Stress & Burnout

Most of us are used to hearing about the negative effects of stress but still very few really take it seriously. We can be quite good at acknowledging when others need to slow down, take a break or say no but many of us really fail to read the signs when we, ourselves, are burning out until it’s too late. We are preoccupied with work, checking email incessantly, plugging into social media, meeting friends, caring for our children or elderly parents, making dinner, running errands, trying to find our perfect romantic match… all the while insisting on efficiency and perfection. In this modern way of living we don’t even realise what is too much to handle.

While a certain amount of stress can actually test us in some positive ways where we rise to the challenge, too much can have detrimental effects on our emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing. Burnout manifests in a variety of ways including the onset of chronic anxiety, panic attacks, depression, anger, obsessive tendencies, chronic pain, medical issues, poor sleep, a change in appetite, mania, psychosis, etc. In this place, we must learn to take care of ourselves, recognise the signs of burnout and learn how to slow and value downtime.