohort Forming for Fall 2024” and shows photos of the two of us—Candace and Beth—side by side.]

With @dr._candace_epps_robertson_ #burnout #update #practice #contemplative #meditation #writing #art #retreat
I am slow to edit and share photos, but I want to I am slow to edit and share photos, but I want to share these from the Beyond Granite public art exhibit that just left the National Mall here in DC. I wish this installation was staying long-term. How I struggle with visiting the Mall in the best of conditions. And how these pieces helped me appreciate what could instead be done in this space. 

Also, Jonathan and I got really lucky that the night we visited was the most spectacular sunset! Scroll through for photos of how "America's Playground" appears against an orange sky (no filter).
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About Beth Godbee

I'm an educator and former writing studies professor who believes our fully embodied selves matter in the world. We can’t just think our way out of the incredible injustices, dehumanization, violence, and wrongdoing that characterize everyday life. We must feel and act, too. [Pronouns: she/her.] Read more ...

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