Stress and Burnout
Stress and burnout are closely linked, but they are not the same.
When we are stressed, the whole nervous system reacts and releases hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) into the bloodstream. These hormones accelerate heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and metabolism. These symptoms can be used to motivate or help overcome a difficult situation:
Changes in the body as a result of stress can increase the ability to: be alert, energized, motivated and to find more and better resources to solve problems.
In the long run, however, the pressure that stress places on the body is negative for both physical health and emotional well-being. Eventually, too much stress on the body and over a long period can cause burnout.
Burnout is a state of physical and emotional mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when someone feels overwhelmed, emotionally drained and unable to respond to normal day-to-day requests.
How do we work at Shift Care?
Our investment and focus is on the individual. In our method, we think of the person as a whole: we make a prior assessment, plan the treatment and intervene, combining the areas that, together or individually, best respond to the needs of one.
Thus fulfilling our mission to provide people of all ages and lifestyles with tools to balance body, mind and emotions.
Symptoms of stress and burnout
Headaches: stress can trigger and intensify headaches
Muscle tension: stress tenses muscles – chronic stress leads to headaches and body pain caused by this tension
Depression: chronic stress is so emotionally draining that it leads to depression
Insomnia: falling asleep and sleeping all night is very difficult when we are under a lot of stress that leads to insomnia
Accelerated breathing: with stress, the muscles that help breathing become tenser, which makes breathing difficult
Weakened immune system: long-term stress weakens the immune system’s defenses, leaving the body more vulnerable to infections
Fast heartbeat: stress hormones make your heart beat faster so that blood reaches your limbs and organs more quickly
Heart attack risk: over time, increased heart risk and blood pressure cause damage to the arteries that can lead to heart attacks
Stomach pains: stress affects the digestive system that can lead to stomach pains, nausea, etc.
Little sexual desire: stress, and the tiredness it brings, destroy libido
Absence of menstruation: hormonal changes can unbalance the mental cycle and in extreme cases stop it altogether