Are you burnt out?
Feel like screaming?
Burnout, simply is a state of chronic stress that may lead you to physical
and emotional exhaustion, feelings of cynicism, detachment, ineffectiveness as well as a lack of accomplishment.
10 Telltale Signs of Burnout:
1. Chronic fatigue, lack energy, feel tired most days, physically and emotionally exhausted, drained, depleted, with a sense of dread for what lies ahead of you
2. Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep often progressing into a persistent and nightly ordeal of insomnia, exhaustion, but you still can’t sleep!
3. Impaired concentration and attention, mild forgetfulness with a lack of focus, loosing things, keys, glasses etc. might also be early signs and symptoms
4. Physical symptoms such as; tight muscles, sore necks and shoulders with some recurring headaches, fainting and dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath, stomach pains, and possibly chest pains
5. Frequent colds, flu and other immune-related diseases – ‘dis-ease’ as your immune system becomes weakened, making you more vulnerable to infections
6. Skipping meals and losing weight with a loss of appetite
7. Edginess, anxiety, tension, and worry, impacting on your ability to work
productively which may also cause problems in your personal life
8. Depression, feeling sad, occasional feelings of hopelessness, and you may also experience feelings of guilt and worthlessness, feeling trapped and thinking that the world might be better of without you – make certain that you seek professional help immediately if this is the case
9. Anger, irritability and feeling a need to hit out at the world or your family
10.Loss of enjoyment in work and life in general, not knowing how to get back your ‘vava voom’!
Potential Solutions That May Help You Cope:
1. Mindfulness – start your day with a mindful breathing session which is great for increasing your focus and getting your mind used to “being in the moment”, fully alert and experiencing every second to the full
2. Guided meditation, and/or body scanning also gives time to re-charge batteries, giving your mind a rest and gets you prepared for the day
3. Get into a regular nighttime routine, avoid caffeine or alcohol for at least 4-6 hours before you go to sleep and go ‘screen-free’ for at least 2 hours before bedtime, as the blue light that screens emit can sabotage your getting to sleep
4. Eat breakfast – it’s the most important meal of the day and always try to ensure you eat slowly releasing complex carbs such as oats, grains, as well as fruit and plain yoghurt to maintain energy levels, choose porridge, bircher muesli, scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast and try to include some protein
5. Enjoy some “me time” sometimes we seem to spend much of our days working to others timetables, whether it’s our boss, partners or children, so try to find a couple of times a week to do something just for you, listen to music or dance
6. Breathe – take a breath before responding to a situation and see if your initial response is the most useful – try to analyse why you are reacting in the way you are
7. Acknowledge your thoughts – at times we have thoughts such as “everything goes wrong for me” or “nobody likes me” or “I’ll never be successful”. Professional help such as a session with a stress counsellor or therapist will help you to address these thoughts in a more positive way
8. Identify your anxieties or worries – and take steps to deal with it – above all, don’t keep it all to yourself, speak to family or friends or perhaps your doctor or therapist
9. Check out physical symptoms – it’s imperative that you get the doctor to check your symptoms, but if they are as a result of stress, then mindfulness and NLP can help
10.Exercise – try to find some sort of exercise that you really enjoy, such as walking, running, dancing, swimming, yoga or pilates to take your mind of things
-Bloom From The Darkness
Author Bio:
Alex Crow is a specialist in treating Burnout and other stress related problems. He trains you in resilience, mindfulness, meditation, and will help your mental health.
An NLP practitioner, Hypnotist, and Mindfulness Teacher he delivers his Stress Relief Programmes to individuals, corporations and SME’s across the UK. His courses can be booked directly by contacting Alex
via stressbofn.com
