All of us have had days where we get simply exhausted by life’s demands. It could be the workplace. The kids. The responsibilities that pile up. And it begins to show in the way we feel, behave or think. Our bodies start giving us signals that we’ve had enough and if we don’t pay attention to the red flags, we could end up ill or in a meltdown. And for those of us who tend to put the needs of others before ourselves, or work ourselves to the point of sheer exhaustion, reaching the breakdown/burnout point is the point where we HAVE to help ourselves. And deep in our hearts we all know very well we should have paid attention to the symptoms earlier.
Common Symptoms
- Exhaustion
- Demotivation
- Negative Thoughts
- Snapping at people, road rage
- Frequent memory lapses
- Making frequent mistakes
- Interpersonal problems with people at work or with family
- Binge eating. Drinking. Giving into addictions
Here’s what to do if you’ve reached the absolute breaking point.
- Switch off your phone and all electronic devices for a while. Don’t interact with anyone if you’re not upto it. The focus is on getting back to you.
- Catch up on your sleep. Poor sleep patterns can lead to burnouts and meltdowns. Make sure you’re getting enough zzzz time. And avoid the pills please, research has shown that in the long run sleeping pills do much more harm than hgood.
- Get more organised. Delegate tasks. Find a support system and ask for help.
- Go for a massage.
- Take short breaks to do ‘nothing” and simply be. Listen to your breath, meidtate go for a walk outdoors, call up a friend.
- Meet your doctor if symptoms dont lessen.
Don’t wait for your body to burnout with the stress, taking remedial steps as an sos measure. Self care is the most important inside job we need to do if we want to survive and thrive in today’s world.
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