This condition is a syndrome – not a medical diagnosis – caused by a “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”
I didn’t think burnout could ever happen to me. I thought I had it all together. Running a home, being a mom and wife plus working full-time finally took its toll. Instead of listening to the signs, my body was sending me – no energy, fatigue, lack of concentration, mood swings, exhaustion, insomnia, brain fog, lashing out at co-workers (which was so out of character), anger, and frustration.… I kept going. The only way to describe it was that I was like a hamster on a wheel running faster and faster but going nowhere. Initially, I blamed it on a hormone imbalance, that feeling of being numb inside, I had nothing left inside of me, nothing left to give. Was I losing my mind as no one understood or listened to me? The hole I had dug for myself was getting deeper and darker by the day, I had no idea how I was going to get out. Why is it that we have to reach rock bottom before making a change or choice? My world was crumbling beneath me and it was up to me to save the foundations and start rebuilding. That was step number one – acknowledging that I had nothing left to give and I needed support and time to refuel. Until we make the decision to change the situation, nothing will and so the journey began. I took the time to evaluate all the important areas of my life, work, relationships, health, friends, romance, sex, finances, spirit etc and pinpointed the areas that needed nurturing and change. That guided me on my journey of recovery which is always ongoing as we constantly need to listen to what the body is teaching
us.
Stress is any real or imagined threat, and the body’s response to that threat.
Please reread that “any real or imagined threat” which confirms that it is not only the physical threat like too much work to handle, too many responsibilities, reaching deadlines and the list goes on. Have you thought about the “imagined” threat – those are the stories we constantly tell ourselves or think about. Have you every taken a note pad and jotted down every time you have spoken negatively to yourself or conjured up a story of a situation that hasn’t happened? You get yourself totally worked up or stressed out for no real reason. No matter whether it is a real physical threat or an imagined one, the body reacts exactly the same way.
To list a few:
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Increased Insulin and Cortisol
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Decreased blood flow to the gut
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Decreasing ability to burn fat and build muscle
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Increased digestive issues
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Deregulation of Mood
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Sleep issues – and the list goes on
I recommend the following stress relief strategies to help reduce stress from engulfing your life.
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Change Your Thinking – become more aware of how you speak and think about yourself.
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Manage Your Feelings – try rewriting the stories you tell yourself with a more positive outcome.
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Getting Active – start moving by doing something you enjoy like dancing, walking, pilates, yoga etc.
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Staying Connected to Purpose and Meaning in your Life.
Becoming aware is the key to change and choice. You truly live from the inside out.