Are You Burned Out?

It seems to be no surprise that more and more research is being done on the topic of depression and burnout as these diseases are rapidly on the rise with the ‘busyness’ of daily life.  Symptoms of depression and burnout are often confused but in fact, they have very different effects on the body.  Burnout results usually in lower levels of cortisol found in the body where as depression is linked to higher levels of cortisol found in the body.  Cortisol is the hormone in your body that is released in response to stress.  Even though stress may seem to be unavoidable these days, the symptoms of burnout, and burnout itself, is completely avoidable.  Burnout may start in the mind but the stress it causes on the body is one of the main reasons most of us suffer from inflammation, and other diseases that break down the body.

Symptoms of Burnout are easy to spot with the first usually being a feeling of exhaustion not only physically but emotionally as well; when you just can’t deal with life’s daily problems anymore and find yourself wanting to withdraw from everything and everyone.  Symptom number 2 is often withdrawing yourself away and distancing yourself.  You become more like a robot as you go through each day, repeating the same motions.  The third symptom of Burnout is belittlement or putting and keeping yourself down.  You may begin to feel like you can’t do anything right and you’ll never be able to do anything right; that you just aren’t good enough.  This third symptom usually results in people being very hard and critical of themselves.

So, if this is you, if you have the symptoms of Burnout, what can be done about it?  Researches are saying that by managing your stress levels, you can combat these symptoms.

First, it is suggested that you keep track of your stress for at least a week by writing things or events down that you found stressful.  Write down what the stressful situation is, how you feel about it and how you handled it.  Researchers suggest that by keeping track of all stressful situations for at least a week should help you determine what situations tend to cause you the most stress and help you to avoid those in the future.

Second, researches have found it helpful to keep on you things that help you to de-stress.  These things can be anything from your favourite song, a soft smelling candle and a journal to keep your thoughts in if you find you are getting un-focused. 

Thirdly, find someone you can talk to about what’s going on; a friend or even a therapist if you aren’t comfortable talking to anyone you know.  Human interaction and contact has been proven in many studies to help lower stress, reduce cholesterol and even combat heart disease.  The feeling of connectedness or that we belong or are accepted has been found to be the most effective when combating stress.

You may also want to start taking an acai berry supplement. Research has shown that a supplement such as the acai berry may be able to provide you with a number of benefits.

You can buy the best organic acai berry products here.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to treat, diagnose, or cure any diseases.