About this Article
The World Health Organization classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon.
“Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:
Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”
If we think of burnout as a state of perpetual stress (often in the workplace), it’s then difficult to talk about burnout recovery without first understanding the stress cycle. In their book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, authors Emily and Amelia Nagoski write “To deal with your stress, you have to complete the cycle.”
So what exactly does it mean to complete the stress cycle? Let’s use a modern example that has caused stress for all of us: the pandemic. Let’s say (as we’ve seen happen several times by now) your city or state just loosened COVID-19 restrictions. For the first time in a long time, you let your guard down and make plans with friends. Then, you get a New York Times breaking news alert to your phone: there’s a new, highly contagious variant. This alert is a stressor, and your body enters fight or flight.
However, there is no one to fight, and there is nowhere to flee. So, you open Instagram. You play Wordle. You physically click out of the notification, but your body is still tense from the news because you haven’t dealt with the stress from reading it. In order to actually move on from this stress, you have to process it; you have to complete the stress cycle.
Whether it’s the seemingly never-ending negative news cycle or feeling burned out from work, it’s important to understand how to complete the stress cycle in order to fight burnout.
According to Emily and Amelia Nagoski, physical activity is the single most efficient strategy for completing the stress response cycle. “Physical activity,” they write, “is what tells your brain you have successfully survived the threat and now your body is a safe place to live.”
While a 30-minute Peloton ride or hour-long walk in the park might certainly do the trick, remember that you don’t need a full fitness class to feel the benefits of physical activity. Tensing and releasing your muscles, stretching, and even taking a quick walk to breathe some fresh air can all help you complete the stress cycle.
For something we do all day, every day, breathing intentionally can feel difficult, especially when we’re stressed. Try keeping a post-it note with a breathing exercise on your desk so you don’t have to think about it when you need to reconnect with your breath. Something as easy as three deep breaths, or box breathing, where you breathe in for four seconds, hold for four, breathe out for four, and hold at the bottom for four, can provide you with an instant sense of calm.
This is also a great place to tap back into tools you already have. Do you have Headspace downloaded but you rarely use it? What about the Calm or Insight Timer apps? There are also thousands of free meditations and breathwork practices you can check out on YouTube, where you can find what works best for you.
Maybe a positive social interaction means an hours-long dinner with your best friend but when you’re experiencing burnout, this can sound like a tall order. Try closing your stress cycle with a much simpler interaction, like smiling at a stranger at the grocery store or picking up the tab of the person behind you at Starbucks.
You know the difference between politely laughing in a work meeting and deep belly laughs with your oldest friends. Of course, genuine cackling on demand is difficult to achieve, especially when you’re stressed. Try asking a friend to tell you a funny story via voice note, or tune into a tried-and-true sitcom like The Office or Friends that you just know will make you laugh.
Have you ever noticed that it takes a few seconds to really get into a hug or a kiss? We hug our friends hello or kiss our partners goodbye without much thought or even feeling; it’s often done out of ritual or habit. What if you lingered just a few seconds longer?
Relationship expert John Gottman suggests kissing your partner every day for six seconds. His rationale is that six seconds is far too long to kiss someone with whom you feel unsafe. It requires you to deliberately notice that you like this person, you trust them, and you feel affection for them. Whether it’s a long kiss or hug or even prolonged eye contact, see if your stress dissipates as you lean into an act of affection with someone you trust.
If there’s one thing most readers can relate to on this list, we’re willing to bet it’s the stress release that comes from a big cry. And if your stress isn’t enough to start the tears flowing, that’s OK. Watch a tearjerker, read a sad or touching article, and grab the tissues, because crying is an excellent way to complete the stress cycle.
Whether you want to make your pain into art or you simply need a distraction from stress at work, creative expression is another great way to close the stress cycle. This can mean anything from testing out a new grilled cheese recipe or doodling with music to joining a virtual art class. The main thing to remember here is that output is not the objective.
Especially when we’re feeling undervalued or overwhelmed at work, it can be easy to wonder what else might be out there for us. But we’re not suggesting creative expression to find out whether you might be the next Picasso—creating something allows you to refocus your energy, get your hands away from your laptop, and move through your stress.
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“It is impossible for you to be angry and laugh at the same time. Anger and laughter are mutually exclusive and you have the power to choose either.” – Wayne Dyer
Try one of these strategies to complete the Stress Cycle.
With Heart,
The MYNDY Team
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