NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR IN ONTARIO
How To Prevent And Treat Burnout
Returning Your Body to Your Normal After Burnout
Burnout | Stress Is The New Smoking
Just as we looked back on adults in the 50s as insane for smoking so liberally, we too will be looked back upon as absolute fools for subjecting ourselves to the constant unnavigable stressors which are hampering our life-quality and shortening our lifespans.
We Have Not Evolved To Cope With Constant Stress
We are humans. Humans evolved on planet Earth. Due to its rotational axis, the Earth has seasons. Therefore, until the industrial revolution, most of us had episodic periods of activity, guided by these seasons. Winter was mostly a time of rest and hibernation. In our current industrialized existence, we have lost both the annual seasonality of productivity, as well as the shorter days of work that dominated before we readily had access to electric lighting. This means we are pushing ourselves to work long days, all year long. And the truth is that some of us are well adapted for this. Some of us have the genetic traits that facilitate the endurance that this setup requires. However, many of us have other attributes which are helpful for other circumstances, but that position us to eventually flail under this constant pressure, and this eventually leads to burnout.
Burnout As A Forced Pause
Not only are we positioned to be in a community that expects constant performance, but we have also been conditioned to tie self-worth with productivity (and often value stress as well). Sometimes our body is the one that puts the breaks on. Our nervous system just shuts things down. When this occurs it’s not just a mind over matter solution. Even the most dogged high-level professionals are taken down. Sometimes a period of rest and recuperation is all that is needed to get back into the ring, but for most of us, we need to reprioritize and reorganize our lives so that we don’t slip into a loop of burnouts. We need to reassess our jobs, our family responsibilities, our values, and our self care. Sometimes big changes need to occur. Sometimes it’s more a matter of elevating our self care so that we can sustain the intensity that our curated lives demand.
Actions To Take To Prevent Burnout:
REST
Rest is not just for the weak. Even in the wild, animals that we view as powerful like lions do a heck of a lot of resting. Airplanes can only fly for a limit of hours. The more we are able to prioritize rest and sleep, the longer we can sustain intense effort. The ultimate rest is sleep, but there are other ways to fit rest into your day. Brief walks in your work day can let nature intrude upon your workday environment, and your parasympathetic nervous system can pick up on this. Meditation can rest the mind. Deep breathing at moments of intensity to break the sympathetic overdrive cycle. Some commitments to rest take an investment of time, but many are very small indulgences into the rest and digest system. Consistency is key. Consider scheduling these “rest times” into your calendar.
10am: 10 minute guided meditation
Noon: 20 minute walk outside (regardless of the weather)
6pm: Music!
930pm: Non-sleep deep rest meditation or yoga nidra meditation
10pm: SLEEP!
Treatment For Burnout
When you are already in burnout, you will need to increase the amount of time you spend resting. Sleep more. Meditate more. Do less.
- Learn to meditate to calm your nervous system (you have been in sympathetic mode for so long, you need to up regulate your parasympathetic)
- Walk outside, but only up to your tolerance (don’t overstimulate yourself)
- Tai chi or yoga or another form of gentle movement
- Psychotherapy to help you interrupt the patterns that have led you to burnout
- Carefree audio book to distract and relax your mind. Sometimes your brain just needs a break. Find a nice mindless audiobook to listen to that doesn’t require your full attention (my favorite is the Agatha Raisin series ;).
- Cry! Crying is a way we can physically release stress. Listen to evocative music, watch a rom com, let it all out.
- Be creative (draw, paint, colour, write/journal). When we are vulnerable and burnt out we can often access deeper parts of ourselves normally blocked up with function-first design. Take advantage of this episode of openness and fluidity to purge what needs to come out.
- Nervines. Nervines are herbs that calm the nervous system. Sometimes when we are in an acute stress loop, our body can benefit from an external signal to let go.
- Nutrition. Fueling your body in this hard time is vital. Your body been through a lot recently (the stress required to tip you into burnout). It has been working so hard that some of its resources may have been depleted. To build these important biological factors required to heal we need nutrients. Eat plenty of protein, fruits, veggies and fluids. If you body craves sweets and junk food, you might be able to have a little of this too, but not at the sacrifice of a solid base of nutritious food.
It’s also important get blood work done to be sure there’s nothing else doing on. We often see that a person is concurrently dealing with anemia, low vitamin D, a thyroid issue, or perimenopause. These issues would not have caused the burnout, but they may have reduced the person’s tolerance and resilience, so allowed the burnout to occur earlier than it usually would.
Take Home Message
Burnout is a major life event. Like birth, or a death, or a big move, there is a before and an after. Use this time wisely. See it as an opportunity for positive change and personal growth. What do you want in life? What do you most value? What do you need to change?
Your Doctor: Meet Dr. Sarah
Dr. Sarah Goulding is a licensed naturopathic doctor in Ontario and has a BSc in neuroscience and biology from Dalhousie University (2004), and did her 4-year naturopathic training at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (2010). She’s since accumulated over a decade of clinical experience, and refined her practice to focus on women’s health and digestion. She is licensed and registered as a Naturopathic Doctor in Ontario by The College of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO) and is a member of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND) and the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors (OAND).
Dr. Sarah Goulding blends science and compassion, and acts as a personal health researcher to help you navigate your health. Tools that she uses include nutrition, supplements and botanicals, bioidentical hormones, and lifestyle modifications. The closer you get to the root cause, the gentler the therapies needed to resolve the issue.
