A burnout often arises after a very long period of stress, in which you physically and mentally ask too much of your body. For a long time your body uses more energy than you actually have in storage. In this blog we explain how your energy supply can run out during a prolonged period of stress.
A bottle of energy every day
Everyone has a bottle of energy a day. Everything you do in a day costs energy, and for each activity, energy is poured from your bottle. The bottles of energy are stored in a fridge. Every day you can get one bottle of energy from this fridge to use. The fridge is then replenished from the pantry. The pantry is the place where the energy is produced. If you use a bottle of energy per day, all systems are properly adjusted to each other. Your energy level remains approximately the same over a longer period of time.
Using too many bottles of energy
Suppose you use one and a half bottles of energy per day. In the first instance you will notice that the fridge runs empty faster. The refrigerator is able to continue this function with a somewhat lower energy supply. However, at some point the storage in the fridge runs out. It will give a signal to the pantry, which has to work harder to replenish the energy supply.
The pantry will produce more energy. But at a certain point, the pantry will also reach its maximum production. The pantry will give signals that it is getting overloaded. At this moment the stress signals arise, such as examples of fatigue, pain (headache, abdominal pain, muscle pain), high muscle tension, irritability, anxiety and feeling of sadness. The longer the process of overload continues, the worse the complaints can become.
When you are burned out, this is often because you have used more energy (more bottles) during a long period of stress than the one bottle that is available per day. Therefore, it is important to supplement the energy storage.
Recovery is slow
To replenish the energy supply, it is not enough to go back to 1 bottle per day. You need to spare some energy every day to refill the fridge and pantry. It means that you use up ¾ or ⅔ of the bottle every day, so that that some energy can be returned to the fridge.
Need help?
Do you want help to replenish your energy supplies? Discuss it with a NiceDay coach. For long-term help with burnout, you need to contact your doctor for a referral to a PsyQ professional.
