So many are dealing with burnout and feeling the stress of all that has happened over the past few years and all that is currently still surfacing.
Stress and dealing with burnout are actually the biggest reason clients tend to come see me for holistic wellness consultations. This was even way before the pandemic hit. Since then it seems so many are living on the edge in a constant state of stress, just doing whatever they can to get through the day.
It feels horrible to live like this, I know because I've been there so many times in my life. But, I can tell you if you're there now or you tend to deal with burnout, there is hope for a better way!
What is burnout?
Burnout is a word that sadly sums up the state of most of society right now. Too many stressors, years of isolation, and so often being bombarded with way too many obligations.
So what is burnout?
Merriam Webster defines burnout as "the exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration." Essentially burnout is the state of being completely overwhelmed.
What causes burnout?
The nervous system, which is the body system that regulates how you feel, basically becomes overwhemed and is what causes you to feel burnout. Your system goes into overdrive from constantly being in the state of heightened stress, otherwise known as fight, flight, or freeze which you may have heard of.
When we’re constantly going, running around like mad, doing everything for everyone else can cause burned out really fast. It’s the state that so many of us sadly live in on a daily basis and it’s not your fault if you’re one of them!
We’re living in a world where so much is thrown at us. It doesn’t take long to get depleted when we keep going and going in a way that doesn’t nourish our being. When this pattern keeps going the burnout doesn’t stop however because you haven’t stopped to recuperate and nourish yourself at all. It just progresses and you can continually stay in a state of heighted stress.
How Do You Deal With Burnout?
Many of my clients have tried many different modalities before working with me, often throwing everything and anything they can at the wall like spaghetti so to speak, hoping for that magic pill so they can go back to life as usual, or live that dream of instantly feeling permanently calm.
There is no magic pill, but there is a quick fix secret!
I completely understand the desire to try everything you can, often combing them all at once. I did the same thing for so many years, which is what actually led me onto the healing path I am now. However, what I have experienced over and over again, is that it's not about finding a quick fix external solution, despite what is often advertised with various supplements and pharmaceuticals. This is because often the problem is rooted from long term stress, trauma, and overload.
There is no immediate quick fix for replenishing the body and mind unfortunately after months or years of heightened stress, but it can be replenished fairly easily, with some small changes, that is often held as a secret, probably because it is free. That secret, is that it mostly starts with the word NO.
Society tells us we need to always be busy. Having a to do list a mile long is normal and expected. We’re supposed to take care of everyone else and put ourselves last, at the bottom of the list, if on there at all. Endless tasks at work and going to bed when you finally crash from pushing yourself too hard.
It doesn’t need to be that way though, and it shouldn’t.
You don’t need to push yourself to the brink and always say yes to everyone and everything else.
It's ok to do what you can and only what you can.
It’s so important to give yourself permission to just do what you can. If that means the to-do list needs to grow or be put aside for another time, that’s fine. It’s not disappearing. The laundry will still be there, the dishes aren’t going anywhere.
Give yourself permission to ONLY DO WHAT YOU CAN.
I know it can be easier said than done. But it’s an important reminder to hold onto. Try to be patient with yourself. Practice being a little more gentler with who you are. See what you can possibly say NO to, or let go of, that doesn’t feed or nourish you.
Whatever it is you do, just know that you got this. You’ll make it through. Just do what you can and that’s enough.
Some Tools of Support for Dealing With Burnout
So long story short, a lot of my clients come to me because their burned out. They’re often walking through life depleted, constantly pushing and struggling through stress, and that stress ultimately led into some form of physical issue. Luckily there are so many things you can do to support yourself to begin stepping off of the spiral. The first step is saying NO and learning to be gentle in any way you can.
Plant medicine also really shines with helping saying NO feel easier and allowing the stressors to not feel so loud. They also really shine for helping to replenish people back to a nice balanced baseline. If you want to learn more about one of my favorite herbs for stress and times of burnout check out my post on Motherwort here.
If you want to begin shifting away from burnout and releasing your stressors, you can also check out my 5 day challenge Rooted in Relief where you can do just that.
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