Combating BurnoutPresented by: Lynsey Metcalfe

About Bright Horizons

• UK’s leading provider of early years care and education

• Supporting families worldwide for 30 years

• Over 300 nurseries in UK and Ireland

• Care for over 25,000 children each week

• Partner with over 100 corporate clients

• Valuable online resources for families www.brighthorizons.co.uk/family-resources

About Lynsey Metcalfe

• Wellbeing Coach and Master Personal Trainer

• Alexander Technique Teacher in the Interactive Teaching Method (which teaches how to sit, stand and move without tension or strain)

• Particular expertise in working with busy professionals

• Over 15 years experience at a senior level in high profile companies (including PwC, IBM, Accenture, Visa Europe, BP), working primarily in change

Today’s Webinar

This webinar will look at:

• The causes of burnout

• What it does to you and

• What steps you can take to start feeling yourself again

Symptoms Science Solutions

What is Burnout?

• A slow process, which can creep up on you over time

• There are mental, physical and emotional symptoms

• If you are completely burnt out, then addressing this will require some radical changes to how you live your life

• It is much better to catch it early, make some small changes today and keep your engine running

“A state of chronic stress leading to physical and emotional exhaustion.”

How do you Know you are Burning Out?

Many of us would recognise the following as potential issues:

Poor focus

Frequent illnesses

Fatigue

Anxiety InsomniaFeeling

generally ‘unwell’

But how many of us would recognise these symptoms of burnout?

Forget-fulness

Food cravings

Anger

Pessimism

Apathy

Relying on caffeine

Tired but sleeping

Poor stamina

Poor recovery

Sensitive to cold

Muscle aches

But How Many of us Would Recognise These as Signs of Burnout?

Waking in the night

Defining stress

• We tend to think of stress as worrying about something, anxiety, nerves before a big meeting, not sleeping because your mind is racing etc

• It is all of these things but ‘stress’ is actually anything that puts the mind and body under pressure, even if you feel you are coping well

Stress is pressure or tension exerted on something. It is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances

Defining Stress

Stress takes many forms

• Heavy exercise

• Environmental stress through pollution or exposure to toxic chemicals

• Irregular work patterns or shift work

• Poor diet and junk food

• Injury or disease

• Surgery

• Life events such as divorce or bereavement

• Compromising your values and integrity

Even if you don’t feel ‘stressed’ you might still be putting yourself under pressure as the following also stress the body:

Stress Takes Many Forms

The science: Our bodies are under attack!• When the body is under any form of stress, the adrenal glands have to respond by

producing chemicals to maintain homeostasis (adrenaline and cortisol)

• Cortisol increases blood glucose levels so there is more energy in the cells to respond to the ‘threat’

• Adrenaline is a hormone and neurotransmitter that stimulates the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response

• It also increases the heart rate, contracts the blood vessels and dilates air passages

• Over time, as the body is exposed to chronic stresses, the responses can become impaired or it might be harder to ‘come down’ from an adrenal rush

• Increased cortisol production leads us to lay down fat cells, especially around our middles

The Science: We Are Under Attack!

Long term stress has a serious effect on mental and physical health

• Increases the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, even if you are not overweight

• Increases the risk of heart attack and stroke

• Can lead to anxiety and depression

• Might lead to long term issues with sleep, mood, weight and energy levels

• Lack of productivity in the workplace, at home and overall poor performance

• Impact on relationships

Long Term Stress Has a Serious Impact on Mental and Physical Health

The solution• Check in with your doctor to ensure there is nothing medical to cause concern

• In the absence of injury and disease, it is about self care

• It is important to rebalance the mind and body and bring yourself back into homeostasis

Tackle the following 4 key areas

Nutrition ExerciseMental Health Sleep

The Solution

Mental health• The number one thing is to ask for help. Do not be afraid to talk about what is going on

• Think about passive activities; you do not always have to be ‘doing’ e.g. massage therapy, reflexology, acupuncture

• Our stress response is often due to relying on our habitual, instinctive responses to situations.

• Remember that between stimulus and response lies the freedom to choose our response.

Mental Health

Mental health• Remember that everyone is different. What works for you might not work for someone else

• Do not make any major life decisions until you are well on the road to recovery

• “This above all: to thine own self be true”

Mental Health

Breathing and meditationMeditation is not for everyone but try it a few times to see

Two minute meditation exercise

Do not under-estimate the power of breathing:

• Circular breathing, in through the nose, out through the mouth

• Counting in for 4 and out for 4 as you breathe

Breathing and Meditation

nutrition• It is very important to balance your blood sugar

• Eat little and often

• Cut down on sugar as much as you can and rely instead on wholegrains and healthy fats for energy

• The power of chocolate! A few squares of dark that is…

• Pay attention to gut health

• Cut down on caffeine as this replaces your natural stimulants

• Nourish your body as much as you can with a diet high in colourful fruits and veg (lots of phytonutrients)

• Lots of healthy fats, which contain essential fatty acids for brain health and immunity (e.g. oily fish, nuts, olive oil and avocados)

• Be careful if you wish to follow a fasting diet as this might be too much for your body. Fasting is not recommended if your adrenals are ‘fatigued’

Nutrition

Use of supplements in combatting burnout

Take advice from a suitable qualified professional before taking supplements as some supplements can interfere with existing medication or produce side effects. This is especially important if you are pregnant or have an existing health condition.

• Take a good quality multivitamin and consider a probiotic for gut health

• Broad spectrum greens such as organic barley grass powder are good added to smoothies

• Adaptogens are compounds that can help the body deal with stress and can be used to control cortisol levels, for example: Ashwagandha or Maca

• Supplements are not a substitute for self care, such as exercise and good nutrition

Use of Supplements in Combating Burnout

exercise• If you are really burnt out then throwing yourself into a high intensity exercise programme might be too much for your body

• Moderate exercise until you are feeling more energetic (a 7 out of 10 rather than a 9)

• Yoga, pilates, walking, tai chi and other martial arts are very beneficial at this stage

• Even if you are feeling exhausted, try to do something

• The more you do, the more you will want to do

• Get outside

As with nutrition, follow the little and often principle when it comes to movement

Exercise

Sleep

But as a basic, follow good sleep hygiene:

• Limit daytime naps

• Avoid stimulants in the evening (e.g. alcohol, caffeine, cardio exercise)

• Avoid heavy or rich foods in the evening

• Ensure exposure to natural light during the day and avoid artificial blue lights from phones in the evening

• Ensure your bedroom is set up for sleep: no electronics, a cool room (60-67 degrees), comfortable mattress and pillows

• Establish a good bedtime routine such as a bath, stretches, reading (not on a phone!)

Sleep

Improved sleep is often an indirect result of making changes elsewhere in your life

Always have any unusual symptoms checked out by a medical professional; remember that self diagnosis can be dangerous.

Tackle the four key areas:

• Mental Health

• Nutrition

• Exercise

• Sleep

It is about finding what works for you rather than a one size fits all, but follow the basics outlined today

Choose your response to stress and deal with it with integrity, and regain your vitality

Dealing with Burnout

Always have any unusual symptoms checked out by a medical professional; remember that self diagnosis can be dangerous!

Any Questions?

Connect with us using the question box

All questions will be treated as anonymous

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Wednesday 13th June 12.30pm-1.30pm

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