01/11/2024
βπ£ππππππ π₯ππ βπ ππ: on burnout and working out
Burnout is a stress state characterized by mental and physical exhaustion
When you and your body feel like this, this is not the time to jump on the treadmill, sign up for a marathon or workout harder. It is in fact a time to prioritize sleep, healthy eating and relaxation.
Your body only recognizes and responds to stress, not what type. Exercise, specifically hard exercise (yes, even hot yoga is in this category- maybe even power walking depending on how burnout you are) is a stressor. Your body can perceive work demands, home demands and exercise all the same way. If your body is in burnout, exercise is one more stressor that is causing further symptoms of exhaustion.
The not so nice part of burnout is that it typically makes you sleep less, eat more or crave more sugars/alcohol and gain weight.
The first step to recovering from burnout is not to do more, but to DO LESS.
Not get up earlier, but to get up later.
Not to work out harder or longer or more, but to do less working out right now and finding slower shorter movement sessions or to cease this part for the short term
Not to say yes at work, but to set boundaries and say no
Not to get your kids doing more extracurricular activities, but less
Not to do more for your kids around the house, but to have them do more for you around the house
Not to drink more coffee, but to drink less coffee
Not to drink one more glass of wine, but to put yourself to bed one hour earlier
Not to scroll just a little bit longer, but to put the phone down earlier and go to bed earlier
Not to do 75 hard, but to do 75 easy
