Kendrie Upton
As the DGC BC's Executive Director, Kendrie Upton represents the organization in all facets of the industry. She's responsible for ensuring that Executive Board policies are implemented and that Members' needs are met. She has been very involved with the respectful workplace efforts that the Guild has engaged in both at the local and national levels. She currently co-chairs the cross industry Education, Training and Awareness Committee, sits on the Executive of MPPIA and serves as the co-chair of the MPPIA Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Busy Times Can Lead to Burnout
Here we are in the fall of another super busy year and with it comes all the usual beginnings: a new school year for those of us with kids, a changing of the seasons and, for better or for worse, the arrival of the pumpkin spice latte.
This message may seem obvious and self-explanatory to some. However, I recently had a conversation with a senior Member who told me that it had taken them many months of their life getting pretty out of control in a number of ways before they realized that maybe burnout was actually a serious factor for them. This brought me back around to considering the theme of my last message. Which was, essentially, all the many ways that we Guild folks over-perform without ever addressing our own needs.
When I look back on my own thirty years spent in the Locations department I know my natural strategy was to work myself into the ground and then take a few weeks, or if I was lucky, months off between productions to rest and rejuvenate. This is a shared narrative that, no doubt, many of our Members can relate to and, though it may sound to an outsider like a crazy way to live, I must say overall it worked pretty well for the most part.
But the times they are a-changing and, as all of you know too well, taking time off between productions has become a rare luxury. Most of our Members are working back to back shows, many with overlap, and when they try to tell a production that they need a break they may risk their connection with those who do the hiring. The result of all this wonderful good fortune cannot help but to extend beyond higher bank balances to the point where you are inevitably exhausted and less effective as a result. When nerves are frayed on all sides, it becomes very difficult for even the best and most seasoned of us to gracefully navigate the high stress workplace that film presents.
Given all of these factors I want to offer a few bits of information and some resources that may assist you in managing these inevitable stress related challenges.
READ MORE. https://www.dgc.ca/assets/Uploads/BritishColumbia/Hidden-Documents/Busy-Times-Can-Lead-To-Burnout.pdf