Great Expectations
In my desire to understand what causes burnout and disillusionment in the policing environment I have come to understand that we all have different expectations of ourselves, our environment, our leaders and our culture. Burnout involves unfulfilled expectations. Being worn down and tired out often occurs when something that we expected would take place, has not come about.
Often, unfulfilled expectations occur because those expectations have been too high. When we come to lower our expectations to more realistic ones, we are less likely to burnout.
I spoke with a member the other day and we spoke about the symptoms and manifestations of burnout. He asked me what I thought the first signs were. I told him that one of the signs comes when we think that if we do not get something done that it won't get done. We begin to think that we are irreplaceable in our position and we feel obligated to work harder and longer hours to achieve the goal of our position. His response was " well if I don't do this, it won't get done! We chuckled at that and he later let me know that he would think about what we discussed.
Feeling indespensible is a dangerous place to be. We place pressure on ourselves, our families and others around us as our stress mounts, our tempers are shortened, and we often find relief in unhealthy and unhappy places. We then become resentful of others who don't share our commitment or work ethic. That resentment turns into bitterness and this bitterness drains away healthy emotional energy.
Taking the time to understand that the investigation you are involved in, the cause you are fighting for, the role that you have undertaken, will all continue on if you were to not be there tomorrow, relieves stress and brings more balance to your life. Understanding our own limitations and shortcomings will help us be empathetic towards others, including our leaders who we may be in conflict with.
High expectations leads to frustration and burnout. No expectations means you have already burned out. Realistic expectations of self and others leads to balance and wisdom and health.
Often, unfulfilled expectations occur because those expectations have been too high. When we come to lower our expectations to more realistic ones, we are less likely to burnout.
I spoke with a member the other day and we spoke about the symptoms and manifestations of burnout. He asked me what I thought the first signs were. I told him that one of the signs comes when we think that if we do not get something done that it won't get done. We begin to think that we are irreplaceable in our position and we feel obligated to work harder and longer hours to achieve the goal of our position. His response was " well if I don't do this, it won't get done! We chuckled at that and he later let me know that he would think about what we discussed.
Feeling indespensible is a dangerous place to be. We place pressure on ourselves, our families and others around us as our stress mounts, our tempers are shortened, and we often find relief in unhealthy and unhappy places. We then become resentful of others who don't share our commitment or work ethic. That resentment turns into bitterness and this bitterness drains away healthy emotional energy.
Taking the time to understand that the investigation you are involved in, the cause you are fighting for, the role that you have undertaken, will all continue on if you were to not be there tomorrow, relieves stress and brings more balance to your life. Understanding our own limitations and shortcomings will help us be empathetic towards others, including our leaders who we may be in conflict with.
High expectations leads to frustration and burnout. No expectations means you have already burned out. Realistic expectations of self and others leads to balance and wisdom and health.
posted by Bob S at 9:55 a.m.
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