10 May 2021
The world has come to a standstill, but demands are moving at an ever faster pace. We have to put in more and more energy to adapt and readjust. We are depleting resources faster and faster, and we don’t have time to rebuild. It is not surprising that the World Health Organization has identified Burnout as the epidemic of the 21st century. At its core, it is a systematic and prolonged neglect of human needs. We know more and more about it, but let us start with three of the biggest fallacies:
Often, burnout can be defined as depression, because of the depression and shutting down. Mood swings, fatigue and neglect of one’s own needs can be reported as the temporary fruit of workaholism and exhaustion. The symptomatology is sometimes felt late , only when the quality of life has deteriorated sharply.
In fact, responsible and ambitious people who are high achievers suffer from Burnout. These are energetic people who take up their tasks enthusiastically. They put in a lot of effort and have proven their professionalism. Rather, the slip into burnout is because of the individual’s desire to prove themselves, not because of poor coping strategies.
Stress in small doses leads to growth. It mobilizes us and draws out hidden resources. We have natural defenses against its effects and our body releases a combination of chemicals in the brain, sharpening our senses and improving our abilities to think more clearly and strategize.
“Chronic stress is a different matter,” says psychologist Annie Vladimirova. “It is what leads to the risk of burnout just as illustrated in our nice saying, ‘Drop by drop, a whirlpool rises’. If we were to add a sequel, it would be, “…the whirlpool overflows, and the water destroys everything in its path when the dam breaks.” The other familiar analogy of the pressure cooker comes easily to mind. When the screw is not released periodically or is faulty, our useful pot becomes a dangerous bomb, and the end is destructive,” the psychologist is adamant.
Here are the “drops” (signals) that Annie Vladimirova advises us to pay attention to, as well as ways to deal with them.
As paradoxical as it may seem, to cope with the lack of energy, we need to move. We are like a dynamo, so this is where the brain lies to the body. For this reason, active aerobic workouts are almost like magic. They raise endorphin levels. So the loss of vitality and bad mood are shifted naturally. Energy comes to every muscle and organ and we may be surprised to find that we actually have energy.
These two “drops” alone cry for people who, despite burnout, want to do more and more. However, impaired attention phenomena and decreased productivity are not affected by more mental effort and long hours of perseverance. Instead, they respond wonderfully to cardio workouts. The increased oxygen supply to the brain makes an impact very quickly. The workouts from the LES MILLS arsenal activate precisely the aerobic mode of the body and clean the toxicity of burnout. The two hemispheres of the brain are balanced and we can perform our tasks much better in less time.
Burnout is incompatible with a positive emotional background. Of course, stress biochemistry is responsible for this. For this reason, we need to become “cleaners” of stress “garbage” ourselves. The easiest way to do this is with an intense aerobic workout, possibly lasting over 30 minutes. Through it we will produce enough endorphin and so serotonin levels will rise. Therein lies the secret to a smile and a better view of the world. It is good to make these workouts a habit!
It is an unmistakable symptom that affects every decision and action very strongly. It is good that it starts to go away through intense cardio workouts because it lowers the PH level in the blood. We should know that the higher the acidity of the blood, the more tired we will feel. For this reason, whether we run on the treadmill, whether we have a martial arts based workout or a dance based workout, everything will have an effect on the biological clearing of fatigue.
For insomnia, active overall cardio workouts are a successful remedy. The overall improved circulation in the body speeds up the metabolism of adrenaline and thyroxine. These are the hormones that keep a person in a state of alertness and agitation. Accordingly, once we help reduce them through sports, we will be able to sleep better.
Naturally, when burnout rewinds the stress axis, there is a lot of adrenaline in our body, among other stress hormones. It is the main culprit for blood pressure to fluctuate. It makes many people carry around their blood pressure monitors with them in fear. But instead of fear, a much better solution is practicing yoga and aerobic workouts with a smooth but steady workload. These will clear the body of stress hormones. They will calm the autonomic nervous system, which is the valve through which the negative steam of the burnout is vented.
If we are seduced by fatigue, we can stay on the couch, eating emotionally, oblivious to our body’s needs. It is, however, our wellspring of health. Active overall workouts raise lymphocyte levels in the body. They improve the circulation of the lymphatic system. So we are guaranteed to deal with that “drop” of burnout.
All of these symptoms combine to lead to severe emotional, physical or cognitive fatigue, reduced levels of commitment to work, poor productivity and feelings of incompetence. Sport is the most accessible, quick and effective antidote to burnout. It can rearrange our daily routines, connect us with new people, and bring us peace of mind and a sense of accomplishment. It will keep us away from medications, blood pressure machines, sleeping pills and excessive doses of caffeine. Focused on the body’s sense of vitality, we will be able to step back to see the beauty of the big picture of life.