During the summer, I checked out “Burnout” through Libby from my local library. I didn’t check it out because I felt I was burning out, but thought to myself “Well, now I’ll know the signs!”
Within the first couple chapters, I already learned something simple yet uncommonly talked about––breaking the stress response cycle. In essence, when we still feel wired after a stressful episode (in today’s world, it could mean anything from a high-stakes work meeting or feeling trapped in traffic), we haven’t broken the stress response cycle––the body still thinks it’s in a stressful environment. You might still experience a racing pulse, sweaty palms, or any other natural stress reaction long after you’ve returned home from a long commute or received kudos on a job well done on a stressful project.
The book dives into this on a deeper level, for a lot of daily stressors, there isn’t an immediate, natural break in the stress cycle where the body returns to it’s normal state. That’s because the stress reactions we face are still the same stress reactions humans faced many centuries ago where they were escaping predators or experiencing other physically stressful experiences. There would be a clear moment where you were no longer in imminent danger, and the body would return to its natural state.
And, if the stress response cycle isn’t broken, you’ll be carrying the weight of your stressors for extended periods of time. That accumulation and build-up of a constant state of stress is often what leads to burnout.
There’s always chatter around us about how to reduce stress or add self-care to your routine, but there’s rarely talk about how to break the stress response cycle. So here, paraphrased from the book, are 5 ways to bring yourself back to a balanced, normal state. As always, everyone will have a preference of what works well for them and how quickly an activity may bring them back to a normal state.
#1 – Physical Activity
Physical activity is one of the best ways, according to the book, to break the stress response cycle. Stress is a physical manifestation, so physical activity is a top choice for breaking the cycle. You don’t have to hit the gym, learn to box, or purchase an expensive membership to a fitness studio. Practically any form of physical activity counts. Dancing, walking, stretching, squeezing a stress ball, etc. are simple ways to bring in a form of physical activity.
#2 – Laughing
This is your excuse to sit on the couch and watch The Office for the rest of the evening. Just kidding. Laughing is a physical reaction that helps to release emotions! Whether your laughing with a friend or at the tv, it might be just what you need.
#3 – Expressing Creativity
Creative activities like painting, writing, knitting, coloring, etc. are great ways to focus on one thing and release stress. The ability to express creativity and experience flow state is part of why adult coloring books took off years ago. My take is if you’re in a creative profession, your creative hobby should be different than your day-to-day creative activities. That way, it’s not connected to work.
#4 – Crying
Ah, crying––arguably the most natural way to physically relieve stress. We’ve been crying since we were born. Growing up, we’re told that crying is for babies or something acceptable for one gender over another. Those beliefs shortchange all humans of the opportunity to engage in one of the most natural ways to release the stress we’re holding inside. If breaking the stress response cycle calls for crying, then feel empowered knowing you’re doing something positive for yourself.
#5 – Breathing
This one shouldn’t be too surprising. Meditation, breathing and mindfulness are widely discussed today, and are sometimes positioned as a silver bullet. Breathing is one of the physical ways we can control to regulate our nervous system. So, breathing is a great way to bring ourselves back to calmness. My take––some people need a few minutes of deep breathing while others need longer to benefit. Get started with deep breathing through a mindfulness app, YouTube, or simple box breathing techniques.
That’s it, those are the techniques! We all have different ways of dealing with stress––sometimes sitting on the couch and watching a funny show is far more appealing than exercising.
On a daily basis, I think of how I can incorporate one of these activities into my routine. Since I work from home, I use these techniques to transition my mind from work time to home time.
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I found a ton of value in the book Burnout by Emily Nagoski, PhD and Amelia Nagoski, DMA. I recommend reading the book even if to just understand some of the driving forces behind burnout in today’s society and how it impacts women adversely. Personally, I found it fascinating and find myself thinking further about some of the statistics in the book. You don’t have to be on the verge of burnout to learn more!
