What is burnout?

Burnout is the loss of meaning in one’s work, coupled with mental, emotional, or physical exhaustion as the result of long-term, unresolved stress.

The World Health Organisation recognised burnout as an ‘occupational phenomenon’ last year – long before much of the world started working from home, when the line between professional and personal time started to fade even faster. Today, employees in the US are logging three hours more per day than before lockdown, and the working day in the UK, France, and Spain has extended by two hours, according to several new reports.

 

More of us are becoming burnt-out!

But why?  We are home more often, it’s more comfortable, there’s no stressful commute in the rush hour, how could you be burnt-out?

Take a look at your daily routine… has your workload increased?  Has your work life and home life merged together?  Are you having to juggle the children’s learning with your own work commitments? …Do you get up in the morning, and the first thing you do is reach for the kettle and the “on-button” of your laptop? 

Are you now logging on to work when you would have been commuting?…Accruing an hour of “unpaid” work before your official start time?  

Bill Gates’ wife Belinda calls that “time poverty” because it’s very difficult to break the routine. You may think that you are “getting ahead” with your emails by putting an extra hour in before you “start”.  But, that’s not the case…What ends up happening is if you overwork yourself there is a general decrease in productivity, so the result is overwork.  There’s a lack of routine.  Also, you are doing unpaid work, when you could be doing something for yourself, to help with your health and well-being; that could be in the form of going out for a short walk, or even putting on the laundry, to keep up to date with the household chores.

 

Chronic stress puts your health at risk…

Let’s not deny it, we are all under a lot of stress these days… paying the bills, redundancies, increased workload, kids at home, concern for our health, concerns for our friends and family, getting rid of our covid belly…. The list goes on!

When you are stressed, your body releases hormones called Cortisol and Adrenalin.  Adrenalin increases your heart rate, blood pressure and boosts energy supply.  Cortisol increases sugars in the blood stream, it slows down processes that would be classed as nonessential in a “fight or fight” situation, it alters the immune system response, suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes.  This all leaves you susceptible to many health problems including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Digestive problems
• Headaches
• Heart disease
• Sleep problems
• Weight gain
• Memory and concentration impairment

 

So how do we combat burnout and react to stress in a healthy way?

How you start each day is so important….before you reach out for the laptop, check in with yourself.  A little breathing exercise, or mediation, or perhaps some exercise.  Get the endorphins circulated around your body.  3-5 minutes is better than nothing.

Time management; Make sure you have a healthy work-life balance.  Is there a need for you to work to the 8-4pm/9-5pm schedule? Can you agree with your manager working hours that fit your schedule a little better?

Work smart.  Have a set time each day FOR WORK and stop when that time is over…. The work will still be there tomorrow!

Fostering healthy friendships.  Check in with your co-workers and friends regularly.  Share positive working practices and how others manage their day.  Social contact is necessary for humans, we are pack animals.

Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise and plenty of sleep

Practicing relaxation techniques such as trying yoga, practicing deep breathing, getting a massage or learning to meditate

Show yourself some love and compassion.  Do something for yourself each day.  Taking time for hobbies, such as reading a book, listening to music, or a little exercise.

Having a sense of humour helps,  Smiles are infectious, try it!  :o)

The reward for learning to manage stress is peace of mind and perhaps a longer, healthier life.

 

 

How does Yoga fit into all of this?

For starters, yoga is a form of exercise which will encourage the body to release the endorphins, vital  for promoting an overall sense of well-being.

The twists and forward folds that we do during a yoga practice will help to gently release stored tension from muscles and the nervous system.

Opening the chest helps to stretch and strengthen muscles used when sitting at a computer.

Breathing techniques help to relax the body and mind.  As you slow and deepen your breath, you are sending unconscious messages to the brain that “everything is okay” resulting in a calming effect.

While you are concentrating on the movement and breathing at the same time, you are giving you mind a break from thinking about your “to-do” list… and has to be a good thing!

So why not they some yoga with me, I have plenty of class options, take a look here.  I really recommend the Yoga Nidra Class for everyone!

And If you just want to keep in contact for now, and try a class one day, why not keep in contact by subscribing to my mailing list, and I can send you over a couple of classes to try for free! Button

Love and light,

Victoria

xox