On Burning Out and Restoring Vitality

Here is a way to generally understand these two types of burnouts from the mind-body perspective. That is, through the functions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems that are part of the autonomic nervous system, and the critical function of the vagus nerve, which has been more recently understood thanks to Steven Porges’ research that led to the Polyvagal Theory (1994)

What happens when a fast burnout takes place

Your sympathetic nervous system, which regulates your system’s fire and flight responses, has been hyperactive for way too long. Your sympathetic nervous system, which regulates rest, digest, sleep, recharge, hasn’t been given a chance to kick in. Instead, it has been suppressed.

As a result, your system has not been able to self-regulate by combining periods of activity and stress (upregulation) and periods of profound restorative rest (downregulation). That is the way your system gets naturally to a state of aliveness, or in other words, in sync with the cycles of life. When this does not happen, your brain-body system collapses with all sorts of stress-related illnesses and symptoms. You are forced to slow down. Eventually, you may begin anew.

When slow burnout settles in

The sympathetic nervous system includes another branch, the social nervous system, that is regulated by the vagus nerve: the longest cranial nerve running from your brain to your large intestine. Its dysregulation generates heart, digestive and intestinal problems, and emotional responses associated with fawning, fitting in, and freezing — and a profound disconnection with our being and truest essence.

Not surprisingly states of confusion, disorientation, numbness, and apathy take residence in our lives, and that impacts how we show up in the world, personally and professionally.

It is hard to make our way to our nervous system rationally to modify it at will. Throughout history some yogis, sages and monks have managed to, but until proved otherwise, that is only reserved for a few.

However, we can start a journey of exploration, expanding our understanding and engaging in gentle but determined action to assist the reset, restoration and coming back to a state of balance of our nervous system and wellbeing for our mind-body.

How to reset and restore a Burnout? 

Some essentials are:

1. Taking time to slow down, to play and to engage in pleasurable activities.
2. Intentionally connecting with our most precious tool: the breath. Breathing mindfully as well as engaging in different breathing patterns that help open our body’s energy channels.
3. Engaging in deep slow body movement to relax, open, engage muscles, and activate our body’s energy, fueling coordination, concentration and releasing tension.
4. Meditating, the manifold benefits of meditation, known for centuries by ancient traditions, are nowadays increasingly being documented by modern science.
5. Eating more healthily, in a way that is balanced for us according to our body-mind constitution.
6. Setting a routine to synchronize daily activities with the natural cycles of nature considering periods of alertness, work, emotional connection, play, rest, sleep.

With patience, dedication, and support, we can start releasing the accumulated pressure that has built up in our system and slowly make our way to a more vibrant version of ourselves.

I’ll continue to share some insights on this in future writings.