Instructional Designers are Human Too

"burn-out" by sophaya Work Anywhere is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Since the pandemic, the importance of instructional design has increased rapidly. You can browse any job search site (e.g., Indeed, LinkedIn) or career website on companies and universities. The need for good designers has grown exponentially, and so has the amount of stress.

We are teachers, coaches, experts, and more. You can include counselors in the list as well. At the height of the pandemic, we helped our faculty go entirely online in less than two weeks. I found myself encouraging my faculty to hold on and that as Instructional Designers, we were there to help them anytime they needed us! There were occasions when I was consoling crying faculty. Instructional Designers still face the level of stress we did before, perhaps more. Burnout comes easily under these circumstances.

Battling Burnout

The pandemic burnout battle is affecting designers too. Those I have spoken to are tired, overwhelmed, frustrated, depressed, and on their last nerve. For so many, working from home can be murder.

The World Health Organization (WHO) define burnout as "Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed."  When we feel a high level of stress, we can't make decisions and having so much work on our plates, you do not know where to start, and always playing catch up never seems to end. Chronic stress can be classified by the WHO as:

• feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion.

• increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job

• reduced professional efficacy.

We all know we need to take care of ourselves, but this is easier said than done. One crucial element that is often overlooked is sleep. Sleep can help regulate mood, improve brain function, increase energy and productivity. WebMD, in their article, Don't Let the COVID Pandemic Rob You of Your Sleep, recommends getting enough sleep. Several suggestions for the best rest include but are not limited to:

 

• Make sure you have a sleep routine.

• Turn off technology about an hour before bed.

• Make sure to create a comfort able sleep space.

• Stay positive and connected with supportive friends and family

I like to try to make folks smile or laugh. The adage laughter is the best medicine is true. Humor helps with stress, even if it is just for a moment. The Mayo Clinic agrees. In their article Stress relief from laughter? It's no joke they outline several benefits of laughter. Some of the benefits of laughter the Mayo Clinic gives are:

• Stimulates many organs

• Activates and relieves your stress response

• Soothes tension

All in all, we will all get through this. It has been tough for so many Instructional Designers. Remember to do your best to find humor where you can and take care of yourself.

Stressed Zebra" by College of DuPage Library is licensed under CC BY 4.0