Burnout. It’s sometimes spoken about in hushed tones, especially at work. But how can you avoid it — and how can you get better if it’s happened to you?
This topic is a very personal one to me. I experienced severe burnout as a result of pushing too hard for too long. Until that point, burnout had been a vague concept to me, and I didn’t know how debilitating it could actually be. But when it happened, it really happened — there were days when I didn’t know if the words were coming out of my mouth in the right order when I spoke.
My body shook constantly and my heart raced, and when I finally sought medical help, I was diagnosed with severe adrenal fatigue. I was told by my doctor that I needed to take a 12 month sabbatical. I didn’t — but I truly wish I’d taken that advice, as my recovery took longer than it might have if I’d given myself permission to rest.
But I did heal. And the route to that recovery was primarily through gentle movement, specific pranayama breathing practices, deep rest in Yoga Nidra and LOTS of meditative toning practices.
What is Burnout?
According to psychologist Anthony Montgomery and colleagues, burnout is:
“a psychological syndrome characterised by emotional exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and reduced personal accomplishment.”
It’s one of the most common psychological conditions we experience today, and it’s closely linked with serious mental and physical health conditions, including depression, adrenal fatigue, and related illnesses.
Burnout often begins with stress and anxiety symptoms that seem very normal to us in our fast-paced lives. You may find it hard to switch off, to sleep, feel that your heart is beating fast, and others might notice that you are talking and moving about quickly or erratically. Your thoughts could seem to jump from one thing to the next very quickly, and you might find it difficult to focus, have brain fog or to listen when someone’s talking to you.
As it progresses, burnout becomes gradually more severe. The nervous system gets stuck in its ‘fight or flight’ mode, so you’re always on edge and never feel fully relaxed. And over time, this can result in a shaky feeling throughout the body; a vibration that comes as a result of the adrenals working overtime and becoming depleted.
Preventing and Healing from Burnout
All of the practices I used to aid my recovery from burnout can also be effective at preventing it in the first place. And that’s the absolute best thing to do; to care for yourself on an ongoing basis and take regular periods of genuine rest. Take time to practice yoga, meditation and pranayama every week — but also schedule in a longer period of YOU time as often as you can.
And if you’re already beyond that point and suffering from the symptoms of burnout, the first thing to do is schedule in some downtime.
My own experienced really highlighted the reality that even if we push, push, push to get through whatever we need to do in the moment, the impact it will have on the later years of life just won’t be worth it. We have to stop. We must allow our bodies to rest, and our nervous systems to calm down and heal. What you do to care for yourself now will support you ten, twenty, even thirty years into the future.
Now, I take at least two weeks every year to completely step away from my everyday life. I urge you to do the same. The positive effect of letting all of the balls drop for a while and just being you is huge; your body gets a chance to return to equilibrium, and your mind settles into a deep state of peace that will act as a buffer against burnout during your busiest times.
If you’d like to do that in 2022, join YFTSR for a rejuvenating retreat in Kosciusko National Park, Walking Back to Stillness Retreat this November. Click here for more information. As well as yoga, meditation and walking — there will be time to simply rest and relax — each day will include pranayama and those magical meditative toning practices that are so powerfully healing for the nervous system.
But for right now — today — here are three practices to add to your personal burnout prevention and recovery toolkit.
1. Abdominal breathing
Awareness of breath, and conscious deep breathing, allows you to effectively — and very quickly — take control of your state of mind and body when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Abdominal breathing welcomes more oxygen into your body and stimulates the release of hormones that promote a feeling of calm and relaxation.
I’ll guide you through a practice, get comfortable and click play.
2. Mantra Meditation
Meditative toning practices are a form of mantra meditation. But if you need relief from stress today, you can start with a simpler mantra practice on your own at home.
Choose a sound that feels calming to you — if you’re not sure where to start, Om is a simple and effective grounding mantra. Close your eyes, place your hands over your heart, and gently repeat your mantra in a low voice with each exhale; making the sounds long and steady.
Learn more about mantra meditation here.
3. Nadhi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing)
This pranayama practice is a fabulous way to rebalance body and mind, and create an overall sense of calm. You breathe through one nostril at a time, which balances the right and left hemispheres of the brain and signals to the nervous system that all is well.
Learn how to do it here.
But first and foremost…
If you’d like to experience a whole week to unplug, rest, and recharge you can join me in the upcoming Walking Back to Stillness Retreat this November. Click here for more information.
Om Shanti
Chetana Meehan
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