Breaking Through Burnout: managing workplace stress

Burnout has become a bit of a buzz word over the past couple of years. It refers to a state of physical and emotional exhaustion and is linked to long-term stress, like working in a stressful job.

Burnout can make you feel drained, helpless, detached or overwhelmed. If you haven’t experienced this yourself, it’s likely that you know someone who has, with over 40% of desk-based workers reporting experiencing burnout.

You also probably won’t be surprised to hear that it’s on the rise. High workload, lack of boundaries between work and personal life, and challenging work relationships have been cited as key drivers of burnout amongst workers.

Women and professionals under 30 have been shown to suffer from burnout more than other groups. Again if you identify as a woman you might not be surprised to hear that we are more likely to suffer from burnout than men. The household tasks and mental load associated with them generally fall to women, with many working fulltime on top of this.

When we have so much going on in life with work, household tasks, exercise, and perhaps childcare responsibilities too, it can seem too indulgent to invest time in selfcare practices. It’s only natural for things that make us feel good to fall to the bottom of the priority list. Many of us are used to putting other people first, not ourselves. Cue - emotional and physical exhaustion.

I’ll remind you of a phrase that you’ve probably heard before - you can’t give from an empty cup. How can we help those around us and give our best to work, family and friends if we are running on empty?

I’m saying this as a reminder that you are totally worthy of looking after. Not just so that you can feel better in yourself (which is enough of a reason anyway!), but so that all this goodness can then be spread to those around you.

Remember, put your own oxygen mask on first, before helping others. You’ll feel the benefits yourself, and so will your work, friends and family.

What can we do when we are feeling burnt out? If you are struggling with workload or lack of boundaries between work or home life, it’s probably worth having a chat with your manager to let them know how you are feeling.

Many of us choose to suffer in silence and accept things like calls from colleagues at 9pm as ‘part of the job’, but if it is impacting your wellbeing it’s worth letting someone know you’re not okay with it.

Insomnia is also common for burnout sufferers. When we’re so used to living in fight or flight mode and running on adrenaline, it can be difficult to switch off at night. But sleep is so important for our overall health, including brain function, nervous system regulation and tissue repair, when we lack it we can find ourselves becoming even more burnt out.

Try doing things in the evening that help you to unwind before bed. Reading a book, using lavender essential oil, limiting screen time, and doing breathwork or meditation exercises have all been linked to good quality sleep.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention the benefits of yoga on burnout here. Restful practices like yin yoga, restorative yoga, or breathwork and meditation sessions can be hugely beneficial for regulating the nervous system, giving you time to switch off from the stresses of the workplace, and allowing you to find some calmness amongst the hustle and bustle of day to day life.

When practiced in the evening, sessions like this can also have the added benefit of leading to a good nights sleep. Win win!

This winter I am running a 4 Week Winter Reset for those who are experiencing (or on the verge of experiencing) burnout. The sessions are nurturing yoga flows including elements of yin yoga, meditation and breathwork to help calm both the mind and body. Click here to find out more.