How to combat burnout with mindfulness
Everyone experiences stress differently, but there are some key tell-tell signs when it comes to burnout. It can start from having long-term work stress and feeling overwhelmed and drained in your role, either emotionally or physically. You might also start to feel burnout if your role is unfulfilling or you're being undervalued. If this sounds familiar, keep an eye on how you're feeling in the weeks to come. If you start acting mechanical about everything, lacking emotion or and being completely exhausted and struggling to sleep, you might be burned out. But you can help this with mindfulness, let's discuss how.
Other symptoms to look out for include:
Racing thoughts or difficulty concentrating
Irritability
Feeling constantly worried, anxious or scared
A lack of self-confidence
Avoidance of things or people you are having problems with
Change in appetite and behaviour such as eating more or less than usual
Drinking or smoking more than usual
If you’re noticing these signs in yourself or someone else, try the tips below.
Breathing technique (left nostril)
The parasympathetic nervous system (which brings the body into it's 'restful' state) is on the right side of the brain. Breathing through the left nostril kicks the parasympathetic nervous system into gear, causing it to take over from its stress-inducing counterpart (the sympathetic nervous system) and drops the brain’s levels of cortisol. This helps you to feel less anxious and makes it easier to manage stress.
Try it yourself: close your right nostril with your thumb or index finger and take a few slow deep breaths in and out. Inhale for a count of four and exhale for a count of four or six.
Relaxation
Excessive stress is often caused by too much working or worrying. To avoid this, try to prioritise “me time” on a daily basis.
This'll be different for everyone. It could be yoga or meditation which both have positive effects on stress. Or it might be listening to an entertaining podcast, going on a walk, reading a book, colouring, knitting, cooking. Basically, make it something you enjoy.
Another way to improve relaxation is by having a bath, a massage or aromatherapy treatment to reduce levels of adrenaline and cortisol in the body.
Practice gratitude
We all have what is known as a ‘negativity bias’. This basically means that we’re much more likely to dwell on something that’s gone wrong rather than things that have gone well, which results in a negative and unbalanced way of thinking. This can then lead to high and unnecessary levels of stress.
But when you express gratitude, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin – two hormones that make you feel lighter and happier inside. This practice can be done in so many different ways such as journalling, writing bullet points of why you’re grateful, making it a habit around the dinner table, using apps and more. Find what works for you.
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