You have a busy job or business, a partner who also works a lot, growing children and elderly parents who need help. Perhaps you are planning a move, are you undergoing renovations or are you refurbishing the bathroom yourself. Your head is overflowing and your body is tired. Is that a recipe for disaster? That is not necessary, says psychologist Gijs Coppens of platform OpenUp.
Make time for relaxation
Coppens: “There are always phases in which you are busier than usual. Maybe your child is just starting secondary school, you are working on a complicated project at work or your father is in hospital. In that case it is very normal You have to go through that for a while and you certainly won’t immediately get a burn-out. However, things often go wrong if you are structurally too busy and have no room for – or view on – relaxation. a weekend away, but also a walk or a game of tennis. You simply need it to recharge. But you may have canceled that tennis appointment for weeks because you are too tired. You skip the walk because you have that sin of your You no longer have breakfast so that you are at the office earlier and you have a quick lunch at your desk Your working days are getting longer And you also canceled that weekend away because you really couldn’t leave. You lose control of your own agenda, because there are increasingly important matters n be.”
–
–
“Does this sound familiar to you? Then that is the first red flag. You are then losing out on self-care activities, which are so important to stay mentally and physically healthy.”
Sobbing at the news
But how do you know that you are experiencing unhealthy stress? First of all, you notice that mentally, says Coppens. It starts to crack, both cognitively and emotionally. “You have trouble concentrating and your short-term memory is failing you. You can’t remember certain words or names or you just can’t bring structure to your to-do list. And you have trouble expressing your emotions. to control: you are more easily irritated, argue with your partner about small things, shoot your children out of your shoes or suddenly find yourself sobbing at the news. These are all signs that you are mentally overloaded.”
body’s own drug
In addition to your psyche, your body also reacts to prolonged overexertion. Every organ in your body needs 100 percent energy, says company doctor Maaike Wichgers of Mareis. “Energy made up of building material, fuel and oxygen. But if you keep going and forget to refuel every now and then, your tank will eventually run out – and so will your reserve tank. To keep going, you shift gears. body switches to adrenaline. Normally this is only released in acute situations, such as during an exam or a sports competition. Adrenaline is actually the body’s own drugs, which help you temporarily perform better. But if you have asked too much of yourself for too long, your body will use that adrenaline for a long time to keep things going. That is why many people feel very good right before a burnout: they keep all the balls in the air. you can no longer keep up, so that you are again short of energy. That is the moment when certain organs are completely or partially closed and you get physical complaints. Your body is then literally exhausted. “
–
–
Listening to your body
How this manifests itself exactly differs per person, Wichgers explains. “Stress can manifest itself anywhere in the body. We are all familiar with a stiff neck or shoulders, but your gastrointestinal system can also get upset, for example. You have no appetite, or you are very hungry. You can suffer from headaches, dizziness, fatigue, muscle pain or hair loss and falling asleep is becoming increasingly difficult. Because your resistance is low, you are more susceptible to colds and infectious diseases. Chronic complaints such as psoriasis, eczema, herpes or back pain can start to play up again. Ultimately, essential organs can also – heart, brain and lungs – are affected, which can lead to, for example, shortness of breath, cardiac arrhythmias or even a heart attack.” It is therefore extremely important to listen to your body, emphasizes Wichgers. “That constantly gives signals when things are not going well. If you learn to recognize those signals, you can change course in time.”
–
–
Coppens: “People who drop out with a burnout often didn’t see it coming. They are usually perfectionist people with an enormous drive: they want to keep all the balls in the air at the same time. But then the light suddenly goes out and they have to turn on. work themselves to get back on track. In hindsight, most do see a pattern. In how they managed their time, how little – if any – time there was for relaxation and how they kept going on and on – until it didn’t work anymore.” Wichgers: “A burnout builds up. Many people think that it is only caused by work, but that is certainly not the case. Perhaps your work can be done well, but your private life is not going well or you have financial worries, which eventually burns you out. Often it’s a combination of factors: if you’re out of balance somewhere, you’re more prone to burnout.”
Balance
Balance is therefore the key word, say both Wichgers and Coppens. As simple as it sounds, to experience less stress, you need to relax more. “Just think of top athletes,” says Coppens. “They work hard and are extremely focused on their task. But an equally important part of their training schedule is rest. Hanging out on the couch, watching a movie, doing nothing. Only when effort and relaxation are in balance can they achieve a top performance. to deliver.” Picking up hobbies, eating healthy, exercising and sleeping (meditation) is also important to stay mentally and physically healthy, Wichgers emphasizes.
Do you also feel like you are on the brink of burnout? Then take a critical look at your agenda, advises Coppens. Eliminate tasks that don’t give you energy and make time for things that recharge you. Not must, but may. “Of course there are things that just have to happen. If you get stressed from a financial plan that has to go, it doesn’t help to play tennis. But it does help to ensure that you are resilient enough by relaxing in time. to handle all your responsibilities.”
–
–
Healthy Doubts
Recognizing the signs is the first step towards prevention and doubting is very healthy. Do you recognize the signs? Do the healthy doubt test from asr and discover what asr can do for you to prevent, recognize and treat burnout.
–
–
