It seems as if people in general are becoming more and more stressed. Stress levels appear to be at an all-time high and the increase in chronic illness is a warning sign to all that stress is out of control. But most people have become so accustomed to having high levels of stress that they are no longer aware that they are now dealing with chronic stress…and the health complications that come with it. Many have been so stressed for so long that they end up with burnout.
Stress by itself is not always a bad thing. It is a normal and natural reaction of the body to events or situations whether real, or perceived. If you face a life-threatening situation, the stress response can help to save your life. If you were to face a criminal in a dark alley, the stress response helps you to either fight or run away. But stress can be beneficial in certain everyday situations as well. If you are giving a presentation, speech or performance, it is stress that can help you to be focused and alert. Exercising creates a stress response in the body as well, but it is ultimately beneficial for the body.
So, stress does serve a purpose and has its place, and everyone deals with these types of normal stress from time to time. But when stress is high and experienced for longer periods of time, the effects will begin to be manifested as health problems in the body.
If left unchecked, chronic stress can lead you to burnout.
Burnout is a state of chronic stress that can lead to:
- Feeling physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted
- A sense of detachment from your life and the people and things that are important to you
- General negative attitude
- Disinterest in social events
- Trouble focusing and concentrating
- Depression
- Neglecting your own needs/not taking care of yourself
- Beliefs or values that you held lose their importance
- Difficulty maintaining healthy habits like eating right and exercising
- Feeling like you are never doing enough
- Losing your temper easily
- Insomnia
- Being more prone to colds and flu and having trouble getting well after having one.
- Isolation
- Lack of productivity
- Digestive problems
- Low libido or loss of interest in sex
- Being in denial about being stressed and burnt out!
The problem with chronic stress and the resulting burnout is that it doesn’t just happen overnight. It builds gradually until you are consumed by it. And it will ultimately impact not only your health, but your quality of life as well.
Being chronically stressed doesn’t have to be a life sentence, but you must take some initiative to begin reducing the level of stress in your life. Until that happens, you will remain burnt out and overwhelmed.
Learn more about stress and hormones in our course “The Ultimate Guide to Stress and Hormones”
What you can do to begin healing from burnout?
Take some time to check in with yourself
Look at the areas where stress is highest in your life. How can you make changes to reduce the stress in those areas?
Set boundaries
If you are a type A personality and used to overdoing, it is important for you to set boundaries for yourself and with others. This is particularly important while you are healing. Maybe you’re tempted to bring work home with you. Don’t! If you work from home, set specific times that you will work and then don’t check work email or do any work-related activities outside of those times. Place limits on the things that you do that are time wasters.
Learn that it’s okay to say “no”!
If you are a “yes” person it can be hard to say no. But it’s important to limit how many extra obligations and projects you must do, while your body is healing.
Delegate!
This can be tough, especially if you are a type A personality. But sometimes you have to just let go and allow someone else to relieve some of your stress by helping complete tasks for you.
Learn how to relax
Many people are so accustomed to being busy constantly that they have forgotten how to relax. Going for a walk out in nature, taking an Epsom salt bath, meditating, deep breathing, writing in a journal are just a few things that can be done to relax and decompress. These types of activities need to be done more regularly to reduce chronic stress levels so that you can heal from burnout.
Gentle exercise
While you are recovering from burnout, it is best to avoid high intensity workouts, which create more stress in the body. Gentle exercise such as walking, yoga and tai chi can help you to move your body, while also helping to reduce stress.
Get regular sleep
Do what you can to support getting at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Avoid using technology right before bed as the blue light can affect melatonin production and keep you awake.
Do technology fasts regularly
We are connected 24/7, but sometimes it is good to unplug, turn off the television, shut off the computer and put away your phone! Being so connected creates significant overstimulation which contributes to stress and burnout. Social media and the news can be very negative and can contribute even more!
Eat well
If you are stressed it is easy to want to grab fast food or junk food to get a quick boost. Unfortunately, that boost doesn’t last and these foods don’t contain the nutrients that your body needs to heal. Eating whole, healthy foods can help your body to have the nutritional tools that it needs to help bring you out of burnout and feel better!
Learn more about stress and hormones in our course “The Ultimate Guide to Stress and Hormones”
If you are doing these things and still struggling, you may want to consider working with an FDN practitioner. Chronic stress can cause serious hormonal imbalances and you may need some additional support with supplementation to help restore proper function throughout your body.
It is important to take the steps to correct burn out. If you don’t, your health will continue to decline and you will face a future filled with chronic illness. Are you ready to take the first step?
Are you a holistic health coach or natural alternative practitioner? It is almost impossible to address the health issues of your clients without addressing Stress, HPA Axis dysfunction and hormones. And most of the clients you work with will have some level of hormone imbalance that must be addressed. Our course “The Ultimate Guide to Stress and Hormones” can help move your business to the next level. It is the most comprehensive course on Stress & Hormones out there, covering anatomy & physiology, root causes, lab test options, how to interpret lab results, and how to craft a customized protocol. Learn more about why knowing how to use functional lab assessments and the proper lifestyle protocols can make a big difference with your clients!
