We’ve all heard the saying, burning a candle at both ends leads to burnout. Now imagine a multi-wicked candle burning from all ends; what do you get? A fire! This is how my patients who experience burnout describe their situation to me. They feel mentally and emotionally drained, they can’t get a break and easily catch colds, and they struggle to turn off their thoughts at night. Once we have entered burnout, seeking help for our symptoms becomes an overwhelming task. However, I have come up with a list of easily implemented habits that can help refuel your motivation, increase immunity, and improve your sleep.
1. BREATHE. Put your hand on your belly and take a big slow gulp of oxygen in through your nose, focusing on moving the hand that is over your belly. Often, when we are stressed we stop breathing fully and deeply. When we don’t have enough oxygen our brain assumes that we must be suffocating and it raises the alarm (i.e. more stress and panic) in the body to conserve energy and oxygen. Using deep breathing techniques helps our nervous system move from a fight or flight response back into a neutral calm state. To avoid burnout, take a big slow inhale and blow out that flame!
2. MOVEMENT. Especially with seated work, or care partnerships, there is a significant lack of exercise. Our prehistoric brains used to experience stress at the time of a physical threat, stimulating the human to run away or fight the predator. Today, much of the stress we experience is mental and emotional. You can combat this by going for a 5 minute walk; you can even practice deep breathing during this walk. During periods of burnout, I generally find that my patients feel more exhausted after strenuous exercise, so be sure to do something that is gentle and restorative.
3. SELF CARE. You might be on fire, yet remember, you are still a human. Try dedicating 20 minutes to doing something for your own health and happiness. Keep these activities so simple and easy that you will feel great about accomplishing them. Some examples include: putting your phone and/or devices away before bedtime, washing your hair with that nice-smelling shampoo, spending 20 minutes reading your favorite book. Remember, to help others, you have to help yourself first!
4. SAYING NO. It is okay to say no to others if that is what is true to you. Saying no when it is appropriate is self care. Brene Brown has a mantra; “Choose discomfort over resentment”. While it can be uncomfortable, learning to set boundaries and say no when we need to is critical to our well-being.
Once we have these honed, they become a tool we defer to the second burnout strikes. This allows us to catch the symptoms of burnout quickly and recover before it becomes systemic. Remember, you can not pour from an empty cup. Try these easy and gentle tips to treat your burnout at home. If you feel these steps are not doing the trick or you would like more support recovering from burnout call our office and schedule an appointment.