Counselor Burn-out

[Skater Bubbles]

I know at my camp Counselors often get burnt out and often have to try and recharege but it is tough! How do you avoid getting burnt-out at your camp?

[Dave]

Well I work at a day camp so I get a rest every night. :)

[CAMPFRIEND]

We still have burn out at our day camp! I try to get my counselors to sleep more but they are young.
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[camper]

our nights out pretty much avoid burnout. if someone does get burnt out, we are advised to let our grouphead know and ask for a few mins to cool down.

[speedx5xracer]

We have a staff game for during the second to last week for that reason. However some people are burned out the day the kids get it most of them are the people who just took the job for the visa.
My way of avoiding burn out is simple, I fish between periods at the lake, and I have fun during rest hour by playing games with the kids when I can. Just by having fun I avoid the burn out.... another way is my main vice... poker playing poker once or twice a week keeps me going.

[Indigo]

This past summer I had a rough time with a few of my campers, and a few of another counselor's campers... I was really afraid that by 4th session, I wouldn't be able to give my campers a chance to be great. But they were really awesome on the first day, getting along well, staying neat, getting ready on time... That made all the difference for me, and we had the best times ever.

[Skater Bubbles]

I avoid getting burnt out by trying to just releave stress. My biggest stress releaver is Skatebaording. Last summer my camp director let me skate on the basketball court on my nights off and it really helped! My camp director is such a great guy!! Sometimes I would be really stressed but I didn't have a co counselor so I had to stay with my girls at our cabin so I would practice kickflips and stuff on the porch!! I love to skate and it really calms me down!

[CAMPFRIEND]

That is great to see that you have found somthing that helps you when you are stressed out. I try to do that with all of my staff as well.
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[rockinsmiles]

Yeah it seems that the staff starts to get burnt out through the summer and sometimes even with eachother. some staff would go home on the weekend if they lived in the state. others might even go back with that staff person. our director was also good with switching counselors to different groups if they requested it. and the 2 AD-staff offered told me that they could watch my group for a while if i ever needed it. normally i dont get burnt out with the campers though. more of the routine and certain staff. so it helped to switch groups and stuff. plus i had an awesome co-counselor for most of the summer so i could vent to him. i do remember one time specificly though. it was during the weekend and i was lying on my bed looking at the ceiling with nothing to do. i thought how sick i was of the cabin and how it looked. then i made myself get up, take my guitar, and go outside and play. i hadnt played in awhile and its amazing how a little thing like that can revive me.

[ocean]

I would call friends and talk to them. I would also spend some alone time and write to help relieve the stress

[martha27]

everybody pulls together, if someone notices you are struggling they'll help you out and vice versa. thats what family is for right?!!

[who_stole_my_loofa]

One day this summer I was getting really burnt out and tired so I spend my day off alone and like went shopping and got a massage and then I spent that evening with my friends at the hotel partying and it was such a good way to recharge. I definitely recommend that if you can spend a couple of hours alone on your day off to do it!

Loofa

[CAMPFRIEND]

One day this summer I was getting really burnt out and tired so I spend my day off alone and like went shopping and got a massage and then I spent that evening with my friends at the hotel partying and it was such a good way to recharge. I definitely recommend that if you can spend a couple of hours alone on your day off to do it!

Loofa

I have to say that when you are with people all day every day it is good to spend sometime alone..

[Sparkes]

I would nap on my free period. I got so burnt out the summer though I had to spend a day in the infirmary - I was just so exhausted! Not advisable, but it recharged me enough that I was fine for the rest of the summer.

[runrachrunn]

This past summer wasn't so hard in terms of burnout, but Summer 2004 was (I didn't even finish the summer off... I quit a few days before in order to go overseas). What helped me was going out for a good long run and just pounding the pavement long enough to work up a good sweat and funnel my frustration into the cement.

Other than that, the fact that I had weekends off really helped too. Sawturday was generally spent in bed, and the big event of Sunday was rolling out of bed to go to starbucks to bring the coffee back to bed.

[Fallen]

Normally the camps I've worked for told us if we see anyone get burned out to let them take a little break away from the kids. I've only experiance burn out once because of being in a bad place. Typically I read to help with burn out. It's a stress releaver for me. I also write to destress

[prettysocks]

I sleep to relieve burn out! At night, on hang time, and during our 3 days off (every 10 days).

One day last summer I was so incredibly tired and sick that I was too dizzy to do anything, and was forced to go sleep for 24 hours. So I did. Then I was back. And happy for the rest of the summer!

A bunch of the staff, during 3rd session, were all getting sick and burnt out, so the director decided we'd have a 1 hour sleep in day one morning. That went well, and was a treat for everyone!

[collissimon]

Periods off!

I've got to get a couple of periods off a day, even if it was doing something for the bunk (i.e. laundry, mopping up pee etc!) I do need something away from the kids. I know it sounds silly, but showers are really helpful, I usually stick some music on (and sing along!!) and it's really therapeutic.

I think knowing your limits too, there has been a couple of times over the last couple of years where I've known I'm reaching my limit, and have asked for an extra period off, to get myself straight, which is where a good team really comes in handy!

[who_stole_my_loofa]

There's a huge thread on ACA about how to keep from getting burnt out-

[ThanksALatte]

two words... time off. If it's offered, take it. One summer I worked most of the summer without taking a day off, and it wasn't a good thing. :)

[collissimon]

That's nuts ThanksALatte! I know I couldn't have done that: I salute you!

:bowdown:

[ThanksALatte]

LoL @ collissimon :) But remember that my camp job isn't really being a camp counselor... I'm the dorm mom for a group of high school staffers. (so maybe it is kind of like camp counselor...but it's not as restrictive)

[collissimon]

Still heads up for managing that... I got a tad mental if I don't get a couple of periods off a day.