Burnout - easier to prevent than to cure
Burnout rates have hit an all time high, research is showing alarming rates among our current lifestyle. Even more scary is the known chronic health consequences, emotional fallout, and relationship strain that burnout has on individuals and families, and the costs for society at large.
We are under more pressure than ever before, more overstimulation every second of every day, and the pressures and toxicity of social media, increasing costs of living, increase in divorce, more illness and isolation, and increasing mental health distress is quite a scary picture overall. Depressing much!?
So if you don’t know - BURNOUT is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress and overwhelming responsibilities. It affects every cell in your body with profound biochemical, physical, neurological and emotional effects.
BIG shout out to Emily & Amelia Nagoski and their wonderful book ‘Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle’ https://www.burnoutbook.net. This book is a game changer and really give succinct direct ideas on what we do about this phenomenon.
Beware - if you are experiencing the following take heed:
Physical symptoms like fatigue, muscle pain, insomnia, constant illness.
Emotional symptoms such as cynicism or detachment, feeling overwhelmed, drained, irritable, impatient, emotional exhaustion and like nothing gives you pleasure like it did before.
Cognitive symptoms like difficulty concentrating, inability to make a decision, brain fog, forgetfulness, self criticism, lack of creativity.
Behavioural symptoms such as withdrawing from others, decreased productivity, using alcohol, drugs or social media scrolling to avoid and escape, chronic procrastination, and doing the things you know are bad for you! again and again!
Interpersonal symptoms like more conflict or sensitivity with others, isolation and feeling lonely, decreased empathy towards others. Hashtag crankymummuch!
Humans are often drawn to quick fixes, claiming we are time poor, and we don’t have time to self care for hours a day! Well the research above is a comforting reminder - that we don’t need big 7 day silent retreats or drastic green smoothy detox diets to heal burnout.
What we need is a CONSISTENT focus on the buildup of stress in our nervous system and body - a DAILY discharge of this stress in our bodies and it literally might only take a few minutes. Because as they say - you can remove the stressor i.e. work, but the stress impact stays in your body for a long time until you release it! The issue is in our tissues.
Our body and mind works in cycles, and if we don’t complete our stress cycle we get STUCK in it. The podcast below by the amazing Brene Brown interviewing the Nagoski sisters is a life changer! And worth a listen if you want to learn more: HERE
But I’ll give you the quick version! Tune into your body every day - notice where somatically you could be holding tension, and GET THE CYLCE completed. Either Dance it out, Move your body, Journal or Art it, Yoga it, therapy it, nurture it with love or meditation or thousand more ways that might or might not appeal to you.
For more on this topic:
Lissa Rankin’s Mind over Medicine book (https://mindovermedicinebook.com) also lists some great practical ways to keep your body and mind free from burnout by releasing that pent up stress:
Creativity and expression
Movement any movement!
Get somevsocial support which includes professional support that is a good fit and is compassionate, not just beer with your mates.
Nurture your body through food as medicine…. and many more.
We offer avenues for learning these components in our retreats, day workshops and in our yoga classes for Emotional Wellbeing - just sayin.
