15.3: Preventing Burnout

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Sara Bradbury Máñez

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Preventing Burnout: Creating Your Self-Care Plan

Burnout prevention is proactive, not reactive. Building a personal self-care plan helps interpreters manage stress before it becomes overwhelming.

Evaluate Your Coping Skills

Positive Coping Strategies	Negative Coping Strategies
Deep breathing, stretching	Yelling or acting aggressively
Meditation, prayer	Excessive eating or skipping meals
Music, nature walks	Alcohol or drug use
Journaling, hobbies	Social withdrawal
Time with friends	Negative self-talk

Daily vs. Emergency Self-Care

Need	Helpful Choices	Unhelpful Choices
Relaxation	Deep breathing, short walk	Yelling, drinking
Self-Talk	“I can handle this.”	“I can’t do this.”
Social Support	Call a trusted friend	Isolate, over-scroll
Mood	Music, sunlight, laughter	Staying in bed, overwork
Resilience	Gratitude list, reflection	Dwelling on mistakes

Activity: Your Personal Self-Care Plan

Create a written plan including:

Early warning signs you recognize in yourself.
Three strategies you’ll use to protect physical and emotional health.
Support resources you can reach out to (colleagues, supervisors, professionals).
A resilience practice (journaling, exercise, mindfulness, continued learning).
One boundary you will strengthen to preserve well-being.

✅Key Takeaways

Conflict and stress are inevitable; burnout is preventable.
Neutrality and professionalism protect both communication and your mental health.
Self-care is not indulgence, it is ethical responsibility.
Healthy interpreters are accurate interpreters.

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