It starts with a lack of concentration. Simple tasks take much longer than they used to.
Apathy and cynicism set in. Productivity drops, or at least it feels that way.
So you put in more effort to compensate but fail to feel the sense of fulfilment you used to – and wind up feeling more exhausted.
You’re burned out.
Though not a medical diagnosis, burnout is linked to a range of serious health issues, from depression to cardiovascular disease.
In 2019, burnout was officially recognised as an ‘occupational phenomenon’ by the World Health Organisation.
And recent research from AUT suggests that 1 in 10 New Zealanders are experiencing some form of it.
Burnout expert, Clinic Manager and Lead Researcher at NZ wellness company BePure, Lisa Grey says that in her experience, many New Zealanders have a hard time accepting they’re burned out, she believes that this is partly because, as a culture, we have normalised an unsustainable pace of living and working.
“Like many of my clients I see at our clinic, I spent a number of years ignoring my symptoms of stress and justifying why I didn’t “deserve” to feel burned out. In fact, I had an endless list of excuses: ‘this is just what I have to do in life to get ahead, ’my parents never complained about working hard – why should I, ‘my colleagues can cope – I should be able to cope too.’
“Being burned out is by no means a badge of honour – nor is it a sign that you are doing well. However, it’s hard to accept you’re burned out and make changes when everyday culture repeatedly tells us that being “busy” is just part of life.”
While workplace burnout is potentially more recognised, parental burnout is also a very real experience – now, more so than ever.
With the extra demands from lockdowns, many parents find themselves with no choice but to juggle parenting, homeschooling, and working without any additional support.
There’s no doubt this prolonged stress from current pressures will be taking its toll on many.
But what do we do about it? In her practice, Grey recommends a personalised multi-pronged approach to burnout recovery.
This includes using a combination of personalized dietary changes, regular movement, breathwork, healthy routines, sleep prioritisation, setting boundaries and nutritional and herbal supplementation.
The top nutritional and herbal supplements Lisa recommends can be found in BePure’s new ‘Inner Duo’.
This new powerful combo provides support for optimal mental wellbeing and nervous system balance.
“Think of the feeling after a massage, or yoga where you feel a deep relaxation within the mind and the body. This is what these herbs and nutrients stimulate within us with the simple act of taking them each day.”
The duo consists of InnerCalm and InnerStrength, both designed as a simple tool to help our bodies respond to stress in a far more sustainable way.
“While our bodies can withstand short spouts of stress – prolonged activation of the stress response system over-activates our “fight and flight” response. Continual activation of this system keeps our body flooded with cortisol, one of our key stress hormones.- which disrupts almost every organ system in our body and can put our health at serious risk.”
“The adaptogenic herbs and nutrients found in InnerCalm and Inner Strength help you return to homeostasis, your home base of feeling good. They offer an undemanding solution on the road to living a more balanced life.”
InnerCalm is designed to support those experiencing anxiety and overwhelm.
Think tight chests, sweaty palms, shaky hands, and racing minds.
It embraces the power of hero herbs kava and passionflower with research showing their effectiveness in activating our soothing neurotransmitter, GABA, which helps us to feel calm, creative and in control.
InnerStrength helps build us back up from burnout and fatigue.
The ingredients in this product are focused on balancing the nervous system and are designed to prevent our stress response system from being overactive.
Ashwagandha and Rhodiola are the hero ingredients in this product, alongside soothing lemon balm, L-Theanine and vitamin B5.
“If you are suffering from burnout know that you’re not alone. Many are going through, or have gone through it and come out the other side – myself included. Know that you are not broken and the road to recovery starts with a single step. The first step is acknowledging you want to feel better and using that feeling to make your own personalised action plan – whatever that looks like for you.”
BePure ‘Inner Duo’ is available online.
