Have you met anyone recently who is just sailing through life with ease and enthusiasm? Most people just seem exhausted and overwhelmed and in dire need of a holiday…and its only May!
If you are one of those people, it’s time to recognise the signs of long term stress and start making changes in your life.
What is Burnout?
Burn out is defined as “a persistent, negative, work-related state in normal individuals that is primarily characterised by exhaustion, accompanied by distress, a sense of reduced effectiveness, decreased motivation and the development of dysfunctional attitudes and behaviours at work”
(Schaufeli & Enzmann, 1998)
The Causes
- Long term stress left unaddressed
- Lack of boundaries
- Lack of supportive relationships
- Consistently engaging in monotonous tasks
- Chaotic environments with a lack of clarity of expectations
- Being responsible for too many tasks and people
- A lack of positive feedback
- Poor self-care
The Symptoms
- Feeling exhausted most of the time
- Getting ill often
- Sleeping badly
- A lowered appetite
- Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, lack of drive and enthusiasm, apathy, dulled emotions, lack of concentration, poor memory and a loss of interest in things you previously enjoyed.
- Behavioral changes such as tardiness, spending time in bed or on meaningless activities.
Beat burnout in 7 steps
- Get 8 hours sleep per night
- Eat healthily and use wholesome supplements. Our resident medicine expert can guide you to the best supplement choices.
- Exercise at least 20 minutes a day or speak to our Phela fitness expert to design a tailored fitness programme exclusively for you.
- Use Heartmath – an interactive biofeedback programme which boosts resilience, decrease stress levels, enhance positive mood and improve the quality of your sleep
- Subscribe tp the Phela Habit Programme, an interactive goal directed initiative that will assist you in setting realistic and sustainable goals according to your personality.
- Take time to listen to your body.
- Make an effort to release pent up feelings as they accumulate – clear the slate daily.