wellness
20 CalmMoment.com
W
e all get stressed and are sometimes
a bit fraught, sleeping badly and feel
increasingly ineffective... but that’s not
burnout, is it? If left unchecked, it’s not long before
you find yourself wondering if this constant state of
exhaustion and mild hysteria is the new normal.
Burnout is a real problem (it even has its own
test, the Maslach Burnout Inventory), and while
it might not have been talked about as much
previously, it’s not a modern phenomenon. Those
sandwiched between children and ageing parents,
while trying to juggle peak career stress, seem to
be the most at risk. As the early symptoms can
resemble depression – it’s not difficult to see how
the two might be related – it can be hard to unravel
the signs. It begins to feel ‘normal’ to be functioning
like this, strung out, unable to concentrate.
That’s how burnout happens; it tends to creep up
on us. We do manage, often for a long time and by
burning the candle at both ends, to stay on top of
impossible schedules. We pride ourselves on being
able to multitask, to produce that 5,000-word report
and a batch of cupcakes for the school bake sale,
when the only time off we get is at 1am after the
cat’s litter tray has been cleaned. If this is ringing a
bell, it may be that your work/life balance needs re-
evaluating, because the impact of trying
to function like this for days, weeks or even months
will take its toll. Remember, if a high-performance
car is driven relentlessly at full throttle and burnout
occurs, it doesn’t just stop: all systems fail.
And that’s the problem. Burnout is really bad
for both our mental and physical health. When
the pressure is on, the nervous system responds by
churning out lots of coping hormones – adrenaline
and cortisol – designed to keep you going, but only
for the short term. Over longer periods, the adrenal
glands that produce these hormones become over-
stimulated and can become damaged, turning
unpredictable – sometimes failing to produce
hormones on demand, sometimes over-producing –
which can leave us feeling completely floored or
wired and panicky. Ultimately, the adrenals canHow to beat burnout
It can be easy to miss the early symptoms, but being smart to our signs of
on-going stress can help us to avoid emotional and physical exhaustion
Words: Harriet Griffey / Illustration: Lorna Jamesonvirtually pack up, creating the risk of chronic
fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis
(ME), and autoimmune disorders like lupus and
rheumatoid arthritis. Worst case scenario?
Complete burnout is really the final stage of adrenal
exhaustion and when that happens, it’s mostly
because we missed the warning signs.
The smart thing to do is to pay attention to those
early warning signs and symptoms. Easy to say
and less easy to do, granted, because the difference
between coping and not coping is highly individual
and often a matter of degree. These symptoms
may be low-key at first, but their cumulative effect
is insidious. Tiredness, the sort that creates feelings
of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion, is
an early warning signal. Sleep itself often becomes
problematic, with either difficulties falling asleep or
waking very early in the morning. That sense that
you’re on a treadmill, that what you’re doing isn’t
good enough, can be another sign.
It takes time – weeks, sometimes – to re-set our
stress thermostat if we experience burnout. But
being smart to your signs of stress and avoiding
their escalation by ensuring you take basic self-
care measures every day – adequate sleep, regular
nutritious meals, exercise and relaxation – all help.
It’s important too to learn and define where your
limits are – and then say no to excessive demands
on your time. Ask for help when needed, create a
support system for stressful times and relinquish
the idea of achieving perfection in everything you
do. Remember; before you put on someone else’s
oxygen mask, you must first fit your own.Harriet Griffey is a writer, journalist
and author of more than 20 books
on health and wellbeing. Harriet
Griffey’s new book on burnout will
be published by Hardie Grant in
spring 2020.