The main reason we reach burnout is sustained stress over weeks, months, and even years.
There comes a point where it becomes unmanageable for the body, and that is why exhaustion, as a form of compensation, is the result.
The stress response is designed for situations where we feel in danger or threatened, and there are three mechanisms for dealing with this: fight, freeze, or flee. If we imagine that we have a lion in front of us, our response would be one of these three, and once we are safe, the stress level would decrease. In other words, it would not remain in our body, because the reaction would bring an end to the emotion.
This is the step we miss every time we feel stressed, the one that releases stress and lets our body know that we are no longer "in danger." Then, days, weeks, months, and years go by, and this moment of "you are safe now" never comes. Stress builds up, and suddenly you realize that things you didn't react to before, that irritated or annoyed you, are starting to cause you these emotions.
So, how can we convey this message of safety in a practical and actionable way, starting today? Understanding that stress manifests itself physically, the best way to relieve it is to respond in the same language:
- Get moving: Go for a run. Go for a walk.
- Take a walk around the neighborhood.
- Dance to your favorite song.
- Do 20 squats.
- Stretching.
Nothing that causes you more stress just thinking about doing it, of course. Something simple and enjoyable.
Send the message to your body that "the alert situation is over" and you can take your attention away from the problem.
If you can't do that at that moment, tense all the muscles in your body: start with your feet, legs, abdomen, arms, back, neck, and then relax them.
Breathing exercises: as I mentioned earlier, breathing is one of the first things to speed up when you are stressed. Inhale for 8 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds. Repeat until you feel calmer. Call someone you love. And if they are nearby, hug them for 20 seconds. This creates a feeling of security. Watch funny videos. Laughter works magic. All these things close the stress cycle. They end the process. "I got stressed and then I relaxed.""It started and then it ended."
Now, if you feel that you have passed the stress stage and entered burnout, fill out this form from the WE CARE FOR YOU Program and request a session with a coach or therapist. They will put you on the right path to healing based on what you need.
