Burnout Recovery
- self care tips for after the hustle.
When you hustle hard your body and your mind will eventually need a break. If that break doesn’t come on the regular, then you may be headed toward something known as “burnout”.
“Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.
Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.” - Helpguide.org
Now, obviously we recommend a regularly scheduled corporate wellness session like a Corporate Workflow Session or an afternoon massage at our Wellness Clinic to prevent this dreaded burnout from happening, but sometimes we need to focus on recovery.
Here are our 3 tips…
We have a background in movement, massage therapy, and mindfulness meditation coaching so those are going to be the tools that we recommend. There are so many beautiful ways to take care of yourself, so find techniques that you can commit to long term - from talk therapy to laughter yoga!
No. 01
Do this movement sequence to make space in the body and to physically SLOW DOWN.
Hold each shape for a few minutes
Lunge
From a kneeling position, step the right leg forward. Make sure the front shin is vertical while the back leg is on a diagonal - creating a stretch in hip flexor. Repeat on the left side
Swan
From hands and knees, slide your right knee to your right hand while angling your shin to approximately 45 degree. The left leg stretches straight back. Feeling this stretch deep in your right hip. Change sides.
Sphinx
Lye on your tummy, propped up on your elbows. For less backhanding intensity - move your elbows a little further forward.
Hip Sway Twist
Lye on your back with bent knees, feet set wide apart. Swish your knees from right to left. Slowly. You are welcome to hold the pose in a twist stretch for a few minutes each side.
Constructive Rest
Rest on your back with a neutral low back. Set the feet wide apart and tent the knees together. Hands on belly following the movement of your breath.
Ahhhhhhh!
No. 02
Do this breathing exercise to focus your mind toward a simple and singular task.
Equal Measured Breath is a breathing exercise that focuses on balance. Literally, the inhalation phase lasts for the exact same count as the exhalation phase.
How to Get Started
There have been many medical studies that correlate the practice of mindful breathing with the reduction of stress and anxiety. This is one of the most simple of the breathing techniques and can be sneakily practiced anywhere ;)
Sit in a comfortable position.
Begin to notice your natural breath, but don't change anything at first. Give yourself a good five breaths or so to just notice.
Slowly count to FOUR as you inhale. Take a brief moment at the top of your inhalation with the lungs full of air. Then also count to FOUR as you exhale. Again take a moment to feel empty. Then repeat the cycle again to another count of FOUR.
Breathe this way for several minutes.
After a few weeks or months with this practice, you may want to experiment with elongating the count too; just make sure your inhalation and exhalation are the same lengths and you are not creating stress or pressure to "do more".
No. 03
Download & PLAY this “Compassion-Based” meditation every day… It’s like self care for your soul!
If you would like us to come in and provide a weekly or monthly mindfulness based meditation break for your office, you just have to ask :)
