Given recent research that 89% of surveyed employees said they’d experienced burnout in the last year and 70% (yes, 70%!) would leave their jobs because of it, we’re putting even more focus on helping you reduce burnout both in the workplace or with individual coaching.
As someone who has experienced burnout a few times throughout my life (both in the corporate and entrepreneurial world and the world of motherhood), I understand not only how it feels and how challenging it can be, but also what it takes to stay resilient. I am also fascinated by different practitioners’ tools and guidance around burnout, so in my own reading and learning, I’m always updating HEAL’s burnout and resilience ‘toolbox’ to help our clients.
One such book that really resonated with a new perspective around burnout was Dr. Izabella Wentz’ book, “Adrenal Transformation Protocol”. If fatigue, burnout, brain fog, stress, anxiety and/or increased peace of mind are all topics you’re interested in, I recommend picking it up!
In today’s article, I’ll share some of my key takeaways from the book that may be new principles around burnout for you. While what I’m sharing today is at a high level, these takeaways are explained in more depth and detail in our workplace wellness programs.
One of the biggest principles from the book is about providing the body with feelings of safety. Reducing threats and stressors can look like different things for different people; for example, in some, it could be getting rid of a gut infection (more on that below). For others, it could be psychological safety. To properly heal from burnout, we must continuously send our body messages of safety vs. threat. Examples of this could be focusing on positive thought patterns through gratitude and journaling, having self-compassion, and making sure you are doing things for fun. As we shift into more of a feeling of safety, our body can shift into the parasympathetic state (or rest and digest) vs a sympathetic state (fight or flight). Dr Wentz goes into more detail and examples in her book.
Inflammation, which often originates in the gut, can also be a stressor on the body. A probiotic that has gained attention more and more over the last few years is Saccharomyces Boulardii (or Saccro B). Saccro B is a really neat strain of probiotic as it is yeast-based (but a beneficial yeast-based strain). It’s been shown to improve the microbiome after antibiotics, and can also prevent bacteria, parasites, viruses and other pathogens from taking hold in the body. Regardless of whether you have bacteria imbalances or parasites though, Saccro B can reduce inflammation in the digestive system, something that is critical for optimal energy and adrenal health.
This one isn’t actually that new, but we can’t talk about burnout without talking about blood sugar levels. Why? Too large swings in blood sugar are actually a stressor on the body, and we’re trying to reduce stressors. This is why I talk so much about continuous glucose monitoring! One particular nutrient that supports blood sugar is myo-inositol. It has been shown to be anti-inflammatory and has antioxidant properties, not to mention it can help regulate blood sugar by increasing insulin sensitivity (in combination with eating properly).
You may have heard of inositol for PCOS as well as PCOS can also be intimately connected to blood sugar levels, and supplementing with myo-inositol has also been shown to improve pregnancy rate and ovarian function.
You may have heard of the importance of limiting your light exposure at night as it prevents melatonin production, but do you know about the importance of sunlight in the morning? It’s becoming more mainstream knowledge now, but one of the best ways to improve your circadian rhythm and in turn your sleep, is to get bright light on your eyes, first thing in the morning, ideally outside. This actually supports a strong release of cortisol, which we want in the morning, and those with burnout often have low levels of cortisol. Natural light also supports mood and attention too!
If you’re interested in more tools around supporting burnout, we have the following:
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