To anyone looking to get rid of burnout naturally…

 

Are you starting to feel like you’ve run out of gas?

 

Like it’s harder and harder to get through each day?

 

As though it’s taking more time to do all the things you’re supposed to do each week?

 

 

Burnout is a real problem, and high achievers are especially prone to it.  That feeling of constant exhaustion and lack of motivation is seriously frustrating, too.

 

Unfortunately, many busy, ambitious women battle crushing exhaustion on a daily basis.

 

And it’s time to get rid of burnout for good!

 

Naturally and easily.

 

Burnout Defined

 

Burnout is chronic exhaustion related to stress.

 

The more you take on, the more your body must keep up, from a physiological level.

 

It’s a syndrome most often associated with workplace stress.  However, women may also burn out from being stay-at-home moms, caring for elderly parents, or having to deal with past trauma. (Or, most likely, trying to handle off this!)

 

Burnout is usually characterized by massive energy depletion – you feel like you’re swimming through honey while pushing a boulder up a hill!

 

You lose motivation and drive, even for things you used to love.

 

And negative feelings like cynicism, irritability and anger start to creep into your mood.

 

 

Is Burnout A Real Thing?

 

Picture me screaming loudly right now…

 

If I have to hear one more time that some medical doctor told a woman that her exhaustion is all in her head or that burnout isn’t a real condition, I will explode!

 

It’s real, trust me.

 

What you feel is real.

Your struggle is real.

What you desperately want to get rid of is real.

 

(You’re not crazy…THEY’RE crazy!!)

 

There are a lot of limitations on western medicine.  And most doctors don’t recognize that burnout is a real problem because there isn’t a definitive diagnostic test for it.  Why they refuse to think analytically and dig a bit more into your burnout symptoms is beyond me (and this article…).

 

However, if you want to get rid of burnout, know that, yes, it is a real condition recognized by functional doctors, naturopaths, holistic nutritionist (like me!), and other alternative and natural health professionals.

 

Adrenal Fatigue Phases

 

I’d be surprised if you haven’t met another woman who’s been told she has adrenal fatigue by now.

 

Adrenal fatigue is on the rise as busy, ambitious women take on more building careers, having kids, taking time for themselves, and everything else life throws our way these days.

 

Symptoms of adrenal fatigue are very similar to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  Extreme fatigue, muscle aches and pains, an inability to handle stress, poor exercise performance, and blood sugar irregularities are common.

 

One of the main differences between AF and CFS is with sleep.  If you battle 2 AM wake-ups or feel wired & tired at bedtime, this indicates adrenal fatigue.  If you can sleep for hours and hours, more likely you’re struggling with CFS.

 

But, to get rid of burnout, it’s a good idea to know where in the adrenal fatigue spectrum you lie.

 

 

The Phases Overview

 

Adrenal fatigue can start before you even realize.  The asymptomatic stages include times when you notice small, yet short energy crashes (typically mid-afternoon).  Sugar, caffeine, and a short nap usually pull you out quickly and you move on.

 

This is Phase 1 and can go on for years.

 

Moving into Phase 2, you start to notice longer energy crashes.  This is also when insomnia or feeling “wired & tired” at bedtime happens.  Cravings for sugar spike and anxiety skyrockets.

 

In Phase 2, women will turn to supplements, more caffeine, and herbs to try to get rid of burnout.  If they do pull themselves out, they still have a very high risk of moving into Phase 3.

 

Because high achievers like to get a lot done, after Phase 2, they push themselves through the fatigue.  Energy levels never recover fully but it’s easy to ignore this, so women take on all that they did before.

 

Slowly, the adrenals begin to deteriorate, and the stress response is unable to keep up with daily demands.

 

This is when Phase 3 officially begins.  Persistent, constant exhaustion is common.  Women may go see their doctors at this point and be, inappropriately, given antidepressants or low thyroid medications.  Most of the time, this doesn’t help.

 

Eventually, Phase 4 – Adrenal Burnout – is hit. Extreme fatigue, joint pain, massive problems with sleep, low blood pressure and an inability to handle any moderate to major stressor are common.

 

Do You Have Burnout Syndrome?

 

There is a workplace phenomenon called “burnout syndrome” as well.

 

Characterized by chronic exhaustion, distancing oneself from work and people, and a negative attitude towards accomplishments or self-worth, burnout syndrome is often associated with those working in health care.

 

Keep in mind that burnout happens when the body’s natural survival or stress response can’t keep up with day-to-day triggers.

 

To get rid of burnout within your career, you can take the same approach as outline below for women diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue.

 

 

Symptoms of Adrenal Burnout

 

As noted earlier, some common symptoms of burnout are:

• Extreme fatigue
• Weight gain
• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Inability to handle stress
• Brain fog
• Frequent urination
• Low blood pressure
• Dizziness when going from laying to standing
• Lowered libido
• PMS or signs of estrogen dominance
• Early onset menopause
• Infertility or miscarriages
• Cravings for salt or sugar
• Heart palpitations

 

A common misconception when battling burnout is to believe you’re just being lazy.

 

However, if you can identify with at least 3 of the above symptoms, keep reading.  Because you probably want to know how to get rid of burnout for good!

 

Why Are So Many Women Burnt Out?

 

A few years ago, I was enrolled in a business development program.

 

The message I received was to hustle hard.  To wake up earlier to get more work done.  To push through my exhaustion at night and get more work done.  The word “hustle” was in the company’s mantra!

 

I quickly became overwhelmed and burnt out.  Which, of course, made it harder for me to keep up.

 

I lost motivation and love for the business I was building.  I lost sleep over worry that I was “failing” because I was so exhausted!

 

And I felt so inadequate.  I felt like there was something wrong with me!

 

This message we’re given that, to be successful and accomplished, we need to take on more and do it with grace, isn’t serving us.

 

Women are so burnt out.  More so than any other generation!

 

 

The Hustle Culture & Burnout

 

Burnout occurs because we take on more than our bodies can physically and mentally handle.  Our stress response was designed to save us from sabre-toothed tigers – a threat that came along once every few weeks.

 

Our stress response was NOT designed to battled hectic schedules, traffic jams, conflicting extracurricular schedules, fear-mongering news stories, toxins, worry about elderly parents, and day-to-day (unreasonable) demands from our bosses!

 

Stress is the most common cause of burnout.

 

But, it’s your overall stress load that’s the real culprit.

 

 

What’s Your Generational Stress Load?

 

With each new generation, we start life with a bigger stress load.  Whatever your grandparents and parents experienced, that got imprinted on their DNA.  And, it was passed on to you.

 

So, at birth, your body was already primed to struggle with a lot of stress!

 

Add to that load childhood trauma, marriage, career changes, pregnancies, children, etc, and your stress load gets HUGE!

 

Then, inflammation, poor digestion, nutrient deficiencies, toxins, and poor elimination feed into your stress load.

 

In a nutshell, burnout happens because your stress response weakens overtime.  And no one has taught you how to keep it strong and resilient!

 

Types of Burnout to Watch Out For

 

Again, burnout is often attributed to the workplace.  This is just 1 type of burnout.

 

Being the primary caregiver in your family will burn you out fast.  Especially if you don’t prioritize your own health.

 

Taking care of parents when they need more and more support and care is a real problem, too.

 

And, of course, women may be dealing with a lot of pent-up emotions.  And the more you revisit these (aka through therapy), the more they trigger your stress response.

 

 

5 Personality Types

 

Interestingly, our own mindset and thought patterns can lead us to a state of burnout.

 

There are 5 main personality types that have a very tight link to adrenal fatigue:  the worrier, the high achiever, the controller, the caregiver, and the perfectionist.

 

Be honest with yourself – are you any of those?  I can identify with 3!

 

Why Burnout Gets Ignored

 

Because feelings of burnout are so similar to symptoms of depression, many women are told they’re depressed.

 

And they’re given antidepressants and told to go on their way.

 

However, these typically make their burnout symptoms worse.  And, very important to remember, the triggers to burnout never get removed!

 

You can also cause burnout with your workout style and schedule.  Pushing yourself too hard when exhausted, not aligning your workouts with your feminine energy cycle, will eventually create the perfect storm of hormonal imbalances that cause burnout.

 

Brain fog is a very common symptom of burnout, too.  And a lot of women will focus only on the symptom, instead of working on the root causes of the problem.  This increases anxiety and cloudy thinking.

 

Get Rid of Burnout Naturally

 

Know the root causes and focus there!

 

 

Burnout is caused by a maladaptive stress response.  It’s caused by taking on too much, pushing yourself too hard, and not building up a strong, resilient stress response.

 

This means, the first step to get rid of burnout is to remove some of the triggers.  Prioritize sleep.  Say “no” more often.  Ask for help and give control to others.  Hire someone to take care of things you don’t need to.  Learn to work smarter, not harder.

 

In conjunction, refuel the nutrient gaps caused by chronic stress.

 

If your body lacks the fuel to produce cortisol for you, your adrenals will continue to struggle and burn out.

 

Ditch the Surface-Level Solutions

 

The biggest mistake I see women who want to get rid of burnout make is they focus on symptoms and surface-level solutions.

 

 

I get it – it’s easy to Google ways to boost energy or get rid of burnout.  But, almost all that you come across is misaligned with the fix for burnout – remove the triggers & refuel the nutrients.

 

When you choose a fad diet, you aren’t helping your adrenals.  Keto is so bad for adrenal health – it’s lacking the most important nutrients and the carbohydrates are so low that they spike your stress response.  Paleo is close, but misses the boat on some very important nutrients. 

 

And if you’re not a meat eater?  It can feel SO confusing to find a diet that works for you when you’re looking to boost energy!

 

Hold off on adaptogens until you refuel your adrenals.  Adaptogens take a look at what your body needs in response to stress and triggers your adrenals to slow down or speed up cortisol release.

 

The problem with adaptogens when burnt out is that they will try to stimulate more cortisol release to give you energy.  But your adrenals don’t have the fuel needed to make cortisol, so those adaptogens aren’t able to help a lot.

 

Adaptogens work best when your body is refueled with the vitamins and minerals it needs to respond to these specialized herbs.

 

Root Causes of Burnout

 

Chronic fatigue and adrenal fatigue happen for different reasons.  However, the underlying root causes imbalances are the same for both.

 

If you’re struggling with adrenal burnout, your stress response has become maladaptive.  It’s not firing as it should.  Cortisol is out of whack, signaling your immune system to turn on its inflammatory response to help “save” your body.

 

The longer the inflammatory response is on, the more your stress response is triggered.

 

They work in a cycle, feeding into each other.

 

 

And, when this cycle is running rampant, your entire body starts to slow way down to preserve energy and stay alive.

 

Natural Steps To Get Rid of Burnout

 

Always stay focused on the root causes.  Make sure the solutions you’re using are zeroed in on the underlying imbalances.

 

Otherwise, your burnout will get worse.

 

Nutrition Principles for Burnout Recovery

 

The right nutrition strategy can very quickly get your body back into a high performing state.

 

The adrenals love healthy fat, so include 2-4 servings at every meal or snack.

 

The more fatigued and burnt out you are, the more healthy carbs you need.  Stick to gluten-free whole grains, sweet potatoes, quinoa, beans and lentils for the B vitamins they provide.

 

Chronic stress and inflammation create a lot of free radicals.  Neutralize these with abundant fresh fruits and vegetables daily.

 

The focus is on removing the triggers – dairy, vegetable oils, sugar and gluten.  And on refueling your adrenals with all the nutrients they need and love to be healthy and happy.

 

Lifestyle Habits That Work

 

Okay, you’ve probably been told to “relax more often” or “reduce your stress”.  This is great but…you’re busy.  You can’t just stop working or taking care of everyone all of a sudden!

 

Instead, find ways to regulate your stress response that fit into your schedule.

 

Perform active, therapeutic stress management techniques like deep belly breathing, a cold shower, infrared sauna sessions, or singing out loud.  These activate your Vagus nerve, calming your stress response and giving your body a chance to heal.

 

Prioritize sleep!  Do not skimp on sleep.  This will never serve you in the long run.  Go to bed at the same time each night, ideally before 10 PM.  Get up at the same time and get yourself outside into the sunshine for a few minutes!

 

Move your body daily but only in a way that feels good to you.  Do not push yourself through a workout that leaves you feeling awful afterwards.  That also doesn’t help you reach your goals.

 

 

Mindset Work For Burnout

 

This is probably the hardest part of overcoming burnout.

 

However, it’s also the most important.  And has the biggest impact.

 

Reframe your limiting beliefs about how much work you need to do to be successful.  Flip the switch on self-sabotaging beliefs that you have to take care of everyone else before yourself.  Work on identifying thought patterns that don’t serve you and learn to create new beliefs to maintain a positive, stress-free way of being.

 

For Best Results, Follow the Process

 

To truly overcome chronic fatigue, adrenal burnout and any form of extreme exhaustion, you need to follow a proven process.

 

Not following the process in the right order can and will lead to relapses in your energy.  And most women just end up stuck spinning their wheels, feeling lost and alone.

 

The Energy & Hormonal Rebalance System is a proven step-by-step process that works for busy, ambitious women battling fatigue and burnout.  To get rid of burnout, women begin by removing the most common triggers to their own fatigue.

Next, they learn which nutrients their bodies are missing and start eating foods that refuel those gaps.  Supplements are only taken as needed (because they aren’t a magic pill).

 

Included in this process is work on fixing any digestive health, liver detoxification, or elimination problems.

 

Third, very specific nutrients, lifestyle habits, and mindset work happens to improve the production of hormones.  And to ensure that the cells are responding to energy hormones in a robust way.  This is where the stress response is strengthened so that women can handle the stress in their lives.

 

Finally, they learn specific strategies to grow and maintain their newfound energy for life.  They learn how to intuitively know what their bodies are telling them through signs and symptoms.  And which foods, habits and mindset work to focus on in order to reverse them.

 

Working with a health coach who has a proven system to overcoming burnout and chronic fatigue is the fastest way to get back your energy, your focus, and your life.

 

I’ve been in your shoes – I had post-viral fatigue after pneumonia when I was 12; I was diagnosed with CFS at age 15; and I have been in adrenal burnout twice.  And I’ve almost fully recovered my own energy 100% naturally!

 

If you’re interested in learning more, click here for a program overview and next steps.