A checklist to see if you’re headed for burnout or if your body is burnt out from chronic stress. If you have 4+ symptoms from one category, you may be struggling with that phase of chronic stress.
Am I headed for burnout?
- Perfectionism
- Lack of hunger
- Feeling like you have “turbo” energy (ex: like the high energy after drinking too much coffee)
- Relying on coffee/caffeine for energy
- GI issues like constipation, diarrhea, or bloating
- Fear of slowing down
- Avoiding low-intensity exercise
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Energy crashes
- TMJ
- Tension headaches or migraines
- Hormonal imbalances
- Unable to deal with changes
- Need to be in control
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Skipping meals or forgetting to eat
- Higher sodium, lower Potassium on blood labwork
Am I already burnt out?
- Finding it difficult to take care of self
- Frequently getting sick
- “Wired but tired” feeling
- Insomnia
- Extreme fatigue
- Unable to exercise
- Little to no motivation
- Isolation
- Loss of enjoyment from hobbies
- Joint pain
- Overeating or bingeing on food
- Overwhelm
- Weight gain
- Lower sodium, higher potassium on blood labwork
What to do about stress to avoid burnout?
Rebalancing the nervous system is not a quick fix.
1. Lifestyle changes
We cannot heal in the environment that we got sick in. Something needs to change. This could look like going to bed earlier, letting go of toxic relationships, switching jobs, saying no more, etc. These changes are going to be different per person.
2. Meditation
Regardless of the type of meditation, building a consistent meditation practice will help calm the nervous system.
3. Adaptogenic Herbs
Herbs like ashwagandha and holy basil can help balance your body’s natural stress response.
4. Other Healing modalities
- Massage
- Somatic exercises
- Yin yoga
- Reiki
5. Addressing underlying infections, toxins and nutritional imbalances
Often times chronic imbalances in the body can increase physiological stress in the body, adding to the overall overwhelm on the body. Working with a practitioner to identify nutrient deficiencies, infections, and toxins can help heal the body along with lifestyle changes.
