Letters to a Young Librarian: Taking Care of Yourself by Yvonne Mulhern

calimae:

This is so, so important! I’d argue that this is vital for everyone, service-based profession or no.

Librarianship has always been a service profession. People attracted to service (nursing, teaching, etc.) want to help others, which is great.  On the other hand, those who are “helpers” can sometimes suffer mental, physical and/or emotional burnout. Hopefully some of the tips below will remind you treat yourself well. I know these have helped me. Because if you don’t do it, who will?
  1. Get optimal amounts of healthful food, sleep, exercise, and medical care*.
  2. Enlist support and technology.
  3. Your health is not just physical.
  4. No one is irreplaceable (at work).

And recognize in public libraries, at least, you’ll be helping a lot of people who have it really rough. Mental illness, addiction, unemployment will all be pretty common. You’ll have to learn how to balance helping them without totally sacrificing your own happiness and sanity. Remember, sustainability might be more important that superheroism.