Hormones and Burnout, Part 1: The Body
Presented by Megan Patterson
A few months after I became a BCBA, my body started changing. Between 2018 and 2021 I gained close to 70 pounds. I needed a nap to get through my last session of the day, and when a co-worker told me I looked exhausted, I wanted to cry, because I was, and I didn't know why. I could write a goal and take data for anyone on my caseload. I never once turned those tools on myself. If that sounds familiar, you're in good company. When I asked a live room of BCBAs how much their energy affects how they feel about the job, the numbers came in high and fast. A lot of the BCBAs I talk to are quietly wondering how long they can keep doing this work. This course is the assessment I never gave myself. We'll look at how stress, hunger, and sleep hormones can function within the three-term contingency, and why a heavy caseload tends to make the basics harder no matter how much you care. You'll learn hormone-friendly behaviors for eating, hydration, movement, and recovery, with research cited for every physiology claim. Then we'll use what you already know: an indirect assessment, a socially significant goal, shaping (starting with something as small as water), and data-based decisions for the weeks that don't go as planned. Six short guided practices walk you through it while you watch, so you finish with a baseline, one measurable goal, and a first step small enough to happen on a hard day. Nothing here asks you to find another hour in your week. When I finally did this for myself, my energy came back. You'll get a personal action worksheet and a BCBA freezer dinner guide.
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About this CEU
For the BCBA who teaches behavior change all day and still needs a triple espresso to get through her last session. Learn what stress, hunger, and sleep hormones can do on a heavy caseload, then use the ABA tools you already know to build one hormone-friendly habit for yourself.
Abstract
A few months after I became a BCBA, my body started changing. Between 2018 and 2021 I gained close to 70 pounds. I needed a nap to get through my last session of the day, and when a co-worker told me I looked exhausted, I wanted to cry, because I was, and I didn't know why. I could write a goal and take data for anyone on my caseload. I never once turned those tools on myself. If that sounds familiar, you're in good company. When I asked a live room of BCBAs how much their energy affects how they feel about the job, the numbers came in high and fast. A lot of the BCBAs I talk to are quietly wondering how long they can keep doing this work. This course is the assessment I never gave myself. We'll look at how stress, hunger, and sleep hormones can function within the three-term contingency, and why a heavy caseload tends to make the basics harder no matter how much you care. You'll learn hormone-friendly behaviors for eating, hydration, movement, and recovery, with research cited for every physiology claim. Then we'll use what you already know: an indirect assessment, a socially significant goal, shaping (starting with something as small as water), and data-based decisions for the weeks that don't go as planned. Six short guided practices walk you through it while you watch, so you finish with a baseline, one measurable goal, and a first step small enough to happen on a hard day. Nothing here asks you to find another hour in your week. When I finally did this for myself, my energy came back. You'll get a personal action worksheet and a BCBA freezer dinner guide.
Credits
1 CEU · 55 min
What you'll learn
- 1Explain how hormonal signals function within the three-term contingency and contribute to burnout. Identify hormone-friendly behaviors that support energy regulation and stress resilience. Apply indirect assessment methods to evaluate baseline hormone-supportive behaviors. Develop measurable, values-connected goals aligned with socially significant outcomes. Use data and feedback to make data-based decisions that sustain change and prevent burnout.
Course materials
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