This week we’re looking at how we can manage burnout. I would first like to say that I am not a doctor and am not qualified to give medical advice. If you are experiencing symptoms that concern you, I highly recommend talking to your doctor.
My intention is simply to shine a light on the issue of when chronic stress goes a bit beyond simply stress, and to provide ways for you to take care of your health when this happens.
While this is not our usual “one habit at a time”, I believe this is an important issue to cover. We will be back to singular habits next week!
Importance
“Mounting scientific evidence shows that burnout can leave a profoundly devastating mark on the body and brain—to the tune of between $125 and $190 billion in healthcare spending annually in this country.” - Chris Kresser
Burnout is not a small issue. It is widespread, and something we need to address.
I think all of us at one time or another will experience something akin to burnout. In fact, a study has suggested that two-thirds of us will experience burnout. We are all working so hard and many of us are not proactively resting. Therefore, it’s important to be able to recognize this and to be able to take action in helping ourselves heal.
Burnout can manifest in numerous ways, but the most common symptoms include:
Overwhelming exhaustion
Muscle pain
Depression
Feeling detached
Feeling like a failure
Dizziness
Trouble concentrating
Sleep difficulties
Emotional instability
Burnout can lead to myriad consequences:
Anxiety and depression
Type II diabetes
High cholesterol
Heart disease
Implementation
Here, we are building on the previous two weeks. Ideally, we will be letting our bodies recover physically and we will be finding ways to manage and reduce chronic stress in our lives. Prevention is the ideal situation.
However, I think it is inevitable that we will eventually face issues that go beyond chronic stress, and it’s important to have the knowledge and tools to deal with this.
So the most important action you can take is to use the tools provided in the previous two weeks’ newsletters, which you can find here and here.
But if you find yourself burning out, here are some strategies you can use:
Reduce stress levels where practical. Reduce your commitments, ask for help or support, modify your expectations of yourself.
Eat adequate calories. While fasting has myriad health benefits, it is also a source of stress. Make sure you’re eating enough and not stressing your body while you focus on recovery. You can read more about this here. Now might also be a good time to include more good quality carbohydrates if you are currently on a ketogenic or low carb diet.
Focus on good quality food. Eat enough protein and nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, bone broth, and fermented foods. Cut back on refined sugars and processed foods.
Be careful with stimulants. Reduce your intake of caffeine.
Reduce exercise volume and intensity. Focus on easy aerobic activity - walks, gentle jogs, or bike rides.
Incorporate relaxation practices:
Try starting a meditation practice if you don’t already have one.
Dr. Huberman recommends hypnosis with the help of the free app, Reveri.
Focus on breathwork (see Momentum issue 30).
Do some gentle or yin yoga.
Prioritize sleep. Our bodies do most of their recovering during sleep, so it’s important that we try to get as much good quality sleep as possible. If you want to learn more about how to get better sleep quality, check out this article.
“A burgeoning body of scientific research is drawing links between our poor sleeping habits and an array of health and psychological issues, from type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity to anxiety and burnout.” - Nick Littlehales, Sleep
Take care of your circadian rhythm. Get morning light exposure, avoid bright light at night, do light exercise in the morning.
Summary and Takeaways
Burnout is an issue many of us will face at some point
It’s important to address and manage burnout before it leads to other issues
Prevention is the most important treatment
However, if we do find ourselves facing burnout, we can manage it by:
Reducing stress
Eating well and eating enough
Reducing caffeine intake
Reducing exercise volume and intensity
Starting or maintaining relaxation practices
Prioritizing sleep
Optimizing our circadian rhythm
Before you go
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