We tend to think of stress as a bad thing, but stress has helped humans evolve, learn and grow. Stress provides problems for us to solve, prompting change in our bodies and behaviour that improve our chances of survival.
We also know that stress is a major cause of illness. Modern life has exposed us to levels of pressure and stimulation that can leave us chronically stressed. Our bodies can only handle being overworked and overwhelmed for so long. Without change, we end up exhausted, and emotionally and physically burnt out.
Healing from burnout is possible and necessary to break the cycle of overwhelm. Completing the stress cycle with exercise and movement can move you out of fight or flight, and unwind the stress stored in your body. Restorative sleep and rest are essential to heal body and mind, and stop you running on empty. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine promote calm and relaxation, nourishing and grounding while shifting stuck energy.
Signs of Burnout
There are a number of signs that your stress levels are elevated and you might be in burnout.
~ Self destructive or pointless, repetitive behaviours. Like a broken record, you keep repeating the same thing over and over. Obsessive thoughts, picking at things or repeatedly checking things are signs that your body is overwhelmed.
~ Flying off the handle. Emotional outbursts that are disproportionate to what’s happening are driven by bottled up stress with nowhere else to go.
~ You feel stuck. You spend weekends on the couch watching cat videos or stay in bed all day. Hiding from your life is a sign you’re overwhelmed.
~ Your body doesn’t feel right. Chronic pain, infections that keep coming back or injuries that won’t heal can all be caused or worsened by stress.
~ You are emotionally exhausted. You feel drained, depleted and overwhelmed.
~ You are using negative coping strategies such as drinking more alcohol or eating more junk food.
The Fight or Flight Stress Response
Our bodies are adapted to return to homeostasis when exposed to stress. The fight or flight response is controlled by our sympathetic nervous system. It’s a physiological reaction that occurs when we’re exposed to a threat or danger. It’s a built-in, automatic defense mechanism that activates in situations our brain interprets as harmful. Once the threat has passed, the parasympathetic nervous system activates to calm the body down, returning it to its resting state.
The fight-or-flight response is an essential survival mechanism, but in modern times, it can be triggered by non-life-threatening situations. Burnout was originally thought of as an issue restricted to people doing high pressure jobs or working extreme hours. But we now know that other pressures outside of work can cause chronic activation of the stress response, leading to burnout.
What is Causing your Chronic Stress?
Family responsibilities such as caring for children, ill or elderly people can place enormous pressure on our internal resources, resulting in prolonged stress and worry.
Discrimination such as racism, sexism and homophobia can also contribute to chronic stress. When we experience discrimination our physiological stress response is activated, and adds to our cumulative stress burden. Research has shown that people of colour have higher levels of inflammation and experience worse health outcomes.
Loneliness and social isolation are also known to cause chronic stress. As social animals, humans are evolved to survive in groups with other people and animals. Loneliness and social isolation have the same negative health impacts as smoking 15 cigarettes.
Our physical environment can also cause nervous system changes in our bodies. Noisy, cold or crowded spaces can lead to overstimulation and discomfort, causing stress and impacting well-being. Pollution, allergens, and poor air quality can lead to respiratory problems, inflammation and stress. The constancy of modern life and digital connectedness -the ping of emails, text and alerts – cause stress, but also make it difficult to switch off and find respite.
Complete the Stress Cycle
Most of the time it’s not possible to get rid of stress straight away. You can turn off notifications and go for a walk in nature, but the bills, worries and responsibilities are still going to be there when you get back.
However, by completing the stress cycle you can decrease the impact of stress on your body. Completing the cycle means moving your body out of the chronic fight or flight response. It signals to your nervous system that the threat has passed, activates your parasympathetic response and initiates digestion and healing.
The most efficient way of completing the stress cycle is physical movement. Moving your body is the natural end of the fight or flight response, and tells your brain you are safe again. Deep breathing, spending time with people or pets, and creativity are some other strategies.
Another way to turn on your parasympathetic nervous system is with acupuncture. Research has shown that inserting needles into specific acupuncture points influences the autonomic nervous system. This may explain why acupuncture is effective in treating physical illness related to chronic stress. Herbs and nutrients can also calm and reset the nervous system, and are an important part of long term healing.
Ideally, you’ll be doing something that helps you complete the cycle every day. If you’ve been holding on to worry or anxiety for a long time you’ve probably got a whole lot of accumulated stress stored in your body. It’s going to take a while to work through the backlog. But as long as you feel incrementally better, you’re shifting something inside and moving towards peace and calm.
Give your Brain a Break – Rest and Sleep
We are conditioned to believe that we need to hustle to win at life. But the expectation that we should be physically and mentally focussed and productive at all times is toxic, and is contributing to burnout.
Our brains and bodies are built to move between work and rest. We have a limited amount of time, focus and attention for a task, and then our performance drops off. Resting between tasks gives our brain a chance to reset, establish new connections and process the world.
At my kids’ school they call it a brain break. Active rest includes any task that puts a low demand on your brain counts – put on a load of washing or take your dog for a walk. Stare out the window and daydream. Or lie on your back on the grass and watch the clouds.
We also need sleep. Sleep is when our bodies and brains heal and grow. It is essential for tissue repair, learning and memory. Poor sleep damages your physical health – common ailments such as diabetes, inflammation and high blood pressure are worsened by chronic sleep deprivation.
Bad sleep also affects your brain function – attention, creativity and reasoning are all worsened by a lack of sleep. Poor sleep is a significant cause of serious car accidents, and one night of bad sleep is the same as being legally drunk. Without enough sleep, our bodies increase stress hormones to keep us going, which in turn, worsens burnout.
Chinese Medicine for Burnout
Burnout is real. It is a consequence of chronic stress stored in our bodies. By completing the stress cycle you are helping to unwind this trapped anxiety and stress. Acupuncture promotes the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system to nourish, repair and heal the body. By calming and regulating the flow of Qi, acupuncture can move stuck energy, helping you complete the stress cycle.
Chinese herbal formulas for burnout include carefully balanced combinations of herbs to both invigorate Qi circulation and nourish the Yin and Yang. Herbs that encourage the movement of Qi, particularly of the Liver, can be helpful in releasing trapped energy.
Acupuncture, herbs and nutrients can also support healing, restorative sleep. By calming your nervous system and helping to release the stress stuck in your body, treatment can help you heal from burnout and end the cycle of overwhelm.
Image credit – Hernan Sanchez via Unsplash