Fatigue , Burnout, Chronic Fatigue And Tips To Support Your Wellbeing

We all experience the feelings of tiredness and fatigue every once in a while.  The feeling you get after a long busy week or an approaching deadline for a task at work that is draining your energy. Your body signals its needs rest, but if you ignore it will affect your mental and emotional wellbeing. Think of the signals like whispers, but if you ignore it will sound like a scream. The body is a smart system that has adapted to your survival and gives you alarms and to signal slow down.   The slow down signal forces you to slow down through fatigue.  The body is not given enough credit to show you on how it works for your benefit to maintain wellness and balance. Unfortunately, ignoring the signs and pushing beyond your limit can lead to burnout and chronic fatigue.  The level of stress you experience from day to day has a cumulative effect on your body and mind. It is important to listen to your body when it tries to communicate with you. The body communicates to you through physical and emotional manifestations like headaches, irritability, anxiety, and upset stomach.   Research has shown that chronic stress affects the physical and mental health affects the neuroendocrine, immune, metabolic, and cardiovascular system functioning (Juster, Robert-Paul, Bruce S. McEwen, and Sonia J. Lupien, 2010).

There are different types of fatigue you experience and knowing the difference can help you manage and resolve it.  

Burnout:

Burnout is defined as a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged/ repetitive stress. The symptoms include: physical and mental exhaustion, a sense of dread about work/task, and frequent feelings of cynicism, anger, or irritability are key signs of burnout. I would like to add that not only employees, but includes entrepreneur and social/ health care and an average person.

 The management of burnout strategies are balanced routines, having a sense of purpose boundaries, balance and looking after yourself from various perspectives. Looking after yourself comes from the aspects of nutritional, psychological, emotional, and spiritual.  The holistic approach is one of the best ways to support your wellbeing to achieve balance. Nutrition means having a healthy, antioxidant-rich, whole food diet with minimal processed food like fruits and vegetables. As a reminder, what food your body need is bio-individual. Emotional health refers to the management of emotions in a healthy way. Spiritual health refers to knowing your inner values and moral values that serves others and impacts in a positive way. 

If you are struggling with fatigue for a while, it may lead to depression and anxiety thus burnout. The symptom onset is gradual. Reach out for support if you feel it is too overwhelming. The recovery from burnout takes time, therefore be patient and kind to yourself.

Learn more through this link: Burnout | Psychology Today

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS):

 Chronic fatigue is a type of fatigue categorized by extreme fatigue lasting for at least 6 months and   no medical condition fully explains it. As opposed to mental and physical fatigue, this type doesn’t improve with rest and gets worse with physical or mental exertion.  The onset of symptoms is gradual.

The symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are:

• Fatigue

• Problems with memory or concentration

• Headaches

• Enlarged lymph nodes in your neck or armpits

• Unexplained muscle or joint pain

• Dizziness that worsens with moving from lying down or sitting to standing

• Unrefreshing sleep

• Extreme exhaustion after physical or mental exercise

The causes of chronic fatigue syndrome are:

• Food sensitivity

• Brain inflammation

• Nutrient deficiencies

• Hormones

• Mitochondrial dysfunction

• Sleep

• Environmental toxins

• Microbiome/IBS

• Infections

• Immune Dysfunction

Reference: (Chronic fatigue syndrome - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic - Mayoclinic)

Compassionate fatigue:

This is the type of fatigue that is more emotional type of fatigue that comes from the service of others to meet their emotional needs. The symptoms of compassionate fatigue are gradual and may resemble a “burnout.” The symptoms to look out for are physical and emotional exhaustion symptoms like irritable mood, changes in your sleep and appetite, lack of empathy, lack of pleasure in other activities, feelings of shame/guilt, relationship issues, rumination of thoughts about other’s suffering, feelings of helplessness self-blame, headaches, tiredness and more.

Learn more through this link:  What is compassion fatigue? - The American Institute of Stress

Physical fatigue:

This type of fatigue shows up as in physical symptoms like upset stomach, nausea, headaches, muscle aches, dizziness, heart palpations, and more. This may be resolved by rest, but if it builds up it will take a longer time to resolve.

Emotional exhaustion:

Emotional fatigue is the state of feeling worn and stressed due to work and life responsibilities. A lot of people feel stuck or trapped in this state of mind. This can be a sign of a burnout to look out for.

These show up as show up as emotional, mental and psychological symptoms:

• Lack of motivation

• Trouble sleeping

• Irritability

• Physical fatigue

• Feelings of hopelessness

• Absentmindedness

• Apathy

• Headaches

• Change in appetite (Undereating/Overeating)

• Nervousness

• Difficulty concentrating

• Irrational anger

• Increased cynicism or pessimism

• Sense of dread

• Depression

 This may be resolved by rest, but if it builds up it will take a longer time to resolve. If it takes a long time to resolve , professional help/ support is advised to help you work through this.

Reference: Emotional Exhaustion: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and More (healthline.com)

Take away messages to manage fatigue:

• Have firm boundaries in work and personal life

•   Engage in self-care activities

•   Take breaks when needed

• Practice mindfulness and mediation

• Eat a healthy and varied diet with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants

• Lower stress levels

• Deep breathing exercises

• Seek help if it feels overwhelming and adding stress

References:

• Allostatic load biomarkers of chronic stress and impact on health and cognition - ScienceDirect

• What is compassion fatigue? - The American Institute of Stress

• Burnout | Psychology Today

• Chronic fatigue syndrome - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

• Emotional Exhaustion: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and More (healthline.com)

Reach out to me if you need any support or have any questions. If you are interested in booking a free health history consultation, click on this link.