One of the most common complaints I've gotten from clients, especially over the past few months is "I'm so stressed and I need a break!!!" Helping people manage their stress is one of my main goals as a massage therapist. I feel that creating a relaxed, comforting environment for clients will allow the mind and body to settle which can help make the tissues more pliable and easy to work on. So I feel that this is a critical aspect of massage. But what about when this stress becomes too overwhelming? These next few months will be critical for us, and it has a lot of people on edge. Stress can reek havoc on the body, so I wanted to take an opportunity to talk about burnout and how to avoid it.
Burnout is exhaustion from prolonged exposure to stress. It can affect all parts of your life, taking its toll on your physical, emotional and mental health. If you feel like you aren't able to keep up with demands, you start to "lose steam" and become exhausted which in turn can cause a sense of helplessness. Burnout not only can affect your loved ones and make you more susceptible to illness as well.
Here are some things to keep an eye on:
-low energy levels
-frequently getting sick
-headaches or muscle tension
-change of appetite and/or sleeping habits
-feelings of depression
-withdrawing from others and/or your responsibilities
-using things like food, alcohol or drugs to cope
The main difference between stress and burnout is that with stress it is usually temporary and the person feels like they will feel better once it gets under control, whatever the situation is. People suffering from burnout are done caring and feel unmotivated and too exhausted to do anything about it.
If you or someone you know is suffering from burnout, it's time to act! Finding the right support group and connecting with good friends (while avoiding negative people) will be good to encourage discussion. Self care is something that is often overlooked by people and that neglect can cause burnout. By taking care of yourself can help you mentally regroup and focus on the tasks that are causing stress to help get them under control. If you are unable to do so, seeking the right help would be good for helping you manage the situation and help gain a new perspective. Ensure that you get plenty of sleep and drink plenty of water. Having a hobby or something you enjoy doing can really help. Relaxation techniques (such as deep breathing, meditation and listening to calming music/sounds) can also be helpful in reducing the symptoms of burnout. Having a massage treatment can really help with this. With low lighting and relaxing music, your mind and body will start to settle. Massage treatments that are targeted at simulating the parasympathetic nervous system (allowing you to "rest and digest") and calming the sympathetic nervous system ("fight or flight") will help lower your stress. You massage therapist can also give you home care exercises that will help that will be tailored to you, as long as it falls within our scope of practice. If you aren't comfortable having a massage, or it's unavailable to you, I wrote an article a few years ago about taking a time out for yourself which outlines some great tips for managing stress and avoiding burnout. You can check out that article here.
As always, thank you for taking the time to stop by today and let me know if you have any questions!! I hope you have great day! Reference:
Smith, M., M.A., Segal, J., Ph. D., & Robinson, L. (2019, October). Burnout Prevention and Treatment. Retrieved September 03, 2020, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm
Bình luận