Dealing with Burnout

Typically this time of year, we are left feeling the symptoms of burn out: stagnant, sluggish, depleted, and drained from the energetic nature of summer. Burnout is not always necessarily caused by overworking or a stressful job; there could be other factors at play. These could include your lifestyle, personality, perception of the world, or even what you do in your downtime.

It is common for any one of us to have days where we feel tired, overloaded, or under-appreciated, but if you’re feeling like this everyday — you are most likely burnt-out. Signs may be subtle at first, but long-term burnout can lead to insomnia, substance abuse, heart disease, high blood pressure, and vulnerability to illnesses like colds and flu.

So, how can you mitigate these feelings of burnout?

• Shift your Perspective: Changing the way you look at things will cultivate a greater sense of personal control. What parts of your life bring you joy? Trust in your ability to navigate

• Focus on Meaning: Pursuing tasks you find important allows you to be more present in your life. Connect your current task to a larger goal in order to shift your focus to why the work matters to you.

• Prioritize Mind-Body Wellness: It’s essential to take care of your entire being — mind, body, and spirit. Prioritize healthy sleep habits, movement, nutrition, and activities that nourish your soul and creative side, like meditation, journaling, painting, or yin yoga.

• Seek Out Connection: Finding connection and developing rich interpersonal interactions with others is so important. Often, socializing is the first thing to go when we burnout, but when we find our community, we’re able to offer each other support and advocate for solutions.

If you’re feeling burnt out and need support, reach out to us for a free consultation!

References:

Knight, Rebecca. “How to Overcome Burnout and Stay Motivated.” Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2015/04/how-to-overcome-burnout-and-stay-motivated?ab=at_art_art_1x1.

“Stress Management: Burnout Prevention and Treatment”. Retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm.

Valcour, Monique. “Beating Burnout.” Retieved from https://hbr.org/2016/11/beating-burnout.

How Stress Affects Your Body (+ Mind)

Modern life is fast-paced, busy, rushed, and full of activity. Although we might not realize how stress is affecting our health, it has certainly become a habitual part of our lives.

The last year and a half has brought a lot of uncertainty, grief, and anxiety— just to name a few. There is a lot going on across the world, and we have a lot that we’re carrying on our shoulders. It’s difficult to even begin to comprehend what we are living through. Most of us are wondering — is it safe for me to go back into the office? How will I manage my time when life goes back to “normal”? When even will things go back to “normal”? How do I support my family? What are my boundaries and how are they getting crossed? What am I willing to tolerate for my mental health?

Combine living through a pandemic with living in the Information Age, you’ve got a recipe for exacerbated stress and worry. Stress symptoms can go unrecognized for quite some time, and you could be thinking illness is to blame. Restlessness, obsessive thinking, insomnia, weakened immune system, heart problems, poor eating habits, digestive issues, low libido, acne, depression, anxiety, and lack of productivity are all common signs of stress taking a toll on your system.

Parasympathetic vs sympathetic nervous systems

Activating your parasympathetic nervous system will help manage stress responses, fear, obsessive thinking, rapid heartbeat, or shallow breathing. The parasympathetic system regulates “rest and digest” functions and aims to bring the body to a state of calm. Think: how you feel when you spend time in nature, meditate, or play with animals. Your parasympathetic system helps conserve energy by slowing the heart rate and regulating bodily functions like digestion.

The sympathetic system controls “fight-or-flight” responses and prepares the body’s response to danger or stress-related activities, whether it’s good or bad stress. Think: stimulating the adrenal glands and getting a burst of energy to respond to that perceived danger. Both systems are part of your autonomic nervous system and have complementary functions that operate in tandem to help maintain homeostasis in the body.

What are you not digesting?

We take a lot in from the outside world. Long-term feelings of stress, worry, anxiety, restlessness, and racing thoughts impact the liver, spleen, and stomach causing increased acidity and inflammation in these organs. Stress causes clenching in the abdomen, which can then transfer to the stomach leading to acid and food being pressed upwards (rather than downwards)... commonly known as acid reflux.

Go play + get outdoors

Calm your sympathetic system by turning fear and stressful thoughts into joy and something fun. Watch a funny video or show. Play with your pet or with children. Ride your bike. Go for a 10-minute walk outdoors. Spend time with a friend who makes you laugh. Get out of your head and outside of your self.

Find your center

If you're feeling overwhelmed and your breath is shallow, pull inward to come back home to yourself. Practice taking long, deep breaths. This signals your parasympathetic system to reset and to calm the body down.

When we get out of our own way and out of our habitual behaviors, we create a space that is more self-reflective and at ease. The more self-reflective we are, the easier it is to find our center and be able to recognize when we’re uncomfortable. Deep healing can begin once your consciousness shifts to be more relaxed and open.

Go inward to go outward.

Contemplate

• What experiences have I not been able to digest?

• What am I holding on to that doesn't serve me anymore?

• When have I been obsessed with worry?

• What thoughts don't benefit me?

• How do I self-medicate for stress?

• What brings me back to my center?

• When have I felt gratitude for what I learned from an unpleasant experience?

Managing Social Anxiety

How do we step back into a world after over a year of physical disconnection?

We’re starting to see businesses open their doors, employees have the opportunity to go back into the office after WFH, indoor dining is welcomed again, masks optional in some communities, social gatherings planned for summertime…

What’s ok… what’s not ok?

There can become a point at which anxiety makes people so uncomfortable when they are out of their ‘controlled’ (or safe) space — like what homes have been the last year. If you’re experiencing social anxiety, you may start to feel physically uncomfortable or sick, like something is crawling under your own skin. It’s easy to feel out-of-control as things start opening up — so much so that you would rather stay at home.

A socially anxious person may feel nervous, like they’re being judged or doing something judge-able. It’s important to stay grounded in knowing ourselves. Operate out of your values and allow grace, compassion, and forgiveness into your heart. What is your intention?

Ease into it:

Stepping back into the world can feel overwhelming. New boundaries may need to be imagined. If it is possible, remember that it is not required to grow quickly or all at once. If we go too quickly, it’s easy to feel rattled.

Talk about it:

Have a conversation with your loved ones and peers about your anxiety. Let them know you’re not ready — rather than feeling like you’re being pushed, ask for their support.

Practice visualizations:

Prepare yourself to re-enter the world by closing your eyes and mentally rehearsing the scenario.

What does the environment look like? How many people are going to be there? What’s it going to feel like? How can I communicate to the people I am with if I start to feel any discomfort?

Acknowledge your emotions:

Note what you’re experiencing. A lot has happened to us as individuals and as communities this year, so what feels right for you right now?

How is your breath? Are you uncomfortable? Stressed? Fearful? Angry? Scared? Panicked? Over-stimulated?

Small wins:

Safety should never be compromised, but a simple win could look like taking a walk with a friend who you haven’t seen in a while or try picking up your coffee curb-side from your favorite cafe. As more and more people become optimistic about having a ‘semi-normal’ summer again, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with weekend plans starting to build up. If it is possible, try not to feel obligated to attend every social gathering if you’re not sure how you’re feeling. Keep checking in with yourself and re-evaluate your needs.

Contemplate:

How am I doing?

Do I need more time for myself to process?

Which emotions am I struggling with?

Am I intentionally exchanging comfortability, disconnection, and convenience over social anxiety?

Do I feel pressure from society?

Have I given myself the opportunity to establish my community over the last year? (community could look like your family, kids, work or gym friends, etc…)

What are some boundaries I can set for myself?

We will be rediscovering our community again. As we slowly integrate back into the world, let's do so mindfully. Not quicker, but more consciously. Consider yourself and what you need before shifting your social patterns.