Print If you’re struggling with a burnout, it’s important to take good care of yourself. This means developing a healthy lifestyle. By taking good care of yourself and your body, you can tackle a lot of the cognitive complaints. When we refer to lifestyle, we mean sleep, exercise and nutrition.
Sleep
Almost all people experiencing a burnout have sleeping problems, especially when it comes to falling asleep. The exact relation between sleep problems and burnout is unknown, but it is possible that sleep deprivation and sleep disturbances contribute to the feeling of exhaustion. Sleep deprivation and sleep disturbances can be caused by the excessive production of the stress hormone cortisol, which inhibits your sleep. To limit your cortisol level (especially in the evening), it is important to relax sufficiently, for example by doing breathing exercises, taking a walk or reading a book. In addition, it is beneficial to soak up enough daylight during the day. Daylight inhibits melatonin production during the day and gets it going again in the evening. Melatonin is an important hormone for falling asleep.
Exercise
When you are burned out, you may find physical exercise too intensive. For this reason, it is beneficial to gradually build up your physical fitness. The fatigue symptoms that accompany a burnout are partly due to loss of muscle fitness caused by a reduction in exercise. Therefore, it is beneficial to incorporate small physical activities and moments of rest into your daily schedule. This schedule can be gradually developed step by step in order to rebuild your physical condition. It is important to be active at the scheduled times and rest, regardless of whether you are experiencing any symptoms. By doing this, you will slowly build up a daily rhythm.
Nutrition
Healthy food is important to feel good both mentally and physically. Burnout is often the result of a lack of energy. Energy is needed to recover and continue with your daily activities the next day. Food that provides this energy contains vitamins and minerals. Magnesium, vitamin B12 and omega 3, for example, are very good for the brain. Magnesium can be found in nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables and whole grains. Vitamin B12 is only found in animal products such as eggs, meat and dairy. With a vegan lifestyle, it is recommended to take a B12 dietary supplement. Omega 3 can be found in fatty fish, walnuts and healthy oils, such as linseed oil.
By adopting a healthy diet, you can support your recovery. For example, answer the following questions when you plan your diet:
What does your eating pattern look like? Are you eating healthy and getting enough vitamins? Do you drink too much coffee? Do you moderate your alcohol intake? Do you eat and drink regularly? Do you take enough time to enjoy a proper breakfast, lunch and dinner and to chew your food well? Are you eating too much sugar?
More information about lifestyle can be found in this article or in the lifestyle library.
Sources:
https://www.gezondheidsraad.nl/documenten/adviezen/2017/08/22/beweegrichtlijnen-2017
https://www.voedingscentrum.nl/encyclopedie/bewegen.aspx
https://www.hersenstichting.nl/dit-doen-wij/voorlichting/gezonde-hersenen/slaap/
https://www.voedingscentrum.nl/nl/gezond-eten-met-de-schijf-van-vijf.aspx
https://www.thuisarts.nl/gezonde-levensstijl/ik-wil-gezond-eten
