¿Cómo abordarías el agotamiento al equilibrar tus propias necesidades con las de tu rol de apoyo entre pares?

To address burnout while balancing your own team needs with those of your peer support role, prioritize self-care and time management. Set clear boundaries to ensure you have dedicated time for both roles without overextending yourself. Delegate tasks when possible and communicate openly about your workload with both teams to manage expectations. Regularly assess your workload and seek support or adjust priorities if needed to prevent excessive stress. Make time for breaks and activities that help you recharge, and consider discussing your workload with a mentor or supervisor for additional guidance.

When I start to feel a burnout coming on, I can usually sense it by noticing that I am more easily triggered or that I am feeling more overwhelmed at work. I always schedule a supervision with my supervisor when this starts to happen, I make sure to really take care of myself when I am at home.. extra self care. I also do some journaling: a few points about why I love what I do at work, what is currently causing me to feel a burnout, what steps I can take to help reduce those feelings.

One thing I have noticed is that if you are starting to feeling inadequate in your work, like nothing you’re doing is helping. You might start losing your motivation and drive that you normally would have you might be having burnout

To address burnout while balancing your needs with a peer support role, start by recognizing signs like chronic fatigue, irritability, and reduced performance. If you notice yourself feeling emotionally drained after interactions, losing interest in activities you once enjoyed, or experiencing physical symptoms like headaches, it’s time to step back. Regular self-assessment helps identify early burnout, allowing for timely intervention, such as setting boundaries, seeking supervision, or taking breaks to recharge.

It can be hard to allow ourselves to carve out time for self care. We feel that we are doing a disservice to those were supporting by not having them at the top of our priority list at all times. The reality is if we are not well we are not able to perform at our best. We are short changing those we support if we are tired, run down or compassion fatigued. To give our best we have to be at our best and as every good athlete knows rest and recuperation are an essential part of this. It is vital that self care and rest are on our priority list it allows us to give our best to those we support.

This is something can that sneakily set in when one is busy caring for others. Take time to have a regular scheduled check in with a fellow peer supporter, to reflect and process any repressed feelings and subtle signs.

En Argentina es muy complicado darse cuenta de ese agotamiento, ya que cualquier alto a un trabajo o rendimiento puede ser causal de apartamiento o despido.

I’m have found it helpful to be clear about the focus of the support (e.g., related to a particular conflict). This clarity creates structure and prevents over extending the peer supporter. This structure also helps the individual seeking support to determine what will benefit them now and in the near future.

I found that establishing boundaries was very important, especially when working a veteran peer specialist. I made sure to set up a time to do administrative tasks each day, which included updating notes and accounting for time spent on certain tasks. If I was on the road to meet with a peer or going to an event, I communicated that I would not be answering my phone that way my main focus would be on driving safely. Finally, once my workday was done, I would cut off my work phone that way I would not be constantly checking for messages, emails, or updates. We spend the majority of our day at work and need to make sure that it doesn't interfere with our personal lives.

Have formal training. This helps to set the expectations clear in our own mind, and also for others. It helps to alleviate guilt and set a path for escalation.

One thing I found helpful is to try and seperate work life from home life. Sometimes the role you have in your organization does not allow for it, but self care is important. It allows you to mentally 'reset'. Find something you like to do. You may say you don't have have time to do it, but start small, 5 minutes here and there will help substantially.

I know anyone in a support role knows self care should be your first priority, but I also know that even though we know that we don’t always make it even one of the top three priorities especially if you’re a single parent or caregiver, let’s be honest those are full time jobs themselves. For most of my life, I put everyone and everything first whether it was in my personal or professional life and it took a toll on me. I decided that I had to make a change, so how I had to start was just taking 30mins to myself each day to do what I wanted to do, not what I needed to do or others needed, until I could learn to take actual me time. When I started actually doing it I became better at doing everything.

I know this concept works. Life and work can be a constant struggle. When you feel burn out you need to first realize that you need an outlet. Music frees the minds while igniting emotions and releasing stress. Aroma therapy is also useful the sense of sense is recognized by the brain to trigger a release.

It's really important to let your bosses know that you're struggling. Suffering in silence can lead to worsening of bad feelings and lead to seriously bad mental health times. Don't just joke about needing a break - if you see the signs of burnout, get serious about getting help and taking a complete and full break. You wouldn't knowingly sprint on a broken leg, so don't peer support when you're emotionally running on empty.