Preventing Court Reporter Burnout

Burnout syndrome, while not yet clearly defined by the scientific community as a “disease,” can literally knock a person right out of their chosen profession. For court reporters who tend to work day and night trying to “catch up” on a regular basis, that concern is very real.

All court reporters have felt physically exhausted at one time or another, but “burnout” is more than that.  It comes with feelings of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, a need to detach or distance oneself from everything and anything work-related, difficulty concentrating and even listlessness. The best way to prevent burnout is to make home-life and work changes even before you begin to exhibit any of these symptoms. Unfortunately, because most of us tend not to recognize the effects of prolonged stress until we’re already feeling frustrated, exhausted and overwhelmed, we don’t typically do anything about it until we’re halfway there.

So what’s a reporter to do?

1. Start by making yourself a priority.
2. That begins with learning to say “no.” If your judge or freelance agency insists that you have to be the one to go out on a specific assignment or into court, let them know you’d love to help, but that right now you just can’t.
3. If you’ve been doing all your own editing, research and proofing, hire scopists and proofreaders.
4. If you feel you “can’t afford” to hire help, consider lowering your monthly expenses by downsizing, maybe your car or moving into a smaller home or cutting out extraneous expenditures.
5. If you’re “doing it all” at home, have a sit-down with your spouse/partner and children and let them know you can’t be the only person doing everything. They have to help.
6. Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is very dangerous and can be very harmful to your health.
7. Find something that helps you decompress, and do it. Don’t say “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Start today.  That may mean taking daily walks, exercising, meditating, knitting, or painting. Whatever you choose to use as a decompression mechanism, incorporate it into your daily routine. Make it a priority, and don’t lose sight of the how important it is to your well-being.

Court reporting is an awesome profession, but because it comes with having to meet so many deadlines so often, it can actually sideline us if we don’t pay attention to ourselves. Pay attention to what’s going on with your body and mind, and take good care of yourself. After all, you’re a court reporter —  you deserve it!