A Slow and Delicate Burn with Active Relief
Wednesday evening, I opened my laptop to 14 quarter-started notes: four left over from Tuesday and 10 new ones. The next morning, a workday that started at 8:00 AM and ended at 6:30 PM, head pounding, I pondered, “What did I have for breakfast again?” I remember thinking, “This wasn’t a bad day that happens every once in a while; it was my typical week.”
That's the thing about burnout. I didn’t notice the moment when it began. Documentation piled up a little more each day, and evenings that used to be fun became a half shift. Some weekends feel great. Other weekends, I’ve struggled to get out of bed.
On some nights I made a different call. I moved an evaluation and a handful of notes to the next morning so I could sleep for 8 hours before a full day of clients. It was a small decision, and it was the first time I felt like I was doing something about the burn instead of just feeling the mental pain. Waiting for relief doesn't work. Relief has to be active.
So what is burnout, really?
It hides behind phrases like "I just need to get through this stretch", and it's more than being tired. Burnout involves emotional exhaustion along with physical and cognitive fatigue (Khammissa et al., 2022). Unfortunately, many health practitioners and colleagues experience burnout. In fact, according to a 2025 article by Mohr and colleagues (2025), annual burnout rates among Veterans Health Administration workers were 30-40% each year from 2018-2023. This suggests that a large percentage of the people we interact with are burnt out within the larger healthcare setting. These statistics are concerning, so what can we do to try to change them?
5 ways to build active relief. If you're heading into another day of class or Level II fieldwork, the pressure doesn't automatically switch off at graduation. Build these habits before you need them as you move into your occupational therapy practitioner (OTP) career:
- Learn your early signs: Sunday dread, a short fuse with people you love, and cutting corners on things you used to care about are all good data. Notice what increased your scale of “this is enough” because you want to protect this before it is too late.
- Audit your occupations: Use your OTP or future-OTP brain on yourself. How much of your week is obligatory (e.g., notes, commute, paperwork, conversing about a patient or study material) versus meaningful (e.g., intentional time with others, movement or physical activity, hobbies, sleep)? Write this down and then compare. If one column is empty or nearly empty, you have your answer. Dedicate at least 30 minutes every day to the column that isn’t as filled - build your own chart here.
- Protect one non-negotiable: Choose a meal, a walk, an early bedtime, or call a loved one, and defend it like it’s your client. For me, I needed the extra sleep. I prioritized it each morning to start the day off well-rested and prepared for anything. Check out AOTA’s awesome Wellness for Career and Life collection to read about other structured ideas for distancing yourself from your “this is enough”. I love YouTube for guided meditations or different mindfulness apps.These can be short opportunities to recharge, such as “take a couple deep breaths,” or long opportunities, such as a 30-minute mindful walk. Do what works best on your schedule.
- Ask early, and ask specifically: "This is a lot" invites "it'll get better." "Can we protect 30 minutes of documentation time in my schedule?" invites an actionable answer. Loop in your clinical support systems (e.g., supervisor, fieldwork educator, etc.) before you're burnt out. No one knows exactly what you are going through, so make your concerns known to others.
- Redefine "enough" and build: “Done and learning” beats “perfect and depleted”. Deferring a task is not failing. It's a way to break down action items. Know what you can defer and where your “this is enough” state is at. How far are you from it on the scale?
One last tidbit
If you feel that you’re in the burnout phase, remind yourself that you're not behind and you are not weak. Noticing your limits is a powerful clinical skill, so use it on yourself. This week, check in on a classmate, professor, or colleague, and let them check in on you too. The workload is likely the problem, not the people around you, so lean on them. We are here to support one another. If you need help, ask a loved one, look into a mental health counselor, and keep in mind that you always have many colleagues in AOTA to support you.
References
Khammissa, R. A. G., Nemutandani, S., Feller, G., Lemmer, J., & Feller, L. (2022). Burnout phenomenon: neurophysiological factors, clinical features, and aspects of management. The Journal of international medical research, 50(9), 3000605221106428. https://doi.org/10.1177/03000605221106428
Mohr, D. C., Elnahal, S., Marks, M. L., Derickson, R., & Osatuke, K. (2025). Burnout trends among US Health Care Workers. JAMA Network Open, 8(4), e255954. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.5954
Author
Tyler R. Hood, OTD, OTR/L, is a graduate of WashU Medicine's Program in Occupational Therapy. Tyler is a pediatric occupational therapist in an outpatient setting. He is service-driven and passionate about teaching and lifelong learning. He is committed to advancing the profession's visibility and impact at the local, state, and national levels.