Reducing burnout in the hospice and the death education movement

The object of this paper is to bring the subject of stress and approaches to reducing stress to the attention of all who are working in the helping profession and the death education movement. Work-related stress is a reality that should be an open topic of concern to medical teams, hospice personnel, and all involved in death education. Four possibilities are proposed for reducing stress: (a) cognitive modification, (b) exercise outlets, (c) relaxation techniques, and (d) stimulus control. Both awareness and social support among professionals are emphasized as resources to be utilized in designing individual stress-management programs.