Fighting Burnout With Feldenkrais®

By Andrea Higgins

Renew yourself through this popular somatic practice

Job burnout is a phenomenon that has been gaining attention, especially among those in the helping professions. Characterized by feelings of depletion in energy and enthusiasm, it is brought on by chronic behavior patterns of giving selflessly to others at the expense of one’s own physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Even the most dedicated and motivated dance teacher can be susceptible to burnout.

The following true-or-false statements list behaviors that often become established patterns in the lives of dance teachers. Do any of these behaviors ring true for you?

• I put in countless hours of unpaid time choreographing and rehearsing routines for students. True/False 

• I often put family priorities on the back burner to spend extra hours at the studio or attend dance conventions or competitions with my students. True/False

• I frequently skip meals or grab junk food between classes and rehearsals. True/False

• I have burned the midnight oil to sew costumes that were needed for a performance the next day. True/False

• I frequently demonstrate dance combinations, even when I am not properly warmed up or I am experiencing pain. True/False

Although these patterns are often equated with virtue in the dance world, they are, in fact, examples of selfless giving that can, when not balanced with revitalizing behaviors, lead to the feelings of apathy and exhaustion that typify job burnout. If you answered true to two or more of the above statements, take the next test to see if those behaviors may already be leading to the more serious symptoms of job burnout:

• I feel exhausted—even first thing in the morning. True/False

• I feel like I’m in a rut. True/False • I am emotionally unavailable to my closest family and friends. True/False

• I constantly worry about money. True/False

• I don’t care about some of the people I see at work. True/False

• I feel isolated by my work. True/False

If you answered “true” two or more times, you need to reevaluate your work/life balance and take steps to reconnect with yourself.

Keep in mind that the symptoms of job burnout are brought on by long-standing patterns of behavior, so although running off for a pedicure or a massage one afternoon may feel great at the time, it is not likely to be enough to remedy the problem. You need to reconnect with yourself at a deeper level. One popular somatic practice provides strategies that will help you both personally and professionally.

The Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education, like dance, engages the intellect and encourages a profound learning process for both body and mind. But unlike dance, the learning process in Feldenkrais is focused internally, on personal growth rather than on an aesthetic ideal. Not only can it help you physically, by improving your alignment, balance, coordination, and flexibility, but it can also teach you ways to manage stress, recognize unhealthy patterns, and even ease persistent pain.

For dance teachers, the Feldenkrais Method® offers a win–win proposition. By seeking out a solution for your own mind/body health, you may then be inspired to share your newfound knowledge with those around you by adding somatic training to your school’s curriculum. In so doing, you’ll increase your revenue-generating potential exponentially.

But how do you go about creating a new program in somatic education when you are already stretched to your limit? The four steps that follow may help. They offer suggestions about how to approach your personal and business development through a process of self-care.

Step 1 Become a student again—it will put you in the advantageous position of benefiting from someone else’s hard work, knowledge, and brain space. Feldenkrais practitioners are used to working with many different kinds of people (children, the elderly, business professionals, athletes, and those with debilitating injury and disease). They constantly evaluate the needs of their clients and try to facilitate learning that will have meaning for that individual. Let them do the same for you. Let them know that although you are studying this method for your own health and wellness, you are curious about how Feldenkrais might benefit your students, faculty, and the wider community as well.

Many Feldenkrais practitioners teach group classes, commonly called “Awareness Through Movement®” lessons or simply ATM®, which would be a perfect fit at any dance studio. The class requires students to follow verbally guided movement sequences while also making a series of observations. Although gentle, these lessons often lead to dramatic improvement in alignment, balance, and coordination. Given the simplicity of the movement, ATM® is often a great solution if you want a class in which you can mix age groups or one that is geared toward an adult population.

Step 2 Expand your professional network—it can be an effective way to get energized and motivated. In working with a practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method®, you will be dealing with someone who understands and teaches movement. Beyond the benefit you will receive from the lessons, you may find someone with whom you have much in common but who is not a direct competitor. In fact, a professional association might benefit you both. For example, a Feldenkrais practitioner might suggest ways to implement a program that could become a mandatory part of your school’s curriculum, like ballet is at some schools, or design a continuing education program for your faculty, or help you implement a community wellness or injury-prevention program. Or you might be able to combine your business resources for mutual benefit.

Step 3 Invest in yourself first. Don’t take one lesson with one practitioner and expect it to lead somewhere; instead, invest in a series of lessons or attend some public workshops. If no practitioners are in your area, purchase some books or lessons that are available on tape or via MP3 download. Let this new approach to learning and teaching movement percolate in your mind for a while and inspire you to try new approaches in your own teaching.

Step 4 Focus your objectives. Once you establish a pattern of self-care, great ideas for how to grow your school will likely follow. If you decide that you want to pilot a Feldenkrais program, the challenge will be making it profitable. First, decide whom the program would best serve: existing students, injured students, all students, or only your adult program. Next, consider whether there is a way to guarantee that the program will generate immediate revenue for your business. For example, can you offer it in the context of a larger program, such as a summer intensive? Finally, design your marketing strategy so that it speaks to your target audience about the benefits they can expect. Keep in mind that if you are trying to reach a new market with this program, you may need to consider a different approach than you use for advertising your dance classes.

Burnout is an insidious process. By the time we notice the physical and emotional symptoms of it, the patterns that led to it are often firmly established. Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, the founder of the Feldenkrais Method®, once said, “Life is movement.” Movement was the means by which he taught the process of discovering and recovering a sense of one’s humanity, freedom, and possibility. As a dance educator you have traveled a parallel path and know the power that movement has to uplift the human spirit. What better remedy for burnout could there be—for you and the community you serve.

For more information, visit www.feldenkrais.com. The Feldenkrais Educational Foundation of North America is a great resource for general information. Here, you can look up certified practitioners in your area and purchase books and other educational products.    

Job Burnout—Are You at Risk?

No doubt you’ve heard the term “burnout,” but chances are you don’t know much about it. It’s not merely a catchphrase; it’s a documented condition that takes awareness to prevent or cure.

Here’s a quick primer:

• Job burnout can be characterized by physical and emotional manifestations, including chronic fatigue, indigestion, headaches, anxiety, boredom, irritability, feelings of isolation, and a lack of concern for others.

• Job burnout is not uncommon in professions that require an ongoing commitment to other people’s well-being and growth, resulting in an extraordinary degree of giving of one’s time, energy, and talents.

• Some therapists see job burnout as a process that develops over time, as a result of a chronic lack of self-care.

• Taking proactive steps to keep a healthy balance in your life may be the best way to safeguard against job burnout. 

The following reminders are basic but important ways you can establish a healthy and balanced life: 

• Exercise.

• Get enough sleep.

• Develop good nutritional habits.

• Take time to center yourself each day.

• Invest in your own learning.

• Maintain a social support network.

• Set boundaries between your work and private life.   

Photo Credits: All images by Rosalie O'Connor