Charity Burnout

[CatherineM]

At what point do you guys get burned out?  I was thinking about what Mother Theresa used to say about people will use you, but still help them. (Not an exact quote but the gist of the message she was trying to get across.)  

We're at that point with one of our boys, and it's a really hard one. I've often thought about the Prodical Son's father. How hard it must have been for him. He was apparently a wealthy man. Chances are people saw his son and told him what he was up to. How hard was it for him to stay home and let his son fail?  Did he ever feel guilty worrying about the bad son and not paying as much attention to the good son?

[Gabriela]

If I did what you do, I'd be burned out in the first week.

With my students (whom I consider the "people I serve"), it's not a matter of time, but of attitude. If everyone's got a great attitude all semester long, no burn-out. If, on the other hand, it's like this semester, when every week someone is obnoxiously accusing me of unfairness, being a bad teacher, being a b*$#@, etc., I burn out pretty fast. I haven't wanted to go teach or hold office hours for about a month and a half.

They abuse me, and I let them, and I still help them. But there's a point at which I just want to avoid them. When I feel that way, it's too much. I need to step back.

Edited December 2, 2015 by Gabriela