10 Key Steps To Prevent Brain Burnout (And Stress) 2 Dec 2023 7:11 AM (last year)
When living in brain burnout life may seem useless, without purpose and stressful. Many people experience a hard time figuring out a viable exit.
If this is your case, don’t feel hopeless! There are plenty of methods you can employ to prevent or get out of brain burnout.
Read the recommendations below. Don’t try all at the same time. Focus on THE ONE that resonate best for you and take action! Small but consistent steps, that is the key.
Self-care
Self-care is at the core of preventing burnout. More often than not, those who experience burnout are sorely lacking in this area, as they neglect their needs and do not manage their stress.
Self-care is the cornerstone of preventing burnout
- Have a mindful and deliberate stress management plan
- Putting yourself first
- Understand what your needs are
- Ask for help
Moreover, for anyone in a care-taking profession it is vital to strike a balance between self-care and care giving. The majority of your workday is focused on caring for others, and it can be rewarding. However, if you do not take time to talk about your frustrations and enjoy time for you, you are inviting burnout. Especially if you also provide care in your time off.
Physical Health
You have to get a good night’s sleep, exercise regularly, and eat healthy. When your burden increases, the first thing that happens is you lose sleep. Poor sleep leads to poor diet, resulting in a lack of motivation to exercise. When your physical body is not well taken care of, it becomes ineffective at handling a busy lifestyle, and this is when stress becomes more of a burden and leads to extreme fatigue and mental exhaustion.
Your body needs good sleep for energy and to keep all internal processes running at their best, and this helps protect you in many ways from the debilitating effects of stress that leads to burnout.
It will be the last thing on your mind when you experience a burnout, but it’s vital that you aim to get 20 minutes of physical activity in every day, it’s one of the best preventive measures. Regular exercise supplies oxygen to the brain promotes healthy energy and is a key stress management tool.
Burnout will have you craving sugary and high fat foods; however, this will just make matters worse. Ensure you are eating a balanced diet, with plenty of Omega-3 to boost your mood. You are likely consuming too much alcohol as a way of coping, cut back and avoid smoking, too. Just as your body needs sleep, good food supports healthy energy levels and supports the body in fighting off the detrimental effects of stress that leads to burnout.
Knowing And Setting Your Limits
Unfortunately, a burnout will not just disappear on its own; it will only get worse until you address the issues that are creating the problem. Ignore it at your own peril. The process of recovery is slow, and you will need both space and time to recover, so don’t feel that you need to rush through the recovery process.
Part of the recovery process is knowing and setting your limits. There are a variety of strategies that you can employ, and some will work for you, while others won’t. Everyone reacts differently to these strategies, however, there is something that will work for you.
The Why – How can you set your limits if you have not taken time to identify the cause of the burnout.
It may be obvious in some situations, or it may require some serious introspection. Start with any resentments that you are feeling about work.
For instance, Sally manages a large team worldwide, so her workday begins at 5 in the morning. This doesn’t bother her because she loves her job and respects her team. However, she often resents her boss asking her to stay late, because her boss forgets that her day starts so early. This results in longer work ours and Sally missing out on key time with her loved ones.
For Sally, her burnout wasn’t the result of a hatred of her job, but rather missing out on time with her family. So, consider the negative feelings you have to get to the root of the issue. Once you have identified the root cause of the burnout, write down a way to eliminate or manage that source. You can also keep a stress diary to note down what has resulted in stress. This can be a great learning method to find the cause of your stress and burnout.
The solution for Sally was simple, she needed to sit down with her boss to talk about her working hours to remind her boss that her 5am start prevented her from staying late, as it had a serious impact on her family time. For you, it may be an issue with workload and the need to delegate responsibilities. Or a lack of reward.
It’s vital that you know and understand what puts you over the edge, in order to set your limits.
Consider These Actions
- Identify your limits and boundaries
- Set your limits
- Respect your limits
- Get tuned into and start listening to your inner compass, it tells you exactly what is wrong or right for you
- Stop people pleasing
- Compassionate self-care – if you want to show compassion to others, you first need to show yourself compassion
Valued
A heavy workload without proper compensation is going to contribute to a burnout. If this describes you, you have to stand up for yourself. If you are being piled on with work you need to find a way to say no, or to delegate. In some cases, it may be time to find a new job, especially if your values are mismatched.
Take Time Out
It’s vital that you take time away from your job. At the very least, you must take two weeks of vacation (one week, twice) and during this time, you should not keep contact with work. It is also important to take one day a week to just relax and enjoy life. Whether you love to garden, barbecue, or play sports. Time outs are also important on a day-to-day basis, which means taking breaks and especially during high stress days.
Group
Joining a group can be helpful, provided you are taking part in something that you enjoy. A key contributor to a burnout is a lack of community. If you cannot find a group that fits, start your own.
Invest
Whether it is a partner, your friends or children, you should invest time in your loved ones. It is also important to foster relationships with coworkers, as this can buffer stress that leads to burnout.
Having healthy relationships with coworkers is an important consideration in the workplace, as strife leads to undue stress that can easily contribute to burnout in the long-run. Rather than spending your breaks on the phone, engage with your colleagues.
Efficient Mindset
Stay organized in your work and personal life
- Lists
- Calendars
Avoid clutter at your workspace and in your home, as clutter is havoc that only adds to stress. Clutter is interpreted in the mind as a lack of control, and also leads to not being able to find things you need, which is frustrating and contributes to stress.
Adopt a positive mental attitude, as positive thinking is key in healthy stress management and avoiding burnout.
- Avoid negative thoughts and negativity
- Turn negative thoughts to positive
- Look for the silver lining
- Keep an optimistic attitude
Expect the Unexpected
When you are met with the unexpected, are not upset or stressed, instead you should learn how to roll with the punches. There will always be something, whether it is a computer crash, your child getting sick, or being caught in traffic at the worst possible time. You should always expect the unexpected. Don’t let it throw you off, learn to adjust your plans. Remember, there are times where a balance is impossible. You may be met with a crisis (career, family, or personal) that needs your full attention. Simply do what it takes to deal with it, and when things return to normal, take time out for some self-care.
- Practice and master the art of “rolling with the punches”
- Learn to handle uncertainty, adversity, and unforeseen events
- Adjust your plans as needed
- Don’t dwell on what you cannot control, focus on what you can control
Learning To Say No Can Set You Free
Some people find it extremely difficult to say no or set boundaries with others. For workaholics and people pleasers it can be challenging. What we have grown accustomed to is reading articles, books and more about how powerful yes is, or just saying yes to everything.
Yes, yes can be a good thing, however, it is just as important to learn when and how to say no. If you say yes to everyone and everything then you are going to be left feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and eventually experiencing burnout. The majority of people like to please others, and want to be liked, making it difficult to say no to requests. There are three tips, however, that will help you set healthy boundaries.
- Get Tuned In – Everyone has an inner compass, a sense of wisdom that indicates when something is a no, or a yes. The problems arise when we argue with that inner compass. If you’ve been ignoring it for a while, it’s important that you start listening now. You know when something feels wrong, or is too much for you- start following the voice.
- Tolerate Reactions – The fact of the matter is setting boundaries invites an emotional reaction. When you start to say no, people will get disappointed, or even angry. You cannot allow that to put you off, because in the long run it will improve relationships. If you don’t respect your boundaries, it will lead to resentment. However, if you stay the course, people will respect you and your boundaries.
- Compassionate Self-Care – If you want to show compassion to others, you first need to show yourself compassion. If your job is in care giving, then start by giving yourself the same level of kindness that you do to others. Regardless of your job, you need to set time aside every week to indulge in some self-care. Pick something that is pleasurable and relaxing for you, no matter what it is.
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What Is Brain Burnout? Is It Depression? 2 Dec 2023 7:07 AM (last year)
The highest brain burnout rates belong to caregivers, such as physicians, nurses, teachers, and social workers. However, it can affect anyone, including retailers, professional athletes, CEOs, and call center employees. Over time, a job that asks too much from its employees will result in negativity and desperateness, because people struggle to balance deadlines with everything else they need to do.
Essentially, a brain burnout occurs when the demands of a role exceed someone’s ability to cope with their stress levels.
Defined as cynicism, a loss of motivation, and a sense of being depleted emotionally, the term was coined in 1974 by Herbert Freudenberger, a psychologist. He personally witnessed these symptoms in free clinic volunteers who had once been upbeat and committed mental health associates, but the depleting resulted in the resentment of the clinic and the patients.
Christina Maslach, a brain burnout researcher and professor emerita at Berkeley started her research in the 70’s by interviewing service employees extensively. Maslach found a trend as she analyzed the interviews – the employees were profoundly exhausted, suffering a crisis of confidence, and felt negatively toward patients and clients. Just as the symptoms of depression do, the burnout was strangling idealism, sense of worth, and ambition.
Her article regarding the research was published in 1976 and created a stir. The concept of burnout was out there, and Maslach was contacted by people suffering the effects, not realizing there was a reason for it. Because of Maslach’s article, more research was completed which led to more books and academic attention.
Maslach continued her work and along with Rutgers University’s Susan E Jackson, produced the Maslach Burnout Inventory. This is a scale which evaluates the level of burnout and is based on three stress responses: feeling a lack of accomplishment and professional ineffectiveness, feeling detached and cynical, and overwhelming exhaustion.
When the balance of working hours, deadlines and demands surpass the recognition, rewards, and relaxation, there is a perfect storm for burnout.
According to Maslach (and collaborators), there are six components in a workplace environment that lead to burnout When one, or more, of these is mismatched, it results in a burnout. Those are:
- Control
- Values
- Fairness
- Workload
- Community
- Reward
Do you want to learn more? Read the 10 Key Steps To Prevent Brain Burnout.
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Superb Brain Food is the Omega-3 Fatty Acids 17 Nov 2023 5:49 PM (last year)
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, fish is the ultimate brain food, all because of omega-3 fatty acids.
They contain anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, reducing the risk of stroke and improving a healthier brain function. It can also reduce the risk of depression, bipolar disorder, and dementia.
A paper by the National Library of Medicine indicates that most of the global population is deficient in long-chain marine omega-3s.
The paper is titled “The Importance of Marine Omega-3s for Brain Development and the Prevention and Treatment of Behavior, Mood, and Other Brain Disorders”. It indicates the importance of omega-3 fatty acid as brain food and eye development and the significant role in mental health throughout early childhood and even into adulthood.
The paper concludes that brain supplementing with marine omega-3s may benefit behavior, mood, and certain brain disorders. Considering that most of any given population is deficient in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and that supplementing with marine omega-3s is safe, taking a daily marine omega-3 supplement may be a cost-effective strategy for supporting brain and mood health.
When possible, try to get your omega-3 fatty acids from foods rather than supplements.
Fatty fish, like salmon, is high in omega-3 fatty acids that are critical for brain development and function. In general, the American Heart Association recommends people without a history of heart disease eat at least two servings of fish per week (6 ounces to 8 ounces total).
A publishing by The New York Times indicates that to help patients remember the best foods to eat to support brain health, Dr. Ramsey has devised a simple mantra: “Seafood, greens, nuts and beans — and a little dark chocolate.”
In this article, Dr. Ramsey calls leafy greens the foundation of a brain health diet because they’re cheap, versatile and have a high ratio of nutrients to calories.
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Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid 9 Nov 2023 8:57 PM (last year)
The B complex vitamins play an important role in overall health and wellbeing.
B12 protects the brain from injury and disease, while folic acid regulates development and neurotransmitter activity.
The National Library of Medicine published a study titled “Vitamin B12 Enhances Nerve Repair and Improves Functional Recovery After Traumatic Brain Injury by Inhibiting ER Stress-Induced Neuron Injury”.
The study indicates that Vitamin B12 has been reported to promote axon growth of neuronal cells after peripheral nerve injury, which is currently used for the treatment of peripheral nerve damage in the clinical trial.
Another study from the same institution indicates that “it seems that folic acid supplementation may improve cognitive function by decreasing homocysteine (Hcy), vascular care, attenuating inflammatory status, modification of cerebral folic acid deficiency, and antioxidant responses. Specifically, people with high levels of Hcy have a better response to folic acid supplementation, which may arise from low serum folate concentration.”
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Activate Your Brain with Coffee 9 Nov 2023 8:57 PM (last year)
Caffeine is a natural stimulant, and in coffee, you have the ability to activate the area of the brain, which improves cognitive functioning. Better yet, it’s packed with antioxidants, which promote neuron recovery from stress and injury.
Research from Johns Hopkins University suggests that just an 8-ounce cup of Joe is sufficient to boost short-term memory and improve attention.
The research titled “Caffeine has positive effect on memory, Johns Hopkins researchers say” has identified coffee as a memory enhancer. “Its particular effects on strengthening memories and making them resistant to forgetting has never been examined in detail in humans”, study says.
“Whether it’s a mug full of fresh-brewed coffee, a cup of hot tea, or a can of soda, consuming caffeine is the energy boost of choice for millions who want to wake up or stay up.”
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Brains Expands Making Space for Additional Knowledge 9 Nov 2023 8:57 PM (last year)
Studies from the University College London show that London taxi drivers have a larger hippocampus than others do (in the case of this study, the other group studied was bus drivers), because their brains expanded to make space for their additional knowledge.
Professor Spiers said: “We know from previous research that the hippocampi of London taxi drivers’ brains are larger than average, and that this is also an area that shrinks in people with Alzheimer’s disease.”
Taxi drivers are focused to use their brains to navigate routes, while bus drivers travel a specific route. So, forget GPS, use your brain to navigate the next time you’re going somewhere new.
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Complex Carbohydrates to Increase Alertness 9 Nov 2023 8:57 PM (last year)
A glucose deficiency can affect your ability to think clearly and concentrate, your brain needs it. Increasing your intake of complex carbs will increase alertness.
Don’t turn to energy drinks, instead choose oatmeal, green pees, brown rice, and whole-wheat bread, these provide you with energy all day long.
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Eating Apples is as Excellent Way to Stave Off Memory Loss 9 Nov 2023 8:57 PM (last year)
You’ve heard that an apple a day is a great way to keep the doctor at bay? Well, it’s also an excellent way to stave off memory loss.
Apple skins contain quercetin, which according to one study (The neuroprotective potential of flavonoids: a multiplicity of effects; Vaouzour, et al) is a chemical that provides neuroprotective properties to battle cell damage.
You can also find quercetin in parsley, red wine (yes), citrus fruits, tea, sage, and onions.
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Eat Nuts to Improve Cognitive Function 9 Nov 2023 8:57 PM (last year)
If squirrels had the ability to talk, they would probably brag about how amazing nuts are for brain power.
Nuts (and seeds) are chockfull of zinc, which, according to the University of Lancashire, is effective in improving cognitive function. Nuts also contain vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that boosts cognitive function.
An article by Harvard Health Publishing highlights nuts as one of the foods linked to better brainpower. The article says that “Nuts are excellent sources of protein and healthy fats, and one type of nut in particular might also improve memory.”
Another study reveals that “Higher nut intake may be related to better overall cognition at older ages, and could be an easily-modifiable public health intervention.”.
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Leafy Green Vegetables to Prevent Dementia 9 Nov 2023 8:57 PM (last year)
Leafy greens contain vitamins and minerals that prevent dementia. Just like spices, leafy greens are rich in polyphenols, which protect the brain from disease and injury.
According to the RMIT University in Australia, polyphenols can prevent strokes, and delay the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Another study titled “Food for Thought: The Impact of Polyphenols on Brain Health” presents reference to evidence for developing specific flavonoids as therapeutics for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).
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