Self-Care and Burnout

For those of you who don't know, I am currently in graduate school, which means my "extra-curricular" activities have slowed to a crawl. However, I feel compelled to share my reaction to something I just read in my text book.

The book for this course is entitled Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions. In the particular chapter that I am reading tonight, there is a discussion about burnout and self care. There is a short questionnaire designed to help us reflect throughout our career to see if we are on the verge of burnout. The question that got my attention (and thus the reason for this post) was this:

Do you have a passion in your life other than your work?

HA HA!! OF COURSE I DO!

Are you telling me that what I "mainly do" could be an important part of my physical, emotional, and mental health as a future helping professional? I think that 's EXACTLY what it is saying!

Now, if I can find a way to get tax deductions for this hobby of mine...