Seventeen years of teaching high school made me a expert on this. The slide into exhaustion was part of the gig. However, being totally wiped out is not a badge of honor. If you feel resistance to that, this is for you.
First, have a look at your beliefs. If you believe that you have to work to exhaustion and that being overwhelmed is normal, it’s time to flip your beliefs.
Second, know about self-regulation. Energy can be managed. You can move and shift any energy, including fear, anger, frustration, boredom, or overwhelm—anything that contributes to burn-out.
This is called a Re-Set. Especially effective ones are starred below. *
See where you are, know you have a choice, and choose your well-being.
Body
- Get outside and move in some fresh air. *
- Walk where there are trees, preferably under the trees, preferable in the woods. *
- If your energy feels stuck or negative—walk briskly, dance, shake, sing, or shout to run the energy through the cycle. *
- SLEEP. Our cortisol is replenished while we are horizontal, preferably in the dark. Sleep is the best cure for burn-out. *
- Food: listen. You might need more protein for energy and healthy fats for your brain.
- Eat more vegetables than you think you need.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
- SLEEP.
- Take a high-quality B Vitamin.
- Avoid washing organic produce when you feel it’s safe enough—we get some B vitamins from dirt.
- Get into some salt water. *
- Consider herbs that support the adrenals/cortisol: Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, Licorice, Penstemon, Maitake, etc.
- Did I say SLEEP?
Body—Supporting the Gall Bladder
Decision fatigue can lead to a depleted gall bladder system—I’m talking Traditional Chinese Medicine here.
- Eat fresh dark greens like arugula and dandelions.
- Sprout or cook mung beans.
- Drink warm lemon water in the morning. Add lemon or lime juice to meals.
- Add high-quality first or cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil to meals.
- Add flax oil to meals.
- Avoid late meals.
- Avoid heavy meats, dairy, eggs, and peanuts—at least for a few days to help clean bile ducts. *
- Eat radishes, pears, parsnips, seaweeds, lemons, limes, and turmeric to help clean bile ducts. *
- Drink cleavers or camomile tea.
In spring time especially, add the following solutions:
- Eat more sprouts in general.
- Use pungent herbs like basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, caraway, dill, and bay leaves.
- Limit salty and heavy foods (spring energy needs to rise).
- Eat more raw food as your climate warms up (contra-indicated if you have bowel inflammation).
Emotional and Mental
- When you are caught in a mental loop of worry, change what you are physically doing to break the loop. *
- Ration your news. Know when you’ve had enough and for heaven’s sake do something else.
- Make decisions from knowledge rather than worry, fear, or ego.
- Monitor any blame-shifting on your part. This makes us feel tired and powerless.
- Assume responsibility for ALL of your experience—your feelings, responses, choices. *
- Take a Day Off. Even better, a weekend. Best of all, a week or month. **
- Take a Pretend Day Off where you imagine you’re having a day off while going light and easy on jobs at hand.
- Stream or load some comedies or shows with beauty.
- Ask for help. Allow someone to support you—it is a gift.
- When a limiting belief arrives, see it and flip it. For example, “I don’t have enough time.” We all have the same amount of time, and humans are designed for/evolved into a 24-hour day. “I have enough.” *
- Know that leaning into positive and healthy beliefs probably includes implementing boundaries. This is respectful to everyone.
- For Overwhelm, take the next hour. Then the next. Avoid giving the thought/belief any power.
Spiritual
- Whatever your daily spiritual practices are, commit to them. Do it. *
- Have a morning practice or ritual—it does not have to be the same every day. *
- Do a few rounds of microcosmic orbit breath or sun salutations. *
- Listen to music that fills your heart.
- Attend to beauty.
- Attend to gratitude. When you wake, any time when the opportunity arrives, and before you fall asleep. *
See where you are, know you have a choice, and choose your well-being.