Burnout recovery takes time. A lot of time, sometimes. I would say it’s a work in progress, because once your mind-body system gets used to be constantly flared up and out of control, it’s hard to reset and restore it back to balance. For instances, I would like to confidently say that I’m recovered by now, but I can’t. I’m taking my personal recovery as a day-by-day project, since I never really know when memories or present situations will trigger and send me back to living out of sync with my breath and human capacity.
I can, however, tell and share how I have been recovering and getting my human energy back. Although not totally surprised, I’m still astonished with the results I have been getting. I went from having early dementia symptoms (memory problems, reduced concentration, apathy, withdrawal, reduced awareness, and loss of ability to do everyday tasks) to clear, focused awareness and healthy energy levels without having to rely on my double espressos. All I did was to change my lifestyle. Here are 5 of the most important changes:
1. Whole-food Meals
Eating the right veggies, the right sources of protein and carbs for my body and mind has made an incredible difference. I practise intuitive eating, so I would like to emphasise here the importance of listening to your body and to its signs. What is your body asking for? When I go to the supermarket, I use a special trick: I go within and I ask my body what foods do I need. Our body and needs change with time and life stages. This means that while my body asks for more omega 3 this week (e.g. it makes me want to eat sardines), next week I may need to focus on leaner protein. The beauty of intuitive eating is that I always pick up the ingredients I need and which will benefit me the most.
2. Food Supplements
I have to acknowledge here that I was nutritionally deficient. I sensed it and yet I did not have the right mindset, motivation, and mindfulness to make the changes I knew I had to, if I really wanted to bring myself back to good health. The problem wasn’t lack of information about what I should be doing with my mind and body but rather a lack of motivation and focused awareness to put myself through the change process. It was so much comforting to just have another Big Mac and run away from my painful feelings. I can’t even call it a quick-fix, because it wouldn’t fix anything, even if just temporarily. To be fully functional, our mind and body need the right fuel, so paired with a whole-food meal plan I also took magnesium, iron, and a multivitamin supplement for 10-days in a row.
3. Guided Meditations
I didn’t think that I would return to my meditation practise in a moment of pure despair, but that’s what happened. Whenever I felt anxious, afflicted, or disturbed in anyway, I listened to guided meditations. In the very beginning, I did 10 or more meditation sessions a day. I meditated whenever I felt the need to stop my mind and reconnect with a lighter form of being. It brought me calmness when I was out of it. To help me with practise, I used the Insight Timer mobile app.
4. Stretching and Light Exercises
We store toxins and emotional memories in our body so it’s very important to move and stretch. Although intense exercise is not the best option when recovering from burnout, light exercises can have a huge impact in our physical wellbeing and maintenance, since it helps the body’s fluids to circulate and awakens our physical stamina.
5. Plenty of Water
Think of water as the natural shampoo for your internal body. To wash away the toxins and waste, you need plenty of water. You can make flavoured water using natural ingredients such as berries, cucumber, and lemon. Check out these 3 tricks that will help increase your water intake.
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All of these are so important but isn’t funny how much water matters. Thank you for a reminder that should be simple but is so hard to remember. I feel so much better when I drink enough.
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You’re most welcome 😊 I have to constantly remind myself too. Carrying a water bottle around has helped with that 💧
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Lovely tips here…hang in there. Prayers 🙏🏾
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Thank you 😊💜
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So important! Especially water. Just gives you natural energy. Love these tips!
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So glad you’re on the path to feeling well and regaining your energy. It’s amazing how small changes to our lifestyle can lead to better mental and physical health. I’m a big fan of keeping hydrated, eating nourishing meals and exercising to really boost my wellness. Wishing you all the best 🌼🦋
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Thank you for your kind support 🙂 I’m glad you also look after those important life nourishing pillars! 💚😊
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Meditation is great, it’s surprising how 5 mins can work wonders with calming the non stop chatter in your mind. Drinking water….goodness, the last few months, I have made such a conscious effort to drink more and it does make you feel better. Great tips! x
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Absolutely! Thanks for building up the case for all that, it does make a difference xx
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Great post. I relate to all the symptoms you had… and I’d never thought of it as ‘early dementia’, but you’re quite right! It really did feel like that. But the great thing about it is when you realise you are healing… and changing… Perhaps it just has to be two steps forward and one back sometimes 🙏🐞🌻
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I think realizing they were early dementia symptoms scared the hell out of me but it was also what impelled me to act swiftly. Drooling myself while speaking and not being able to get two thoughts together activated the survival alarm. And the mind-body system is down, it’s so easy to see the two steps back and one forward 😀 Everything happened for a bigger reason though! ❤
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Recovery is important…
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Burnout is horrible and it’s so easy to crawl under the covers and sleep for an eternity. I know how easy it is to reach for the unhealthy snacks when you’re feeling low in energy and motivation, but it’s so much better for your body to give it proper nutrients! Totally agree with your points about whole food meals and vitamin supplements to ensure you are fueling your body to help it revitalise!
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Yes, that’s a dark part of burnout, when depression kicks in… Correcting nutrition has a huge impact on mood balance, especially when processed foods and ‘bad’ sugars are reduced 😊
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Well being depends a lot upon the food you eat. Glad to see your improvement. Learned many things from your blog.
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Food is indeed medicine 🙂 Thank you for coming by. Your blog is super nice, I will definitely stop by sometime later to read and comment. 😉
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Thank u so mucj
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I really enjoyed this post, I love the overall wellness approach that you took. I love the food, supplement and exercise recommendations. I definitely thing burn out tend to take a toll on our bodies but we are too exhausted to notice. And lastly, the meditation approach to healing your spirit is fantastic.
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Hi Linh, thank you so much for coming by and leaving your feedback. I totally agree with you, we often are too burned to notice and listen to the body speaking…
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definitely an amazing read, really enjoyed reading this.
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Thank you, I appreciate your feedback! Hope it’s useful.
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Great post and right on point! So often we neglect the little things like water consumption. I personally opted to always carry around a full water bottle so I have no temptation to consume something unhealthy but also can stay hydrated!
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That’s my favourite trick!! 😉 Thanks for coming by 💋
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Great article! It’s so important to acknowledge how our body is feeling. I recently have been doing guided meditations and it has been changing my mood significantly.
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