5 Ways Worship Leaders Can Overcome Burnout

When we do something over and over and over again, regularly, it becomes a routine, right?
The problem is that anything that we treat as routine usually becomes boring after a point. So is the case with leading worship or any other ministry.

Boredom inevitably leads to burnout. How we handle burnout is important—handling it well strengthens us and moves us forward. Not handling it well can be frustrating—for us and for others. It can damage our lives and/or ministries seriously and sometimes permanently. So here are a few tips to manage burnout and turn things around quickly.  
 

1. (Re)Discover the ‘Why’ of ministry

Think about it for a second and search your heart—why are you leading worship?

Because you’re paid for it? Because there’s no one else around to get the job done? Because you can play acoustic guitar and sing at the same time? Because it makes you the happening person in your church? Because it’s a step towards a Christian record deal? The point is when the reason for our ministering is not so good, burnout is predictably faster.

So pray about it and find a God-centered and church-centered mission for your ministry.

Sound reasons will help us to remember our purpose and revive us when we need to be revived.  

2. Take a break, but don’t take a break!

If you’re leading worship every single week, trust me, you’re on the express highway to ministry burnout!

Give up that position every now and then—may be for 2 weeks in a month to someone else. But don’t break off completely—stay on the team as a musician/backup vocalist/slides manager, and see how the other worship leaders are approaching the ministry. Maybe they’ll take up songs that you may not usually consider and thereby help you to learn something fresh.

Doing something else breaks the routine to a great extent and provides us the opportunity to acquire new perspective.  

3. Invest and equip

Identify potential people for the ministry and start investing your time in them—pastor them by teaching what you have learned through the years. Believe me, training is a great joy in itself.

Just preparing the teaching material has been an internal shot in the arm for me and it should be the same for you too! Sharing our knowledge and experience and mentoring others is a wonderful way of rebooting ourselves apart from raising up others for the Kingdom.

A focus on others more than self is a powerful remedy for burnout.  

4. Reprioritize

If there is a need to re-prioritize people and things in your life, do it… now! On a fundamental level, God must be first, then spouse, then child(ren), then parents, then ministry, career and so on. Getting your order of priorities right is as good as winning half the battle.

5. Do something different

Increase your quiet time with God, go on a silent retreat alone, take a vacation with family, watch/play some sports, catch a movie, read a new book… you see, leading worship is not your whole life. If you’ve made it so, go back to (4).  

“It is striking that even some who clearly have solid doctrinal and spiritual convictions frequently fall into a lifestyle which leads to an attachment to financial security, or to a desire for power or human glory at all cost, rather than giving their lives to others in mission. Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary enthusiasm!” – Pope Francis

Have you ever gone through a burnout phase in your life?