Burnout is real, whether it is overwhelm of our body or minds....it can effect us either way or both.
Modern life is placing increasing demands on careers, finances, relationships and the demands we at times place on our bodies to be in the best physical shape 24/7. Burnout happens.
Symptoms of Burnout.
- Chronic fatigue
- Sleeplessness or Insomnia
- No energy workouts
- Irritability and anxiousness
- Loss of appetite
- Weight gain or loss
- Unable to break through a plateau
- Nagging / repeated injuries
- Feeling overwhelmed with life
If you are experiencing these symptoms then you are not alone. Pushing too hard with over-training and it is likely your body will react with similar symptoms. It is so easy to fall into the mindset of "more is always better".
At times we can assume that if we hit a plateau in our training, doing more or cutting food even more will get things moving again. Whilst there is merit to pushing harder to achieve results that does not equate to doing more is best for you. Plain and simple - you need to rest as hard as you work. If you are taking out rest time (this also includes mental and emotional rest) to add in more work, you are setting yourself up for more burnout....because the body grows and recovers during rest.
How to Recover from Burnout
Burnout is basically the result of chronically elevated stress hormones due to over-training. So, the foundation step in recovery from this overwhelm and reducing stress hormones is to rest.
Elevated cortisol in particular can disrupt your hormonal system, interrupting your sleep, causing your body to hold onto fat and causing exhaustion, as well as many other symptoms on the above list.
When you relax and rest, you give your body the opportunity to stop pumping out cortisol, and instead activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which tells your body it is safe to rest and recover.
How to Recover
- Take a week off from training. You can still do light training but stop any form of intense training.
- Do Deep Breathing. Try diaphragmatic breathing to reduce unwanted cortisol. Place one hand lightly on your chest and one hand on your stomach. Breathe in deeply, to a count of 10, into your stomach- your stomach should expand outward as your diaphragm expands. Hold on for a moment, then fully exhale - again to a count of 10, drawing your navel in. Repeat for 5 minutes. This breathing exercise will help with lowering your pulse rate and blood pressure and assist with blood flow.
- Eat More. For some this may seem surprising but if you have been restricting your food or carb intake, try adding more clean calories and carbs- like more healthy fats (avocado, cheese, eggs, salmon, trout, sardines, almonds, virgin olive oil, olives, tofu) and carbs like sweet potato.
- Magnesium supplements. Magnesium helps soothe the nervous system, combat depression and boost exercise performance.
- Go Barefoot. Go for a walk in the park, find nature and let your bare feet feel the grass and tune in with nature. Relax.
- Return Slowly. When you start your workouts again, start slowly. Gradually increase your intensity and be sure to avoid doing extremely high intensity workouts more than 3-4 times per week depending on your current conditioning level. Be sure to add in a full rest day as well as short periods of relaxation throughout your day, or even before bed.
Remember to embrace rest and recovery in order to grow and be stronger. Rest. Recover......and Get Going !