Stop the Burn Out & Stress
Burnout is comprised of three core dimensions: (1) exhaustion at work; (2) cynicism toward the meaning of work; and (3) sense of inadequacy at work. Burnout can happen to those feeling extremely passionate about their work. They are switched on all the time, no self-care, no downtime, always thinking about the next project.
Work-related stress and burnout are the biggest health challenges that the world faces at this moment. We are now dubbed the “Burnout Generation”.
Modern lifestyle and the fast-pace 24/7 work and lifestyle and quick processed meals culture has contributed to the increase of health risks such as overweight, stress, and sleep problems. Studies show the effect of occupational burnout; exhaustive fatigue, cynicism, anxiety, depression, isolation, lack of drive and lost occupational self-respect caused by chronic work stress. Those experiencing burnout may be more vulnerable to emotional eating and uncontrolled eating which make changes in their eating habits difficult. Today, the increasing demands of work responsibilities and people’s need for around-the-clock access to leisure and work tend to lead to stress and shortened sleep times. The average person now sleeps only 6-6.5hr per night compared to the 1960s where the average person slept 8-9hr per night.
These health risks are pervasive in most modern societies and have been associated with various diseases and high costs to healthcare. Chronic stress has been included among risk factors for diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
We need to create a culture of wellness and take the necessary steps toward accomplishing a true cultural change. It’s time assist those experiencing symptoms a framework to change from burnout to wellness. The investigate and provide professionals, high achievers, business owners and entrepreneurs more positive educational environment to raise awareness of burnout and its symptoms, decreasing the stigma associated with admitting burnout symptoms, enabling the development of prevention strategies, and creating a more positive, strength-based approach to understanding the toll on workers, professionals and business owners.
Long-term exposure to work-related stress has been linked to an increased risk of psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, emotional exhaustion and may lead to long-term absenteeism, presenteeism, work disability, company closures and walking away for well invested career or business.
The global stress bill is estimated at $300 billion dollars and in Australia $24 billion dollars.
In business 9 out of 10 high performers will experience some form of burn out. The cost of burnout is high.
Long-term stress is exhausting, and can prevent you from taking part in activities that you normally find meaningful. This is burnout. Stress is an emotional and physical response to external factors, and lessening stress is the secret to a longer, healthier, life. Too much stress and the body will ready itself for “fight or flight” response as a result, pulse quickens, pupils dilate, digestion stops as the blood supply is sent to the muscles rather than the stomach and intestines, heart rate and blood pressure increase, muscles tense, and thinking quickens. Fats are released into the bloodstream as sources of emergency fuel and the thyroid increases the metabolic rate of the body.
Burnout symptoms include chronic fatigue insomnia, forgetfulness/impaired concentration and attention, physical symptoms, increased illness, loss of appetite, emotional eating, uncontrolled eating, anxiety, cynicism, depression, isolations, social detachment, recurring illness, flu like symptoms, loss of libido, loss of creativity and productivity and lack of drive. Burnout can wreak havoc on your health, happiness, relationships and work performance.
If the body continues to produce the stress hormones. Extended cortisol release results in increased blood sugar levels, weight gain, bone loss, elevated blood pressure, digestive problems, sleep deprivation, decreased sexual drive, and a weakened autoimmune system making the body more susceptible to bacterial infections, infections, sinuses, viruses, and allergies. Anger, frustration, isolation and irritability keep the body in this state of emergency.
Anxiety and stress hormones are produced by the adrenal glands release adrenaline and cortisol to help us with the ‘fight or flight’ reaction and part of the sympathetic nervous system which will take the body to a high state of alert. These hormones prepare the body to quickly escape dangerous situations. When burnout is constant and long-term has a negative effect on our health. These effects range from tiredness, weight gain, poor memory and depression, to chronic illness such as heart failure and cancer. Therefore it’s vital to find effective ways of dealing with stress and burnout.
When stress on the adrenal glands becomes habitual or long-term, our body naturally responds and continues to send stress hormones into our system. After long periods of the stress hormones we will experience long-term effects. During the various stages of this condition, hormone and neurotransmitter levels can fluctuate dramatically.
Cortisol is a necessity for life and helps keep us motivated, awake and responsive to our environment,
maintaining abnormally high circulating cortisol levels can become dangerous and contribute to long-term problems. Cortisol is often called the primary “stress hormone” because it’s one of the main hormones we release when we’re under any sort of pressure. The body’s stress hormone, cortisol, causes an in blood sugar to rise, resulting in an acidic blood state. Acidic blood results in many of today’s common conditions: diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, along with excess tummy fat. After some time the body simply runs out of ways to manufacture stress hormones, and cortisol levels finally begin to drop. Now, the levels of both the sex hormones and the stress hormones are low. Levels of neurotransmitters are often also low. This is what is called ‘burnout’ and it is what happens when we finally crash after a long period of coping with stress.
To lower cortisol naturally switch to a whole food diet, low in processed foods and high in antioxidants, fibre and essential nutrients is key to balancing hormones, controlling your cravings and getting you on the right track, do not consume refined oils and trans fats or drink too much caffeine and alcohol. Eat minimum of 5 cups of nutrient dense fruits and vegetables for micronutrients and antioxidants. Select a rainbow of colours with fruits and vegetables. Eat nuts, seeds, legumes and probiotic foods like cultured veggies and kombucha.
Take time to meditation, breathing exercises, long walks in nature or the beach, massage with essential oils and many adaptogens, such as reishi mushrooms and cocoa, have been safely used for thousands of years to promote better overall health with little to no side effects.
There are at least 16 different proven adaptogenic herbs that can help lower cortisol, including: ashwaganda, astragalus, ginseng, licorice root, holy basil, medicinal mushrooms, including resishi and cordyceps, rhodiola
Avoid these Dietary Stressors for Good Adrenal Health:
Refined sugar or artificial sugar substitutes that contain aspartame. Simple or refined carbohydrates like pasta, white bread, crackers, cakes, cookies, etc. Caffeine, alcohol, sweetened fruit juices, and carbonated soft drinks. Processed foods that use sodium nitrates as a preservative such as hot dogs, lunch meats and bacon. Wheat products that contain gluten found in breads, crackers, pastas, etc. Wine and cheese. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) used in many processed foods. Stimulant drugs and nicotine.
Adrenal glands makes cortisol which is a stress hormone that people have a problem turning off – that’s because the adrenal only has an “on” switch. You also won’t have much of digestion, immunity or reproduction – it will turn those things off.
When one experiences stress over their life they think it just goes away, but it doesn’t it just accumulates because adrenal only has an on switch.
It is important to understand that the stress response of the sympathetic nervous system does not “turn off” until the nervous system detects that both the body and the mind are at rest. When that signal is received, the parasympathetic nervous system begins to counteract all the effects of the emergency mode of the sympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system works to conserve energy and return the body to a state of “rest and digest” instead of “fight or flight.” The heart rate decreases and arteries dilate, the gastrointestinal tract begins to function normally, and so forth.
Nearly 100% of the time, if you take auto-immune cases like rheumatoid and MS, it always happens after a stress event like divorce or a loss which is a severe stress even more than a physical stress and a person can be stuck on it for years.
Cortisol is a hormone that reacts to stress and damps the body to stress states.
With fatigue, an individual can suffer from extreme tiredness, lack of sex drive, irritability, depression, anxiety, weight loss or gain, apathy and disinterest in the world around them. In fact, this general hormonal insufficiency has important implications for almost every part of the body.
We are here to help and guide you through this journey of discovery and recovery. We help you expand your knowledge of yourself or your surroundings and on the other hand negative stress will only take from your ability to thrive and fulfil your true potential .
Our feelings are like moving waves, you will never stop them from coming but you can choose which ones to surf. Learning how to manage, switch patterns, stop habits through our break-through coaching becomes key to a healthy and peaceful life.
If you’re burnt out, you can help yourself by taking regular time out, including setting aside a sanctuary area at home that just for you, ‘switch off’ from social media and computer, set boundaries, so that you avoid overextending yourself, go to bed early and get at least 8 hour sleep a day, eat a healthy diet, exercise, take long walks, learn to say no to instead of always giving, get professional coach to mentor you through the process tasks and priorities, bring back the balance, health, vitality and productivity in your personal and business life including activities that make you feel happy.
