What Is Burnout?

Burnout is where an individual is experiencing long periods of overwhelming stress that lead to both emotional and physical fatigue.^[1]

Burnout develops over time gradually and leads to feelings of being mentally drained, lack of energy to be motivated and interested in new ventures, and unable to push out high-quality projects to meet workplace or personal demands.

Burnout can manifest in different forms such as at the workplace and our personal lifestyle habits. Burnout can extend into numerous areas of our life, which is why it is important to treat and manage it before it drastically affects you.

What Does Burnout Look Like?

Physically 

• Feeling drained and exhausted, even when you are well-rested.
• Experiencing abnormal changes in your diet and sleep habits.
• Getting sick more often, and potentially experiencing body aches as well as headaches.
• Long-term effects of increased risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Emotionally 

• Increasingly negative outlooks on life.
• Feeling self-doubt, undervalued, detached and isolated from others, lack of control, and defeated.
• Increasingly depressed or frustrated with yourself and others around you.
• Losing motivation and a decreased feeling of satisfaction when achieving accomplishments.
• Increased time periods of procrastination when completing tasks and withdrawing from responsibilities.
• Using food, alcohol, or drugs to cope with stress.^[2]

What Are Remedies For Burnout?

It is important to recognize and treat ourselves with self-care when burnout begins to arise. Here are 4 mindful remedies to minimize and treat burnout.

1. Find a Balance Between Work Life and Personal Life. 

While achieving career aspirations is great, it can also be an emotional hindrance when it is the only focus.

Look for meaningful satisfaction outside of work such as family and friends, newfound hobbies and interests, and activities that bring you peace and happiness.

Taking time off work also is a great way to recharge your batteries and bring out a motivated and energized you. 

2. Create and Strengthen Social Relationships with Others. 

Reaching out to others is one of the most effective ways to reduce burnout as social contact with people is a quick antidote to calm your body and relieve stress.

Being able to confide with your loved ones or a trusted group who actively listens to your concerns in a non-judgmental and supportive way will relieve feelings of hopelessness.

Letting go of negative-minded people and bonding with optimistic individuals will open up a positive outlook on ideas, goals, and life.

3. Reframing and Re-evaluating Your priorities.  

Giving yourself time to rest, heal, and reflect on your next steps in life is important.

Being able to set boundaries for yourself will prevent you from overextending yourself and neglecting your personal needs. Take back control of your life by evaluating your concerns and expectations.

Writing down solutions or setting goals assists in overcoming obstacles and tough temporary situations. Discover what reduces stress for you and learn to manage negative emotions and thoughts.

Setting aside a self-care day where you are able to relax either through deep-breathing, yoga, or meditation can reset your state of stress and fall into a state of restfulness. Getting a consistent amount of sleep will help regulate and recharge your energy levels.

4. Create and Maintain a Healthy Diet and Exercise Routine.

Creating a healthy diet that is catered towards minimizing high-carbohydrate foods and sugar, reducing intake of unhealthy food with high fats and hormones or preservatives, and consuming vitamins such as Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D will nourish your physical needs.

Exercise is also a powerful tool to boost your mood. Maintaining a consistent exercise routine of at least 30 minutes of high-intensity cardio a day can help sharpen your focus, lighten your temper, and relax your body.

Lastly, reducing nicotine use and lessening consumption of alcohol will also create healthy habits of coping for the future.^[3]

Choosing a healthy plant-based and vegan diet is most beneficial when it comes to:

• Higher levels of energy;

• Improved sleep;

• Aids in energy and overall happiness;

• Provides a sense of comfort and relief;

• Could prevent major diseases such as obesity and diabetes;

• Accomplish weight-loss and management; and

• Improves mental and cognitive functioning.

There are really no excuses not to try healthier habits in your everyday life. If you are a man or woman looking for specific benefits of adopting healthier habits or just want to know about the general healing properties of herbs. Please remember to comment or post any health questions, or contact us directly!

Also feel free to share any of your favorite recipes to make and share it with the Assuaged community on our ➡️ Share A Recipe ⬅️ page!

References 

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2021, June 5). Know the signs of job burnout. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642.

Melinda. (2021, July 15). Burnout prevention and treatment. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm.

Raypole, C. (2020, March 30). Dealing with BURNOUT? These tips and strategies may help. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/burnout-recovery#immediate-changes.