We began our careers with enthusiasm and bright hope for an inspiring and financially rewarding job. We spent increasingly longer hours at the office, got less and less sleep, and put proper nutrition on the sidelines.

Within five years of this kind of career management, we started to manifest the symptoms of Burnout. We didn’t really understand the early symptoms, and thought we would feel better if we got a little more rest on the weekends. But the symptoms worsened with every passing year and by the time we either quit, retired, or were let go from our career, we were in full blown Burnout.

THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF BURNOUT

Burnout is a complex set of physical, emotional, and spiritual issues which has been studied for over 30 years and is a well-established academic subject on which thousands of publications have appeared. Burnout is the greatest challenge to the global health system and the symptoms of Burnout will get worse unless we provide integrated solutions to conquer this syndrome.

Stress is a normal part of everyday living and can be a positive motivator to strive for a better personal and professional life. When stress becomes chronic, there is a gradual depletion of your physical and emotional resources. If we fail to stop the chronic stress, our body will eventually lose its ability to restore itself and we will develop a complex set of health issues associated with Burnout. In the last part of the stress cycle, emotional resources are stripped away until there is nothing left to counter the drain.

This diagram shows the STRESS ARC and what happens when stress exceeds our ability to cope with its effects:

THE SIGNS OF BURNOUT

Burnout is a complex set of health issues and you are probably wondering how you can tell if you have Burnout. Take a look at the chart below and give an honest appraisal of your current physical, emotional, and spiritual status.

 

You can also take our Burnout Self-Assessment Quiz to see if you should be addressing Burnout.

BURNOUT EFFECTS ON YOUR BODY

There are a number of physical and emotional problems that manifest once you have Burnout. The only way to truly find out the damage Burnout has taken on your wellbeing is to see a qualified Functional Medicine physician. The doctor will run a series of blood chemistry tests and possibly genetics analysis to first understand your current health status.

The list below shows the TOP TEN SYMPTOMS of Burnout:

1. Sleep interruption
2. Adrenal fatigue
3. Hypothyroidism
4. Type II Diabetes
5. Anxiety and/or depression
6. Chronic internal inflammation
7. High cholesterol
8. Memory impairment
9. Weakened immune system
10. Gut microbiome alterations

This is a pretty scary list of problems, isn’t it? The good news is that once you start on you path to optimal health, these issues can usually all be corrected!

WE’RE HERE TO HELP!

We created Thrive After Corporate to bring you practical strategies for understanding and conquering Burnout. Our mission is to help post-corporate employees regain and sustain their vibrant wellness. It is our desire for anybody who is suffering from Burnout that they take charge of their life and once again experience joy, vitality, and passion.