Beyond Burnout

Burnout creates unmotivated teams, but it's not always about work.

It can actually feel like severe anxiety and overwhelm where the mind is racing and the nervous system can't regulate - a constant buzz of fragmented energy. But it can also feel like 'hitting a wall' where you no longer have energy or a desire to 'show up'. Lack of motivation sets in and you're simply going through the motions.

What's really happening?

Your body is flooded with cortisol and adrenaline, and is trapped in a stress response. Sleep, metabolism and cognitive function are impacted negatively. What used to be a simple task takes longer, and what used to be tolerable is now a trigger. Hypersensitivity to the environment and overstimulation become the norm until your body simply can't keep pace and you crash.

Adrenal fatigue is when your body can no longer produce enough adrenaline and cortisol to maintain your previous energy level despite caffeine, stimulants like nicotine and simple carb intake. Afternoon crashes begin as insulin and blood sugar become irregular. Eventually, severe fatigue sets in and you don't feel like yourself or recognize who you've become.

Too tired. Too wired. Not motivated. Feeling stuck.

Here's the kicker...

Burnout doesn't have to be work related. It can be due to overexposure to any of the following:

• environmental toxins

• negative relationships

• wearing a 'mask' or lack of authenticity

• outcome orientation leading to disappointment when expectations aren't met

• poor diet

• inability to resolve past trauma or pain

• sedentary lifestyle

• incongruence between your values, actions, dreams and present situation

• victim mentality or scarcity mindset

• vitamin & mineral deficiency

Here's a simple hack to try...

Wake up and rather than picking up your phone or having a conversation, make a cup of hot water with some pink Himalayan salt. Take it outside and get some sun. Sit in silence and breathe. Select one SIMPLE thing to do differently today. Something small and tangible. Commit and do it.

Practice making this change over and over again for a week. Integrate it. Make it a habit. Evaluate how you feel. If it feels like a chore or you notice you're judging yourself, choose something smaller, less daunting. Keep practicing and noticing your reaction.

Then add to it. Little by little, week by week... select a handful of things you can change to invite back in agency. Discover your motivation and what brings you joy. Take back some control. Challenge your thinking.

Most importantly... CHANGE! Burnout is an invitation to change your personal reality by changing how you think, act and feel. When you are stuck in a rut, you have to move away from your predictable patterns and behaviors in order to rewire the brain and disrupt the biochemistry.

Let me know how it goes!