Written by Sue Fuller-Good (MSc Physio WITS) Physiotherapist with a special interest in the mind-body connection.
This is about burnout prevention, about a mental health crisis prevention strategy.
So what is burnout?
Burnout is unexplained, ongoing exhaustion, that starts because of ongoing and relentless pressure. Burnout may be related to your work, but it is usually a cumulation of factors that contribute to the pressure. It happens when you have been overwhelmed, emotionally challenged and over-
demanded on.
What are the symptoms of burnout?
You become decreasingly productive, have less and less energy, it creates a sense of hopelessness, helplessness and negativity that cant be fixed. There are physiological changes that occur in the neurobiology and they take a long time to reverse. Burnout results in a gradual decline of resilience, energy and physical stamina. Burnout may result in immune system changes, causing chronic inflammation, pain or susceptibility to disease.
Why would burnout be a factor for you to consider?
If you are feeling a sense of being unable to relax, burnout may be looming. If you feel a constant sense of dread and the ongoing need to perform in your zone of discomfort, burnout may be a danger for you. Don’t abandon yourself out there in the workplace or in your world. Recognize what’s happening for you and take action immediately. Start with acknowledging what’s going on for you.
So let’s talk about burnout in the world we find ourselves in!
Strange times demand new and different responses. I am seeing people all the time who are really struggling and are wondering how to feel better even when the odds seem to be stacked against them. We may be seeing the (hopefully) tail end of the COVID pandemic, but the strange times persist!
Mental health challenges are staggeringly prevalent world over right now and people are suffering from symptoms of burnout and distress. My philosophy is, don’t wait till burnout hits, do whatever you can to prevent it! Do whatever you can today to help yourself to feel better now and proactively prevent burnout and depression, even although uncertainty is rife and hard core stress is all around. There is a sustained level of helplessness and powerlessness that people are experiencing all around the world. This is unprecedented and can’t be ignored! We have to work with our minds and our lifestyles, or we will not be able to keep functioning under this pressure. But what to do?
Here are 5 tips that I think can help:
1. Figure out what you want. Where do you want to move towards? If you got into a taxi, you would have to tell the driver where to take you, or you would go nowhere. You have to be very clear about what you want and where you want to go. Know every day what you would tell the driver…. where to?
2. Figure out what is most important and start with that. When you always start with the most important thing you will always make progress. If you don’t know what’s most important, then you will do what’s easiest and most habitual, first. Figuring out what’s most important is the place to begin. Doing it first, habitually is the next step.
3. Say no to anything that is a distraction or that you don’t absolutely want to do. Clutter makes you busy and scattered, but not productive. Be ruthless about what you say no to.
4. Resist the temptation to multitask. If it’s worth doing, then it's worth doing properly, so focus on it with your whole attention.
5. Rest is as important as work. If you don’t rest enough, your mind will become tired and dull. Make sure you switch off and rejuvenate. Make sure you get enough sleep too.
At Body Brilliance and The Energy Incubator, we are working hard to find ways to support you in spite of the social, economic and time restraints placed on us all. We are finding ways to give you the care and treatment that you need in ways that don’t deplete your reserves too fast. We are working with webinars and videos and group classes to bring you the insight, information and assistance that will support your wellbeing in addition to our one on one sessions. We are focusing on helping you to learn relaxation and stress management techniques, as well as to learn to do exercises that strengthen and mobilize your body, improve your posture, change your ergonomics and so much more. Everything we are doing is evidence based and is based in hard Science, so feel free to relax, we are giving you what we know will work to help you. We are sharing mindfulness practice tools as much as we can, because this has been proven over and over again to make a profound difference to health, wellbeing, pain, sleep, tension, spasm and many other essential components of healing.
Our mindful eating program has also helped many people to shift the way they eat and interact with food and their sensory system. This program, together with gut health advice and supplements is helping many people to reduce the inflammation in their bodies, improve anxiety, brain fog and depression and enhance clear and focused thinking and improve energy levels for many people.
We are also running webinars to help people sleep better, exercise more effectively and consistently and rejuvenate more regularly.
I hope these 5 tips help you stay calm and productive and therefore keep your body relaxed and healthy. In the quest for wonderful wellbeing.