“Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don’t go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won’t laugh at you. ” ~Jim Rohn

Support: A Lesson I’ve Learned through Cancer 

The interesting thing about burnout in general or just life in general is that really it’s a learning process. One of the things that I think was very significant and impactful for me over this last really two to three years but significantly in the last year, (in relation to burnout and cancer) is that I’ve actually learned a number of lessons.

These have been impactful and important for burnout, as well, and I wanted to share those with you!

Many people when they learn that either you or someone in your family has cancer, the first thing they express is sadness and they’re sorry this is happening. And then the second thing is whatever we can do to help. 

It’s sometimes very difficult from a patient standpoint or patient/family standpoint to know what’s helpful or impactful, but I think the lesson that I learned from cancer is that everyone is just trying to support you.

You have to be willing to take that support in whatever kind of variety that comes in. If that’s for work support, if that’s for home support, if that’s for childcare support, if that’s for really anything that can be useful for you. So that you can focus on just the cancer treatment and recovery and healing. 

Make a list of what you need!

I think that’s the best thing you do and probably the other thing that I think is useful is that you probably need to make a list of those things that you really need that would be useful.  Then when someone says, 

“Hey, can we do anything to help?” “Absolutely, you can pick something from my list.”

 One of the things that we suggested to people is to go help get on the bone marrow transplant donor list, and that is done through bethematch.org. We have probably had several 100 people sign up for that stem cell or bone marrow transplants. In relation to burnout I think the critical issue is if you’re getting burned out, you have to be able to accept help and have support from people. You’re not alone. 

And I just really feel strongly that that is very important for you so lessons from cancer, applied to burnout and really to your life. 

I hope you find these tips helpful. 

And remember, burnout recovery is for you. Yes for you.