Avoiding stress and burnout in music ministry
Signs and Symptoms, Causes and Coping Strategies
Singing has always been a part of my personal prayer life. It only made sense to want to share my experience of prayer through music with others. Since my youth I have had many opportunities to lead others in prayerful song at liturgy, in prayer groups, at weddings, on re- treats, in reconciliation services, and a host of other faith experiences. As a pastoral musician I have seen music move people to tears, laugh- ter, contemplation, and to communion with each other and with our God. It has been a privilege to be a part of that ministry.
Many parishioners, and frequently entire assemblies, appreciate all that goes into music for such occasions, even when mistakes inevitably occur. But not all is paradise when participating in such a ministry. There are occasional objections about songs or styles that individuals don’t care for. There are volunteers or staff members who can be difficult to work with. There is an expectation that you can be at any and every event where music is desired. And there is the need to be constantly “up” for the congregation, since you are in a visible position in the community.
I have seen colleagues wear under the stress- es of this ministry. They begin to feel abandoned, unsupported, criticized, and generally overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. If these feelings persist, the music minister must distinguish if he or she is experiencing predict- able and inevitable periodic stress or more detrimental burnout.
The difference between stress and burnout
We all have days when we feel exhausted, indifferent, overwhelmed, or underappreciated. We all have days when it seems impossible to manage everything in our lives and no one seems to appreciate our efforts. However, if we feel like this most of the time, we may be experiencing burnout.
Stress is what occurs when the demands and pressures we experience in our everyday lives temporarily feel like they are too much for us. However, we eventually get everything done and ultimately feel better. What pastoral musician doesn’t feel this kind of stress preparing for the Christmas and Easter seasons, as well as otherbusy liturgical times?
Burnout, on the other hand, leads us to feeling empty, without energy or motivation, and takes us to the point of not caring about our ministry or those we serve. We can’t conceive of things getting better no matter what changes we make.
What is burnout?
Burnout is the condition of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged periods of stress. It causes us to feel overwhelmed and unable to meet the constant demands on us, leading to a lack of interest in or desire for doing anything at all. Burnout drains our energy and decreases our productivity. We end up feeling increasingly exhausted, negative, and resentful. If not attended to, we end up feeling like we have nothing more to give.
The discontent and loneliness burnout causes can threaten our ministry, relationships, and even our health. But we can avoid or heal from burnout if we recognize the causes, signs, and symptoms in its early stages. Simple strategies
for better managing our stress may be enough to revitalize us. The longer we feel the effects of burnout, the more intentional our efforts will need to be.
Causes of burnout
Burnout can come from the ministry itself, but often includes personality and lifestyle factors as well. People don’t usually recognize that burnout is happening until they have already lost interest in what they are doing.
Ministry-related causes of burnout include:
A disorganized, demanding environment
Too many responsibilities with too little support
A lack of control over our ministry
A lack of acknowledgment or compensation
Unclear expectations; a lack of supervision and feedback
Preparing music that is not challenging (too easy) or too difficult
A lack of resources or proper equipment—for ourselves and/or our volunteers
Personal and lifestyle causes of burnout include:
Attempting to be everything for everyone
Taking on too many responsibilities without support from others
The need to be in control; not delegating to others
The need for perfection
Working too much without breaks or vacations
Not getting enough rest or sleep
A negative view of self and the world
Family hardships such as caring for a chronically ill family member
Not developing supportive relationships
Always putting personal needs last
Warning signs and symptoms of burnout
Burnout develops slowly and almost imperceptibly at first. The warning signs and symptoms seem small and insignificant but worsen as time goes on.
Physical signs of burnout include:
Feeling worn out and exhausted
Forgetting things more often (tasks, location of supplies, etc.)
Change in appetite (eating significantly more or less)
Change in sleep habits
Frequent headaches or body pain
Getting sick more often
Emotional signs of burnout include:
Feeling overwhelmed and powerless
Loss of enthusiasm and motivation
Lack of contentment, purposefulness, and enjoyment
Becoming more critical and negative of others and the world
Feeling like a failure
Feeling isolated, alone
Behavioral signs of burnout include:
Avoiding responsibilities;
Procrastinating
Taking frustrations out on others
Avoiding opportunities to minister
Withdrawing from people; not seeking feedback and support
Turning to food, prescription drugs, alcohol, or other coping strategies to manage anxiety and stress
Preventing burnout
Paying attention to the early warning signs mentioned above and taking the following steps to get our lives back into balance can help us better manage stress and prevent burnout.
Slow down. Spend a few minutes in prayer and reflection on your day. Do something nice for yourself. Enjoy a cup of coffee or take time to relax in the shower.
Rest. Set more time aside for rest and relaxation along with social support from friends and family. Use the time away to re-create yourself, revitalize yourself, and gain perspective on why this ministry is important to you.
Get back to the basics. Eat right, sleep right, get some exercise, and take care of your relationships.
Practice saying “no, thank you” more often. Avoid overextending yourself. Learn to say “no” more often and you’ll be saying a better “yes” to those activities you choose to do. Learn to delegate, and allow room for others to minister as well.
Clarify your ministry responsibilities. Clarify your responsibilities with the pastor or supervisor. Negotiate for those areas that you would like to include and against those that are negatively affecting your ministry. Get support and feedback from your pastor or supervisor.
Solve problems directly. Facing problems directly allows you to feel less powerless and gives you an opportunity to ask for what you need.
Pray. One must be a person of prayer to lead others in prayer. Prayer ought to be inspirational rather than a burden. If it feels like a burden, chances are pretty good you are out of balance.
Practice. Obviously, practicing the music will increase your confidence and enjoyment of your ministry; but you should also practice better management of your stress on a daily basis. Find ways to cope with everyday concerns in ways that nourish your relationships and yourself.
Recovering from burnout
If you’re already feeling burned out, you’ll have to get serious about your recovery. Continuing as you have been will only lead to more harm to your emotional and physical health, as well as your relationships. Besides the above suggestions, begin practicing these additional steps.
Reduce your commitments. You may need to force yourself to discontinue some activities. You need to take time for yourself to rest and heal.
Re-evaluate your priorities. Take time to re-evaluate your values and goals. What are you doing that is life-giving for yourself and others? What has been life-draining? If you can’t avoid certain challenges (e.g., ill family member), what can you do to get more support?
Get support. This is not the time to withdraw and isolate yourself. This is the time to confide in your spouse, friends, colleagues, fellow ministers, pastor, or whoever else might provide support during these difficult times. You will be surprised at how understanding and helpful people can be. Just sharing your feelings out loud to a supportive friend can be healing.
Care for yourself every day
To avoid ministry burnout, it’s important to reduce and manage stress more effectively each and every day. First identify what your stressors are, then find ways to better manage those stressors. Begin practicing these steps today and you’ll be leading others in prayerful song well into the future!
This article was written by Martin J. Gay, a licensed professional counselor who specializes in marriage and family therapy. Martin has been a pastoral minister for more than thirty years. The article was originally published in Today’s Liturgy magazine.
**If you’re interested in learning more about issues related to stress and burnout, check out our upcoming FREE webinar titled “Managing stress and avoiding burnout (before it happens,” offered in partnership with Catholic Mental Health Ministries. To learn more, visit the registration page.