There are many pathways for navigating burnout, and we (Beth and Candace) believe that burnout is best navigated in community, with and alongside others. Therefore, we are holding space through workshops and have built a cohort experience for any groups interested in a multi-week experience.
Below, we introduce ourselves and share more about what working together might involve. Reach out with questions or interest anytime.
At this time, we have one upcoming workshop open for registration:
“Where Do I Put My Energy? Navigating End-of-the-Year Exhaustion and Resetting for Summer“
Friday, April 26th at 4pm ET | 3pm CT | 2pm MT | 1pm PT.
And check back. We are updating this page with more dates and details!
Description
So many of us are experiencing burnout. Perhaps you, like us, can’t count the number of times you’ve been running on fumes. Or pushing past the point of “no!” Or rattling off a near-endless list of what’s not getting done.
Or perhaps you, like us, feel that so many people are counting on you. Even when you are over capacity or reaching beyond the breaking point, you are still needed to keep going. And this is especially the case for educators and organizers and caregivers and anyone socialized into women/femme ways of being.
If you, too, are experiencing burnout … or wondering if you might be? … then, know that you are not alone.
We’ve both experienced burnout ourselves and know that the language of “burnout” is a shorthand for being “burned up” by systemic injustice, including the cumulation of everyday microaggressions, presumed incompetence, and other characteristics of white supremacy culture and systemic oppression. We regularly talk with others who are similarly cycling through exhaustion, weariness, frustration, and disappointment, if not deeper hurts. We know that burnout is never just about burnout.
With these recognitions, we are want to work together—with YOU!—to navigate pathways through burnout. We are both available for one-with-one coaching. And we are interested in working with groups to co-create a supportive, imaginative space for discussion, reflection, processing, and guidance.
Though burnout can feel like such an isolating experience, we have found that it helps to be in community. To move into more connected ways of living and working, we have prepared readings, discussion questions, journal prompts, meditations, and other resources to assist you. We can journey together on pathways toward living aligned with commitments.
If you’re interested in learning more, continue reading, and sign up to receive more information. We’ll reach out personally.
How do I know if this offering is for me?
Here are some questions you might consider:
- Have you found yourself using the language of “burnout” or saying that you’re tired, worn out, or just can’t handle one more thing?
- Have you been moving way too fast or feeling like you can’t move at all?
- Have you found yourself pushing past the point of depletion or feeling expected to?
- Are you feeling burned out or, more likely, burned up by pressures, expectations, or a near-endless list of what’s not getting done?
- Do you want to slow down or be more present to yourself and to others?
- Are you reconsidering or reconnecting with your commitments, considering what matters most—and why?
- Would you like to be living differently than you are now—with more purpose, intentionality, and commitment?
These are some of the reasons we might work together. We imagine many more, too! Reach out with any questions about whether this offering is for you.
Why pathways through burnout?
The two of us (Beth and Candace, co-creators) have not only experienced burnout, but also continue to learn, teach, and hold space around the experience.
For Beth, burnout has manifested multiple times: during graduate school, in the midst of family crisis, and around back surgery; in the early years as a faculty member; in the lead-up to tenure; and as a small business owner striving to make this work truly work. Burnout has also arisen around intensive therapy, and it has offered numerous lessons, much like other surprising teachers.
For Candace, burnout began when trying to manage multiple adjunct positions and flared again in graduate school as a parent with young children. Burnout continued throughout the tenure track when managing complex caregiving roles for both parents and children along with the challenges of not having a locally-based support network.
We both hold a number of personal stories of burnout. Some of these are shaped by experiences in academic contexts and toxic workplaces. Some are connected to experiences as caregivers. Many are related to our embodied experiences—racial, gendered, economic, and intersectional positioning—in the world. We find both connections in these experiences and can trace differential risks, options, and areas for unlearning.
As we process our own experiences with burnout, we know that burnout is much more than individual. It is always related to conditions of oppression: being burned up—used up, taken for granted, overworked, devalued, exploited, enraged, and inflamed. It can also hold many lessons for us, signaling long-held patterns to unlearn. Moving through burnout can involve reconnecting with ourselves and living with more awareness, intentionality, and inner knowing. And these personal changes are only part of the story. Micro- interventions happen alongside the need for meso- (family, department, group) and macro- (systemic, institutional) change. Navigating burnout, therefore, can point us in multiple directions, toward multiple pathways.
What are our guiding beliefs for navigating pathways through burnout?
- Burnout can happen during many phases/stages of one’s life.
- Burnout is not (NOT!) a sign of failure, laziness, or lack.
- Burnout can impact all facets of life—from work and home life to relationships with family, friends, and ourselves.
- Burnout is a multi-faceted experience: emotional, embodied, intellectual, relational, economic, and spiritual.
- There is no one-size-fits-all approach to navigating burnout.
- Navigating burnout invites self-work and intervention into systemic injustice.
- The pathways through burnout can take us in many directions, calling for many sorts of small and BIG changes.
- Pathways through burnout arise best when journeyed together in community.
How could I possibly add one more thing to my already-packed schedule?
Taking time out to pursue coaching or join a small-group experience might feel like yet another thing on your never-ending to-do list. We don’t want that for you. It’s important to us that any work together offers reflection, community, and guidance—all of which support pathways through burnout.
Sometimes, sharing space with others can be the bridge to healing. Burnout can leave us feeling isolated. And being in community with others can restore a sense of wholeness. 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 similarly burned up.
Who are the facilitators?
This offering is co-created and co-facilitated by Beth Godbee, Ph.D. and Candace Epps-Robertson, Ph.D..
Beth Godbee, Ph.D. is a public educator, writer, and coach (previously tenured professor) with commitments to social, racial, and environmental justice. Beth left a faculty position in 2018 after years of burnout and has written about her experiences with both career discernment and burnout in Inside Higher Ed. Like Candace, Beth brings experience with and commitments to contemplative writing, meditation, and intuitive + embodied decision-making.
Candace Epps-Robertson, Ph.D. is a writer and educator who has also been a caregiver for most of her working life. She’s contended with various stages of burnout on the tenure track as a writer, teacher, and caregiver for aging parents with terminal conditions. Her commitment to helping others manage burnout is grounded in mindfulness practices, experiencing writing as a practice of self-discovery, and believing in the power of shared stories and experiences for transformation.
How can I learn more?
Send us a message saying that you’re interested, and we’ll be in touch.
Contact Beth with any questions, concerns, or accessibility considerations.
Navigate over to Candace’s web page on support for writers.
And read our collaborative blog post: “Q&A with Candace Epps-Roberts: On Seasons of Life, Writing, and Career.”
Also, join us for a workshop to try out the experience. We’re offering workshops on “Practices for Navigating Burnout.” During these workshops, we’ll offer a few practices for navigating burnout, and we’ll be available to answer questions. Learn more about the workshops here.
What do others say?
“For those in burnout (everyone?), I definitely recommend these workshops facilitated by Beth Godbee and Candace Epps-Robertson, both fantastic humans, writers, and academics. I’ve been working with Beth for over three years as I’ve navigated burnout, and I can’t express how important that work has been for my discernment and health. Candace and Beth facilitate weekly writing groups, too–which I’ve been doing for a couple of years–so if you’re looking for writing and community, definitely check their offerings. So meaningful in so many ways.” —Jenny in Austin
“I really appreciate Beth’s and Candace’s attention to people who are working in higher education contexts, focus on collective efforts, and practical guidance.” —Briana in Houston
