A Naturopath’s Prescription for Burnout: Self-care, Support, and Sustainable solutions

Today, we live in a society where business and productivity is glorified, so its no wonder that burnout has become an epidemic. But, as a naturopath, I am here to remind you that its ok to prioritize self-care and rest.

If you find yourself feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, depleted and flat, you may be suffering from burnout. When we are pushing ourselves too much to keep up with what we think we should be doing, we can very easily find ourselves running out of battery. Of course, stress plays a crucial role in our lives, it does possess benefits and utility, but it is when it becomes chronic and ongoing that it does damage.

When stress is good, it leaves us feeling excited, energised, and motivated, but on the other hand when we experience bad stress it can leave us having feelings of anxiety, depression, or being overwhelmed. When the stress becomes too much, it has potential to interfere with many systems of the body. Firstly, it puts a lot of stress on the adrenals, cause a dysfunction of our Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, otherwise known as the HPA-axis, leaving us with possible fatigue, brain fog, blood sugar dysregulation and poor sleep. It can interfere with our immune function, leaving us more susceptible to illness and longer recovery times, it can give us digestive issues, leaving us with bloating, altered bowel motions, slow digestion and poor nutrient absorption, it can interfere with our thyroid, which in itself causes a cascade of issues. It can also increase the risk of heart disease, along with various other complications. This is why it is important to take time out of each day to do what you can to support yourself.

It’s really important to recognize these signs that your body is giving you and start taking action. If you don’t find time for yourself to rest, your body will find it for you.

Everyone is different, we all have our preferences and respond differently to things, but here are some of my tips to manage stress and burnout.

- Get outdoors in the sunlight and nature. This is such a simple thing, yet so overlooked. The power of nature and sunlight is incredible on the human body, it is scientifically proven to reduce cortisol, our stress hormone, and improve our moods. Natural sunlight has been proven to increase serotonin production which can improve feelings of wellbeing.

- Whilst outdoors, it is always a good time to practice grounding. Do this at the park, forest or beach, and take your shoes off and enjoy your surroundings. The idea behind grounding is that the Earth is a natural source of electrons, which we absorb when bare foot and connecting with the Earth. This is what causes the health benefits such as a reduction in inflammation, improved sleep, less stress, and feelings of calm.

- Take up a hobby which interests you, this may be painting, drawing, dancing, learning a new language or instrument. Find something which sparks passion and an interest from you.

- Take time to be still each day, whether it be 5 minutes or 30 minutes, so what you can when you can. The power of meditation is incredible and people are often quick to say they can’t sit still and meditate, but this is even more reason to challenge yourself and try it. It has proven time and time again to reduce stress and anxiety and promote overall wellbeing.

- Spend time with loved ones, try not to isolate yourself. Being around those you care about and having a good laugh is truly the best medicine, it is guaranteed to make anyone feel better. Laughter triggers endorphins to be released, these make us feel great and promote a sense of wellbeing, it reduces stress and improves mood immensely.

- Nourish your body with appropriate nutrients. In times of high stress, our bodies tend to crave carbs as they are a quick energy source, and when we are stressed, we tend not to make the best food decisions and reach for the easy option. But, when we are stressed, this is the time that we really need to support the body where we can by eating a well rounded and healthy diet, whilst minimising junk food, your body will thank you for this.

- Exercising when you can is another great tool to reduce stress. This too, releases endorphins, and can reduce levels of cortisol, whilst also increasing some neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine which we know regulates our moods. Exercise can be used as an outlet to release tension and negative emotions.

Chronic stress and burnout is not something to be taken lightly as it has great potential to cause harm. If this sounds like you, don’t let burnout control your life, you deserve to feel your best, lets work together to overcome it, and create a healthier and happier you. And remember, you don’t have to change everything all at once, smaller adjustments are more sustainable and easier to achieve.