Stress VS Burnout Pt 4

***DISCLAIMER*** I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. THIS IS A LOT OF RESEARCH BUT YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR OR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS OF PROLONGED STRESS OR BURNOUT

 

This post will be discussing Burnout. Because stress and burnout are so closely linked I am going to post signs and symptoms again, there will be a lot of cross over and I will be posting stress vs burnout… which is it?

 

BURNOUT SIGNS & SYMPTOMS:

-MUCH less energy

-ALWAYS sick

-Constantly exhausted, even after a long sleep, nap or break

-Neglect your own needs – you’re too busy or you no longer care

-Life revolves around caregiving, but it no longer gives you satisfaction.

-You can’t relax, no matter what.

-You’re increasingly impatient and irritable

-You feel helpless &/or hopeless

 

STRESS VS BURNOUT… WHICH IS IT?

STRESS – Over engagement            BURNOUT- Disengagement

STRESS- Emotions Overactive       BURNOUT- Blunted Emotions

STRESS- Urgency & Hyperactive   BURNOUT- Helplessness & Hopelessness

STRESS- Loss of energy                    BURNOUT- Loss of motivation, hope & ideals

STRESS- Leads to anxiety                BURNOUT- Leads to detachment/depression

STRESS- Damage is Physical          BURNOUT- Damage is Emotional

STRESS- CAN KILL YOU                   BURNOUT- Can make you feel like life is not worth it

 

CAUSES OF BURNOUT:

-Little to no control over work

-Unclear or over demanding job

-Chaotic or High Pressure Job

-Lack of close relationships

-Lack of sleep

-Pessimistic

-High Achieving

-Lack of recognition

-Monotonous or Unchallenging Job

-Workaholic

-Taking on too much

-Perfectionist (in any area)

-Control Freak

-Type A Personality

 

TO DEAL WITH BURNOUT:

-Social Contact!! Put aside your stresses and just go do something FUN! Forget your child’s disability for a day and go out and do something “normal” like sledding, skating, swimming, etc.

-Make new friends and foster the friendship.

-Consider joining a Church or social group.

RE-EVALUATE PRIORITIES:

-Learn to say NO

-Set Boundaries

-Set up an hour a day tech-free

-Nourish your creative side

-Set aside relaxation time

-Get Plenty of sleep

-EXERCISE! Just 10 minutes of walking will improve your mood for up to 2 hours!

-Rhythmic exercise – Moving arms and legs is hugely effective in combating stress. It improves energy, lifts your mood, sharpens focus and relaxes your mind and body.

Try… Walking, Running, Weight training, swimming, martial arts &/or Dance!

 

MINIMIZE:

-Sugar

-Carbs

-Coffee

-Trans fat

-Foods with chemical preserves or hormones

-Nicotine – immediate relaxation but prolonged anxiety

-Alcohol – Immediate relaxation but prolonged anxiety

 

INCREASE:

Omega 3’s. Incorporate fatty fish, seaweed, flax seed, and walnuts.

 

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

Ask for and accept help.

You need breaks, too. If at all possible, take at least 2 days but preferably a week away from time to time. Go somewhere that you can relax… hot springs, spa, vacation, etc. If at all possible, go with your significant other. DO NOT DISCUSS YOUR CHILDREN ON THIS BREAK! It may seem impossible, but the goal of this is complete relaxation. If need be, set aside 30 minutes per day to discuss children, but other than that it should be a taboo subject when on your break. DO NOT FEEL GUILTY FOR FOCUSING ON YOU!

 

Look online for resources… some google tips are:

-“intentional living” google search should get you some decent tips and ideas

-“stress reduction techniques”

-“guided meditation”

-“mindfulness”

-“Yoga for stress”

-“P2P Support for _____________” (insert what you are stressed about)

 

If you have tried any or all of this, but you are feeling burnout or like it’s not working, PLEASE see your doctor or mental health immediately. This can honestly be an emergency situation and it would be appropriate to head to the emergency room in many cases.

 

 

Previous Post

 

Until Next Time… Take Care of yourself….. ~C

Stress VS Burnout Pt 3

***DISCLAIMER*** I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. THIS IS A LOT OF RESEARCH BUT YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR OR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS OF PROLONGED STRESS OR BURNOUT

 

So, now that we have gone over the signs and symptoms of each, we will deal with each one separately. We will start with stress. As a reminder, here are the signs and symptoms again.

 

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS:

-Anxiety

-Depression

-Irritability

-Feeling Tired &/or Run Down

-Difficulty Sleeping

-Overreacting

-New/Worse Health Problems

Trouble Concentrating

-Feeling Increasingly Resentful

-Drinking, Smoking or Eating More

-Neglecting Responsibilities

-Cutting Back On/Eliminating Leisure Activities

 

So, you’re thinking that you might be suffering from stress… now what? Well, I have some suggestions for what you might want to do to gain more control over the stress.

 

WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR STRESS?

-Connect face to face with someone

-Get out for a walk in the sunshine

-Increase or add Vitamin D in your diet

-Reach out and connect constantly with supportive peers

-Join Caregiver Support Groups

-Sleep

 

Now, because stress can SO EASILY lead to burnout, we will be discussing steps you can take to hopefully avoid stress turning to burnout.

 

 

FIND WAYS TO FEEL EMPOWERED

Feeling Powerless is the number 1 cause of burnout, stress and depression.

-You will need to find ways to embrace your caregiving choice. Despite how you currently feel, acknowledge that you made the conscious choice to do this.

-Focus on things that you can control. You can not change the diagnosis so do not focus upon it.

-Celebrate the small victories. This is so important. Sometimes the bigger victories will be weeks, months, years, or never come… so you need to find a small victory to celebrate at least once a week.

 

GET THE APPRECIATION YOU NEED

Feeling appreciated can go a LONG way towards making you happy and keeping you healthy.

-Imagine how your loved one might respond if not for pain, illness or disability. This can help so much.

-Applaud your own efforts. Make a list of how caregiving positively makes a difference. Do this when you’re having a good day and look back to it when you feel low.

-Talk to a supportive family member or friend. Skype coffee date if that’s what it takes!

 

ASK FOR HELP

-Do not try to do it all alone.  That is a 100% guaranteed recipe for burnout. Look into respite care and/or enlist family/friends to provide babysitting, hot meals, or run errands so that you can get a well deserved break!

 

TIPS:

Speak Up! People can not possibly know what you need if you don’t tell them. Be upfront about what is going on with you &/or your child.

 

Spread responsibility… Try to get family to help out

 

Set up a check in… Ask a friend, family member or a volunteer from places such as a church to call and check in with you at a minimum of a weekly basis. They can help enlist assistance if you are showing signs of burnout.

 

Say “yes”… have a list of things you can easily accept help with.

 

Relinquish some control… Be willing to be flexible. If grandma offers to take the kids for the day, do not say “well last time, you fed Johnny sugar, so no juice this time. Oh, and I think you should take them to the pool. That would be fun.” Just let them go with Grandma and have a fun day.

 

GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK!

If you aren’t taking a break, you aren’t the best version of yourself. You need to carve out time for a break.

 

-Maintain Personal relationships. Invite friends over for coffee. A true friend won’t care about the state of your house.

-Prioritize activities that bring you joy.

-Find ways to pamper yourself. A hot bubble bath by candlelight after the kids are in bed. A back rub. Fresh flowers. Do your nails. Do your hair. Whatever relaxes you and brings you joy, make time and do it.

-Make yourself laugh. Laughter is the best medicine and a little goes a long way.

-Get out of the house. This is so big. Even going to town and getting a coffee can lift your spirits SO much.

 

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF:

Think of yourself like a car. With fuel and proper care and maintenance your car runs well. Neglect it, and it will quickly start to give you trouble. So… what does this mean?

-Keep your doctor appointments. You need to be healthy!

-Exercise. 3 times a day for 10 minutes each time can make so much difference!

-Meditate, or do yoga or guided meditation or breathing.

-Eat well! What you put into your body is so important!

-Sleep properly! Sleep is SO important to you and your mental and physical health!

 

***OF COURSE, IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TRIED ANY/ALL OF THIS AND IT’S JUST NOT HELPING, YOU NEED TO SPEAK TO YOUR DOCTOR.***

 

 

Our next post will be regarding burnout.

Previous Post     Next Post

 

Until next time… Take care of yourself! ~C

Caregiver Stress vs Burnout Pt 2

***DISCLAIMER*** I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. THIS IS A LOT OF RESEARCH BUT YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR OR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS OF PROLONGED STRESS OR BURNOUT

 

Today the aim is to go over signs and symptoms of Stress vs Burnout. We will start with Stress and move to Burnout.

 

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS:

-Anxiety

-Depression

-Irritability

-Feeling Tired &/or Run Down

-Difficulty Sleeping

-Overreacting

-New/Worse Health Problems

Trouble Concentrating

-Feeling Increasingly Resentful

-Drinking, Smoking or Eating More

-Neglecting Responsibilities

-Cutting Back On/Eliminating Leisure Activities

 

 

BURNOUT SIGNS & SYMPTOMS:

-MUCH less energy

-ALWAYS sick

-Constantly exhausted, even after a long sleep, nap or break

-Neglect your own needs – you’re too busy or you no longer care

-Life revolves around caregiving, but it no longer gives you satisfaction.

-You can’t relax, no matter what.

-You’re increasingly impatient and irritable

-You feel helpless &/or hopeless

 

Okay, so now that you have a better idea of what each can look like, how can we deal with each individually? The next two posts will be all about how to deal with each condition.

 

 

First Post     Next Post

 

Until Next Time… Take Care Of Yourself! ~C

Stress Management Pt 1

This will be part one of a 4 part series. More will be added if needed.

 

Stress management is a HUGE topic. It is one of the most researched topics ever. If you struggle with stress or anxiety I really hope this post can help you in some way!

***DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL AT ALL. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS TOPIC IN GREAT DETAIL FOR THIS SERIES, BUT PLEASE SEEK PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE PRIOR TO BEGINNING ANY FORM OF STRESS MANAGEMENT OR FOR ANY DIAGNOSTIC PURPOSES. THIS IS NOT MEANT TO REPLACE ANY MEDICAL ADVICE AND SHOULD BE UTILIZED ONLY AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION!***

 

First thing that you will need to do is to figure out if the stress is a “one time” type of thing or if it is a chronic stress. The type of stress that you are facing greatly determines how often you will need to practice stress reduction, and what type of stress reduction techniques you will need to utilize. If, for example, it is a new stress but one that will be a constant stress for a bit, you will need to practice stress reduction techniques at least once a day for quite awhile. If you’re stressed because of an upcoming deadline at work, you might only need to do them once or twice. Your situation is entirely different than anyone else’s situation so please don’t compare your stress to anyone else’s stress. If you have chronic stress, you may need a medication to help out, or perhaps you will need more than one medication. Whatever you need to do to take care of yourself, please do so.

 

One of the most common issues that I have found with my research is lack of several things. Lack of sleep. Lack of a good diet. Lack of exercise. Lack of support system. Lack of acknowledgement or validation of what you do. Lack of connection. Lack of communication. It all seems to stem from a lack of something with constant stress. If we aren’t taking care of ourselves and seeking out everything that we need, our bodies eventually send a signal of “enough is enough, I need you to care about ME for a bit here.” and that’s when you start to see all the signs show up of stress. The funny thing about most of these things is that if one starts to slip, the others seem to follow suit. If you’re stressed and you don’t take care of yourself, your sleep starts to suffer. If your sleep suffers, your diet tends to get worse. If you’re not sleeping or eating properly you really don’t have the motivation to work out. And the spiral continues. One always has bearing on the rest.
So, how can we recognize what is going on with us, and what can we do about it?

This series will aim to show you just that. If you feel that you are suffering from stress or burnout, please don’t hesitate to contact your doctor, mental health, or even a trusted friend. Seek assistance in overcoming it, or at least in the day to day of getting through it.

 

Next Post

 

Until Next Time… Take Care Of Yourselves ~C