THRIVE with Whole-istic Healing Co.
Health & Fitness:Mental Health
EPISODE 32 – ‘’BURNOUT’’
We have ALL heard about the term ‘burnout’, but what exactly is it and what is the difference to depression or mood related disorders?
If we stop and think of our modern way of living;
+ looking after children
+ possibly broken sleep with children waking up throughout the night
+ getting everyone ready
+ cooking
+ cleaning
+ going to work, managing businesses/careers,
+ school life, homework, extracurricular activities,
+ nurturing your relationship, family and friends,
+ exercise, weekend sporting commitments etc. etc. etc…
This stop/start, constant movement and ‘busy-ness’, coupled with investigating nutrition and lifestyle choices, coupled with perhaps a lack of ‘tribe’ where everyone is on this ‘rat-race’, to me, intuitively, there is no wonder we as a collective experience burnout.
City living has a frenetic energy that is palpably noticeable for me, after living in quieter areas of Perth, Cairns and the Gold Coast. It almost feels like a vortex that we have become sucked into, and we have to move fast, or else it feels like people are pushing to make their way through past you.
Does any of that sound familiar?
The Black Dog Institute states that the financial impact of burnout with ‘stress-related absenteeism and presenteeism costing Australia $14.81 billion per year’
In an article, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279286/, ‘’a stressful lifestyle can put people under extreme pressure, to the point that they feel exhausted, empty, burned out, and unable to cope. Stress at work can also cause physical and mental symptoms.’
Factors at play can be;
What does the WHO define BURNOUT as?
It is not classified as a medical condition, but rather an occupational phenomenon in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).
‘’Burn-out is defined in ICD-11 as follows: a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:
Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”
This then pertains to an occupational standpoint, but I then wonder where the shades of grey come in, when we speak of stay at home mothers, feeling this way about home life when we have occupations outside of the home also, or caring for an ill family member?
A study by the UNSW of 1019 people, a statement by Professor Parker was “Interestingly, our findings also show that burnout doesn’t exclusively affect those in paid employment,” “By broadening the study’s scope to include those with unpaid home or care duties, we were able to note that burnout is not limited to those exposed to work-related stressors, which suggests burnout may be ‘context free’.”
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT?
The 3 main areas include;
However, in one of UNSW’s new studies, the responses from 1,019 people who completed a questionnaire indicated nine other factors commonly affecting people experiencing burnout. These included:
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT IS DEPRESSION OR BURNOUT?
The most important thing is to NEVER self-diagnose! There can be parallels between them, but treating someone who actually has depression with rest and strategies for burnout, may in fact delay their correct treatment.
Similarities between the two can include;
However, depression may present with greater symptoms and ones that should not be ignored; such as hopelessness and suicidal ideations, and the cause can be very different and hence the treatment!
I would therefore not ‘guess’ or assume, or self-diagnose; as this can delay correct treatment.
Therefore, it is vital to see your GP who can do a thorough investigation into how you feel, what is going on, look into your physiological markers, diet, lifestyle and investigate further.
I would recommend asking for a LONG appointment and obtaining a full analysis of what is going on.
I would also say though, to reflect, and ponder on the following so that you can discuss your findings and observations with your GP;
+ What exactly are your symptoms?
+ When did they start?
+ What makes them better or worse?
+ Observe your appetite, your sleep (ability to fall asleep and stay asleep, how refreshed you feel in the morning), bowel movements
+ Do certain practices/food/situations make the symptoms worse?
+ How is your gut health?
Now, The BLACKDOG INSTITUTE has a great article; https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/news/burnout-diagnosis-one-step-closer-with-new-clinical-checklist-and-predictor-of-which-personalities-are-most-at-risk/
They conducted a study and found certain mindsets or ‘personality traits’;
-perfectionists and work-focused traits were ‘red flags’ for developing burnout
In my book, ‘Shining The Light on PND’, I wrote a chapter about mindsets and I would think that the
+ ‘all or nothing’ trait; working yourself to the bone and only relaxing when you have ‘finished’ your task…but for example with children, what I am learning is that it’s never ALL done! There is always something to do, and as they get older, I am finding the demands are changing, but I feel are more time consuming? (or have I over committed?!)
+ The ‘people pleaser’ trait also would stand out for me, as well as;
+ ‘comparison’ as you may push yourself harder than your own intrinsic need and values because you are comparing to other people or standards
+ ‘control’, not relinquishing any control may make you work harder, if you feel like you can do it best
How to treat burnout?
Whilst there is no ‘remedy’ or prescription per se, I would encourage you to see your GP who can undertake the necessary tests and then refer you to whomever they feel necessary!
It could be to a psychologist, CBT, sleep studies, blood tests, adrenal function testing, thyroid function testing; whatever they deem appropriate, I believe they are the first point of call!
There could be an underlying thyroid condition, or adrenal related conditions such as Cushing’s or Addison’s disease, there could be depression. The tricky thing is if blood results don’t fit within the boundaries that are accepted in the medical world, there are shades of grey where you don’t feel your best self but cannot be ‘diagnosed’ as such.
Integrative GP’s can look into cortisol levels, heavy metals, and further neurotransmitter tests that may be of interest to you. Costly yes, I would 100% attest to that, but if you are intrigued as to what exactly is happening at a deeper level then look for an Integrative GP around you.
Other points that I feel are relevant include;
The PEARL TO PRACTICE this week is to look into your life and peel away the areas that bring you stress, or are kinks in your chain. For the TOP 3, I want you to think of ALL the things that you could try to help them, and then pick one strategy for each…implement and see how you find them!
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