[Massplanners] Planner Burnout

[CJ Lammers]

Well said, Elijah!

And my old adage: "If the citizens think we're not doing enough to save the
environment and the developers think we're doing too much, and everyone is
mad at us, then we may have found that middle ground that may allow this to
move forward."

Tools? I recommend going outside deliberately every day, even if it's just
between zoom calls, oh and drink water.

You're doing good, hard work at a time when planning is most needed.

best wishes and go outside this weekend,
CJ
--
*CJ Lammers, *Projects Manager
*The Conway School <https://csld.edu/>, Northampton, MA*
*Celebrating our 50th year 2022-2023*
*The Conway Institute <https://csld.edu/institute/>, *Program Manager
office: 413-369-4044 mobile: *413-270-2372*
*she/her pronouns*

On Fri, Mar 4, 2022 at 11:21 AM Elijah Romulus via MassPlanners <
massplanners at masscptc.org> wrote:

> Good morning Mariah,
>
>
>
> I’ve been a planner for about five years now. I don’t know the best answer
> but I think some of the steps you are taking are good, assess your
> workload, set healthy boundaries where and when possible, and find a fellow
> planner you can commiserate with (lol!).
>
>
>
> Sometimes this work will seem overbearing but perhaps figure out a way
> where your busy times are followed by some moments of reprieve. This work
> oftentimes can feel like a thankless job when it’s going well and a
> scapegoat when it’s going bad.
>
>
>
> Know your worth and know that the work you do is making an impact in
> people’s lives whether they know it or not.
>
>
>
> Kind Regards,
>
> Elijah
>
>
>
> *Elijah Romulus*
>
> Senior Comprehensive Planner
>
> tel (508) 583-1833 ext. 217
>
>
>
> *Old Colony Planning Council*
>
> 70 School Street, Brockton, MA 02301 | fax (508) 559-8768
>
>
>
> Sign up for our newsletter at *www.ocpcrpa.org* <http://ocpcrpa.org/>
>
>
>
> *From:* MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces at masscptc.org> *On Behalf Of *Mariah
> Kurtz via MassPlanners
> *Sent:* Friday, March 4, 2022 10:17 AM
> *To:* Massachusetts Planners <massplanners at masscptc.org>
> *Subject:* [Massplanners] Planner Burnout
>
>
>
> Happy Friday y'all.
>
>
>
> This is a much less technical question than most here, but it's what our
> little Town is struggling with at this moment.
>
>
>
> I write this 24 hours away from a Special Town Meeting where two zoning
> articles will be voted on. The situation has devolved into widespread
> misinformation and personal attacks on public officials over this. I have
> my slideshow, jumbo foam-core map, and beloved anxiety meds prepared, but
> more conceptually, how do you stay motivated when things like this happen
> and keep yourself from totally burning out?
>
>
>
> I'm a relatively young planner and I understand that the nature of public
> work means not everything I work on will move forward, but our team here is
> exhausted. Several of us have been teetering on the edge of burn out for
> months. Luckily our Select Board (and some kind-hearted, informed
> residents) have been supportive of us taking a step back to evaluate our
> capacity for new projects. I've created a master project list which plans
> out 3-5 years. We're deciding which grants to apply for a year ahead to
> prepare ourselves. But it seems like every time we plan to take a breather
> something new happens: a flood washes out a bridge and three roads,
> construction can't be finished due to supply chain issues, a new wave of
> COVID hits, or we only have one plow driver available during a snow storm.
> I was only a Planner for 6 months before the pandemic hit so I feel like
> I've jumped into this career on hard mode. My light at the end of the
> tunnel is a public art project set to be installed in July and I'm hesitant
> to even look forward to that because I feel like something will go wrong.
>
>
>
> I imagine that all of us are dealing with these struggles in some fashion,
> so what tools do you and your team use to cope with these hurdles short
> term and prevent burn out long term?
>
>
>
> Mariah Kurtz (she/her)
>
> Assistant Town Planner
>
>
>
> *Town of Erving*
>
> 12 East Main Street
>
> Erving, Massachusetts 01344
>
> Phone: (413) 422-2800 ext. 1108 |  Online: www.Erving-Ma.gov
> <http://www.erving-ma.gov/>  | Facebook: Town of Erving
> <https://www.facebook.com/townoferving>
>
>
>
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>
> When writing or responding, please remember that the Secretary of State
> has determined that email is a public record, is subject to the Public
> Records Law, M.G.L. c. 66, § 10, and covered by Electronic Communications
> Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521. This communication may contain
> privileged or other confidential information. If you are not the intended
> recipient or believe that you have received the communication in error, you
> are strictly prohibited from printing, copying, distributing,
> disseminating, or otherwise using this communication.
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