There is a lot written about burnout and adrenal fatigue. The peak age of onset of fatigue related illness is people between the ages of 20 – 40, 82% of whom are women. Women just like you, who live busy, full lives with families and careers. Women who move out of their body and live in that headspace of tasks, responsibility and juggling time. Women who find they can’t get out of bed one day and say, ‘I just never thought it could happen to me’.
The 82% statistic only exists because we get so used to suppressing or over-riding the early warning symptoms our body sends. It signals the need for us to slow down via a headache, a feeling of overwhelm or a bloated gut. It is whispering the need to make some important changes.
It’s not just us, we get used to our friends and colleagues saying how ‘crazy busy’ they are, and how they long to stop but can’t. The biggest problem is, ‘out of balance life’ has becomes our society’s norm. Our bodies are amazing and as women we are incredibly resourceful, so we tend to adapt to problems as they arise and take on more and more. The difficulty comes when curve balls like a relationship breakdown, bereavement, financial crises or a virus hit us at a time when we have depleted our reserves.
Taking a moment to identify any physical ‘Early Warning Signs’ you might be experiencing and taking a quick glance at the checklist of the most common ‘Coping Mechanisms’ will be a useful snapshot of how you are taking care of yourself right now and whether it’s time to make some beneficial changes.
Early Warning Signs- Are you experiencing any of these regularly?
- Headaches increasing in frequency and severity
- Feeling stressed with normal workload
- Sudden bouts of total exhaustion often before you are due to do something you don’t enjoy
- Fuzzy head/poor concentration
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Sleep problems
- Anxiety, busy racing mind
- Bloating/ Irritable Bowel syndrome
- Pins and needles in face
- Unexplained pain in joints or muscles
- Palpitations
- Waking exhausted
- Migraine
- Vertigo
- Short term memory problems
- Poor word recall
- ‘Jangly’ or ‘juddery’ feeling inside body
- Struggle to cope with noise
- Low mood
- Tearful
- Reaction to caffeine
- Poor tolerance to alcohol
Coping Mechanisms – Are you using any of these to improve how you feel?
-
- Caffeine
- Energy Drinks Red Bull Lucozade/Sports Drinks
- Alcohol
- Anti-depressants
- Sleeping tablets
- Comfort eating with sugary or high fat foods
- Screening calls to avoid having to speak to people
- Withdrawing from social events
- Putting on an act or brave face
- Dishonesty about how tired or unwell you feel
- Started a gym routine to build stamina to combat exhaustion
- Blame external circumstances and believe you will feel better when they change
- Take time off from work just to go to bed
- Going to bed really early every night just to be able to get up and work
- Expect energy levels to change on their own
- Anti-depressants
- Sleeping tablets
- Loads of supplements in an ad hoc way
If you have ticked lots of boxes, it’s okay. Awareness is the Key to regaining our balance and health. You have taken your first step toward wellbeing.
Next Steps……
Gaining Clarity
1. Take some time to reflect on where you are right now and where you would love to be in terms of your health and lifestyle.
2. Notice if you dismiss what you really want, in favour of what you feel you must do.
3. Journaling is helpful to access what you been unable or anxious to voice.
Take Loving Action
Prioritise your wellbeing and seek some help and support to rebalance and rebuild your life in a way that honours your wellbeing above all else. Then you will be able to be everything you want to be in the world.
Claim Your Birth Right
Wellbeing is about feeling grounded, vibrant, and excited about your life. It’s only when we shine a light on behaviours, we may have slipped into, that we gain the perspective to take responsibility for creating our health and a life we truly love.
About Elaine Wilkins
The Yoga Retreat Reveller and Quad biking Glam-mother!
After losing her health to Chronic fatigue in 2000 Elaine had been written off as long term chronic patient because at no point did physicians look at underlying causes of her health crash. It took a 6-year journey to recovery. Her mission was set to change this.
Elaine Wilkins is the multi-award winning Founder and author of The Chrysalis Effect, first ever accredited training in ME, CFS and Fibro Prevention and Recovery, building an international network of experts on fatigue recovery. She is also a round table mentor for One of many. The Chrysalis Effect Online Recovery Programme for fatigue and fibromyalgia recovery is currently helping over 2600 people in 24 countries with their recovery. She is delighted that the first NHS GP Pilot begins in June. Find out more at www.thechrysaliseffect.co.uk
- Guest blog: How to heal burnout - May 22, 2018
