Across most cultures we all admire hard workers, especially when effort leads to great success. There is something mysterious and inspiring about people who are very focused on their work projects, leaving competitors behind and enjoying the fruits of their labour. The work ethic is widely celebrated in the media, and globally taught in homes, schools and universities.
So it might seem a contradiction to suggest that this allegiance to competitive effort can have a downside. However, many studies such as American Psychological Association (APA) Reports suggest that the busy lifestyles of successful professionals can lead to states of anxiety, depression and isolation.
The APA has conducted numerous studies and surveys that indicate high levels of work-related stress are prevalent among competitive professionals. These studies often point out that long working hours, job insecurity, and the pressure to perform contribute significantly to burnout. A report from the Mayo Clinic revealed that 40% of employees at high-stress jobs experienced burnout, leading to anxiety, depression, and physical health problems.
This awareness of burnout has led to creative holistic health ideas of how to prevent it by finding balance and vitality through understanding the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. A lot can be done to prevent burnout and cultivate a healthy work-life balance. By integrating holistic health practices into your daily routine, you can cultivate resilience and enhance your well-being. Self-regulation of stress along with energy management can be achieved through self-awareness, lifestyle changes and simple practices.
Burnout – the Only Addiction that Society Applauds?
Societies around the globe openly admire hard work and celebrate the successes it can bring in the forms of finance, respect, position, power, and prestige. These are all heady incentives as we yearn to find safety within the herd. Could it be that burnout is simply a consequence of a hidden addiction disguised as virtue?
Suppose we use Pia Mellody’s view of addiction as being any activity or process that relieves unbearable reality and becomes a priority, replacing other priorities, and is continued even in the face of negative consequences. In that case, we can see long hours at the office and an elevated need for success in a competitive environment in a new, revealing light. Does the virtue of the work ethic slowly become a damaging coping mechanism, a place to hide from other areas of life?
As more and more adults in therapy explore their childhoods for answers to their present-day problems an interesting trend emerges. Many reveal that one or both of their parents were never present during their childhood as they were so busy with their work. Does this mean that their mum or dad didn’t love them? Of course not. However, it might indicate that over-prioritized work had replaced the natural priorities of family life and leisure – a typical symptom of a poor work-life balance.
Understanding Burnout and Its Effects
Burnout manifests as physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged and excessive stress. It is well-researched that chronic stress can drain your energy, reduce your performance, and make you feel increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful.
While it’s essential to recognize the symptoms of burnout—such as fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, and a sense of inefficacy—it’s even more crucial to take proactive steps to prevent it. By embracing holistic health strategies, you can create a personal blueprint for sustainable wellness that seamlessly integrates into your busy lifestyle.
A good example of this is the case of ‘Bernard’ who entered an exclusive residential treatment facility for executive burnout and substance use disorder. In his mind it was hard to figure out which came first ‘the chicken or the egg’. Was he using cocaine and alcohol to help him cope with the stress of his position as an executive of a global corporation? Or was the substance use causing added stress at work and at home? The clinical team treating him also found this a difficult call to make. His case was further complicated by the heavy doses of medication he had been taking for years for diagnosed ADHD.
Faced with all these complicated facets of his disturbed psychology Bernard and his clinical team opted to keep things simple and detox him from alcohol and cocaine and provide a structured daily routine of therapy, good food and exercise. The difficulty was that his job would only allow him to spend 9 days in treatment and he was swept back into his old coping mechanisms as soon as he got home – using substances to help him cope with work and stopping exercise because of his demanding schedule.
Ideally, Bernard needed to take more time to incorporate new healthy habits into his busy and stress-filled life – simple practices to help him self-regulate his emotional and mental states. Some of these practices are listed below:
- Mindful Living: The Power of Presence
Mindfulness is the practice of staying present and fully engaging with the current moment without judgement. For busy professionals, mindfulness can be a powerful tool for reducing stress and enhancing focus. Here’s how you can incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine:
- Start Your Day Mindfully: Begin each morning with a few minutes of mindful breathing or meditation. Focus on your breath, noticing the rise and fall of your chest, and setting a calm tone for the day ahead.
- Mindful Transitions: Transitioning from one task to another can be stressful. Use these moments for a quick reset by taking a few deep breaths, stretching, or simply pausing to acknowledge your achievements and set intentions for your next task.
- Mindful Eating: Take time to savour your meals without distractions. Pay attention to the flavours, textures, and aromas. This practice can enhance digestion and foster a deeper appreciation for nourishing your body. It is also helpful to avoid snacking between meals.
- Movement as Medicine
Another powerful tool is to Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. This is paramount to maintaining physical and mental health. Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters, and reduces stress hormones like cortisol. Regular exercise reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression by up to 30%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Here’s how you can make movement a part of your busy life:
- Integrate Exercise into Your Schedule: Make body movement as indispensable as brushing your teeth or showering. Whether it’s a morning yoga session, a lunchtime walk, or an evening jog, prioritise time for movement.
- Embrace Variety: Find activities that excite you, such as dancing, swimming, or practising martial arts like Qi Gong or Pencak Silat. Keeping your routine varied prevents boredom and engages different muscle groups.
- Desk Exercises: Incorporate simple stretches or exercises like squats or calf raises into your work day. These exercises can be done without leaving your desk and help alleviate tension from prolonged sitting.
- Food as nourishment
Equally important is food. Your dietary habits significantly influence your energy levels, mood, and overall health. A holistic approach to nutrition involves mindful eating and the intentional selection of foods that fuel and protect your body. So many busy professionals rarely eat home-cooked food, and opt instead for quick and easy meals such as takeaway or delivery.
- Learn the Basics of Nutrition: Be curious about what food is healthy and what is toxic. Read books and articles, and watch YouTube videos about how food affects your health.
- Eat Whole Foods: Focus on a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Choosing nutrient-dense foods provides sustainable energy for a busy day.
- Stay Hydrated: Dehydration can lead to fatigue and decreased cognitive performance. Keep a water bottle handy and aim to drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
- Mindful Meal Prep: Plan and prepare your meals ahead of time to ensure you have access to nutritious options, even on your busiest days. This practice reduces reliance on processed, convenient foods that may lack essential nutrients.
- Balance and Boundaries
Managing stress is crucial for preventing burnout, and this often involves reassessing your workload and personal boundaries.
- Set Clear Boundaries: Define clear limits on your working hours. Communicate effectively with colleagues about your availability to ensure you’re not overextending yourself. Remember your self-care will benefit you and your work performance.
- Prioritise Tasks: Use tools like to-do lists or digital planners to organise tasks based on urgency and importance. This strategy helps you focus on priorities and reduces feelings of being overwhelmed. This will create a better work-life balance.
- Embrace the Art of Saying No: Honour your limits by saying no to tasks or engagements that don’t align with your current priorities or values. This practice is a powerful form of self-respect and preservation. It can take courage at first but it is so worth the effort.
- Emotional Wellness: Connect and Reflect
Building emotional resilience is pivotal in protecting yourself from burnout. This involves cultivating relationships and practices that foster emotional well-being.
- Connect with Others: Maintain supportive relationships with friends, family, and colleagues. Cultivate a community that provides encouragement, empathy, and a listening ear when needed. Humans do not perform well in isolation. Of course, connecting with others requires some time and effort, which enables you to disconnect from the compulsive work practices that lead to burnout.
- Reflective Practices: Journaling is a therapeutic way to process emotions and reflect on life’s experiences. Spend a few minutes each day writing about your thoughts, feelings, and achievements to gain clarity and emotional release. Again, this changes your focus from the distraction of work obsession and allows you time to simply be with yourself, your feelings, and your thoughts, revealing your true state of mind.
- Restorative Sleep
Adequate sleep is the cornerstone of holistic health, influencing every aspect of your well-being. Ensuring you get quality rest by applying sleep hygiene techniques is essential for energy, concentration, and emotional balance. The Sleep Foundation reports that lack of sleep due to high workloads reduces productivity by 19%, and sleep-deprived employees are 60% more likely to experience job burnout.
- Establish a Sleep Routine: Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Create a calming bedtime routine by disconnecting from screens, winding down with a book, or practising gentle yoga or meditation.
- Optimise Your Sleep Environment: Ensure your bedroom promotes relaxation. Keep it cool, quiet, and dark, and invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows.
- Nap Wisely: If you find yourself exhausted during the day, a short power nap of 20-30 minutes can provide a refreshing boost without interfering with nighttime sleep.
- Music Designed to Promote Deep Sleep: There are many apps that offer music designed to promote deep sleep using binaural beats and ambient sounds. Listening to them while falling asleep can be very helpful to calm the mind to a Delta state, ideal for restorative sleep.
All the above suggestions can help to avoid the serious perils of burnout and are vital in recovery from work addiction or any other compulsive behaviour. However, even these simple tools can seem impossible to someone on the slippery slopes of burnout. For these people, professional help is suggested.
Professional Support to Avoid Burnout
Therapists and counsellors: Don’t hesitate to reach out to a therapist or counsellor if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Professional guidance can provide you with strategies to manage stress and improve mental health.
Society has changed its views on therapy dramatically in recent years. Previously therapy seemed to be necessary only for the mentally ill or emotionally weak. Now, it is recognised that many successful people are finding more balance, well-being, and clear-mindedness through therapy sessions. There are many therapy modalities to choose from so it is wise to choose one that fits your needs best.
Career Coaches: Many successful professionals claim to have been greatly helped by hiring a career coach to help them identify the issues at work that are draining their energy and creating anxiety. Coaches can offer good objective suggestions for change at work.. People often say that ‘when I talk about my difficulties I can hear myself think’, so in sessions, the solution that has eluded you for years can quickly become obvious when discussing work in a safe and compassionate space.
A good example of this is the case of ‘Johana’ who had a prestigious position in a large LGBTQ+ medical facility in the USA. She found herself despondent, afraid, angry, and confused while treading the tightrope of ethical nuances around race, ethnicity, gender, and social standing which were prevalent at her place of work. She hired a career coach and found her state of mind quickly shifted as she realised she had the option to choose to leave the job despite its prestige and financial rewards. A few months later she found herself earning double the salary in a dream job at another facility in the same city.
Biofeedback and Neurofeedback: As new technology becomes more available, psychologists and psychiatrists are increasingly using biofeedback and neurofeedback in their sessions. Both are modalities that use real-time monitoring to help individuals gain control over physiological processes, but they focus on different aspects of the body’s functioning.
Practices such as focused breathing, mindfulness, and meditation can become more powerful for the client when they understand the science behind them. When people understand why they are practising a modality, they tend to be more successful in its application. They can be greatly encouraged when they see their progress measurable in a scientific way.
Biofeedback generally encompasses a wide range of physiological functions. It involves monitoring bodily systems such as heart rate, muscle tension, skin temperature, and respiration. It is used to manage stress, anxiety, chronic pain, hypertension, and other conditions so it is a useful tool to avoid burnout. A good example of this is the use of devices to measure ‘heart coherence’ developed by the HeartMath™ Institute.
Neurofeedback, a specialised type of biofeedback, specifically focuses on brain wave activity. It uses electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor the electrical activity of the brain. Neurofeedback is commonly used for neuropsychological issues, targeting mental health and cognitive function by training individuals to regulate their brain activity.
Creating Your Own Path to Holistic Health and Wellness With Thera Bespoke
When faced with early symptoms of compulsive work and burnout, incorporating holistic health strategies into your busy lifestyle doesn’t require a complete overhaul. By gradually integrating these practices, you can create a personalised approach to wellness that protects against burnout and fosters a richer, more fulfilling life.
Be gentle and compassionate with yourself and begin with baby steps, you don’t have to do it all at once. Much better to create healthy habits that are sustainable than to bite off more than you can chew and give up after a week. Play the long game. Approach your self care with kindness and patience. Be curious and keep exploring options. Eventually, you will find the practices that best suit you and are most effective in your life. It is never too late to start your journey to holistic health.
Over time you will hardly recognise yourself as you embody self care. Your health will improve, your relationships will become more rewarding, brain fog will lift and your performance at work will excel. True wellness is a lifelong commitment to harmonising your mind, spirit, and body. A busy work life can be a noble endeavor as opposed to a toxic and stressful compulsion. You will become the person you always yearned to be with an excellent work/life balance.
If you would like to know more about how to avoid or treat burnout, please do not hesitate to reach out to Thera Bespoke.
