We often ask too much of ourselves. When do you speak of stress and when have you really gone too far and have a burnout? Learn how to recognize and prevent it.
In this article you will find out: What the difference is between stress and burnout | How to prevent burnout | How to recognize a burnout | How to get rid of it.
Also interesting to read: No stress! This way you also do more work in less time
What is the difference between stress and burnout?
Stress is a form of tension that occurs in people’s bodies in response to external stimuli. And you need stress. That’s not so bad. But if you have persistent stress for a long time, things will go wrong.
“If you have to perform, you need stress to perform well, such as during an exam or running competition,” says Heleen Plas, vitality coach and expert by experience. “Then the idea is to relax again. But that doesn’t work and if If you are under chronic stress for a long time, this can lead to burnout.”
With her practice Live it up Heleen Plas helps many people who suffer from burnout complaints. “Burnout occurs after long-term, often years of overload on your body. Your battery is completely empty. Stress is the first step. Then the battery is quite empty, but if you detect it in time you can still charge it, so you can get back on track. A burnout takes longer to recover. It takes you the same amount of time to recover as it took you to burn out.”
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A foot massage provides relaxation and tranquility
How do you recognize a burnout?
Your body has been sending out signals for some time that you may recognize, but you also think: it will all be over tomorrow. You feel very stressed, emotional, gloomy, get up tired and exhausted. Muscle tension, back problems, poor sleep and no longer being able to exercise are also common complaints.
“For a long time you don’t notice that anything is going on, until you really go over the edge and you realize, I have to do something about it,” says Plas. “Often the blow only comes when a doctor makes the diagnosis. Then you understand that you did not listen to your body, but only continued.”
How can you prevent or get ahead of it?
Unfortunately, burnout complaints are becoming increasingly common in the Netherlands. Also out the very recent research from TNO and Statistics Netherlands show that there is an increase in the number of cases of burnout, especially in the age category of 18 to 34 years. One in four workers from this group experiences burnout complaints. Young women in particular are more likely to suffer from severe burnout complaints: as much as 29 percent!
Heleen Plas: “In this performance society we spend too much time in our heads. As a result, we do not learn to recognize the signals that our body sends. The first thing you have to do is listen carefully to your body. Therefore build moments of relaxation in your daily life. When you come home from a busy work week: go outside. If you are too tired to go for a run, go for a walk. Seek out nature. Outdoor air and light are extremely beneficial to everyone. Also meditate can help. You want to calm your nervous system. It’s on all day.”
Furthermore, sufficient sleep is essential. And actually your entire lifestyle: nutrition, exercise and sleep. Plas: “The most important thing is: what makes you happy? If you always do something that does not make you happy, it causes a lot of stress, which can ultimately lead to burnout.”
How do you get rid of a burnout?
What if you ended up in a burnout? How do you get rid of it again? The vitality coach provides the following steps:
Step 1. Immediately give yourself the peace, space and time to tackle this.
Step 2: Seek help in the form of a vitality or stress and burnout coach or psychologist. You can often go a long way with a coach. Gain insight into why this happened to you and what your stressors are. If you are familiar with this, you will recognize the signals and you can do something with them for the rest of your life.
Step 3: Take good care of yourself in terms of nutrition and exercise. Avoid caffeine and sugars. Make sure you get enough omega 3, eat as many (organic) vegetables as possible and preferably eat a full meal three times a day at fixed times. Go for a walk and explore nature.
The importance of sleep
Sleep is an essential part of your vitality and important to prevent burnout. By sleeping, your body recovers during the night. To be good to sleep you need relaxation. So relaxation is essential. Plas: “Take good care of yourself and take moments of relaxation. Without enough sleep, you don’t recover enough and that also puts stress on your body.”
Tip from Heleen Plas: “The night reflects the day. If you have not recovered sufficiently during the day, this will affect the quality of your sleep. Leave screens off at least an hour before you go to sleep. Blue light (from screens) is a signal to your body that it needs to stay awake. Meditate or read a book so that your body prepares for a good night’s sleep.”
Also interesting to read: What is a sleep coach and what do you use it for?
Help from the vitality coach
Heleen Plas is a vitality coach and expert by experience. In her practice Live it up she helps people to find and feel their strength again and to experience more balance and energy in life. She does this, among other things, through walking coaching and running therapy, close to nature and the Noordwijk sea.
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2023-09-18 10:39:05
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