Below are a few of the steps I commonly see of exhausted people who struggle to slow down- but also can’t keep up anymore. But how did it end up this way? What led to the burn out and can it be avoided? I specialize in working with burnt out exhausted, overstimulated women- and maybe you’re one of them. I focus on mental health nutrition, and its relationship to stress, sleep quality, and lifestyle factors.
Maybe you have a hormone problem,
maybe you need an anxiety medication,
maybe you’re just not zen enough.
But, what if none of that was true?
What if the way you feel is actually a result of a series of minor poor habits that have been in your control all along.–Those poor choices that you made again and again and again.
Jonathan Kozol said, “Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win.”
We’re not talking about major life changes here, we’re taking about those small minor habits that you’ve never really considered being a problem before
5 Steps to Lead to Burn Out
1. Drink water…sometimes…but not really
If you’re prone to giving yourself a pat on the back for a day when you consume a full water bottle- Be real. Is that really a significant amount of water for your grown adult body that gets doused in diuretic beverages every 4 hours?
2. Skip breakfast… because you’re really not hungry + you need to listen to your body, right?
Not being hungry after you’ve fasted for 12 hours- does that seem right to you? If your hunger hormones are turned off in the early morning hours- maybe you need to be asking, “why?”. This is your body communicating something to you. Listen. Usually your cortisol is to blame for leading you to burn out
3. Eat sporadically, not at all, or binge
If you’re trying to communicate to your body that it is safe and doesn’t need to feel so panicked, try giving it a steady source of fuel. 3 solid meals, with 3 macronutrients on each plate.
This is especially true when you’re looking for a result of weight loss- why would your body be burning calories if it doesn’t know if it’s going to get fed the next 12 hours or not??
4. Eat empty carbs on an empty stomach
By empty, I mean void of real nutrients, but packed with happiness.
Cereal, chips, granola bars, bagel, soda, chocolate… you get the picture.
While there can be room for some of your favorites as part of a balanced diet (like the 3 balanced meals I mentioned above)- foods like these, eaten in isolation spike your blood sugar, drive up your stress hormones and anxiety, then leave you burnt out with more cravings and even lower blood sugar.
This can even be true for some health foods- yep, I’m talking about your all fruit smoothie.
Watch out for those naked carbs.
5. Be consistently reactive
“I’m late again. I need to wake up earlier.”
“I’m not really hungry, I’ll just have some coffee.”
“I’m all shaky, maybe I’m hungry, I’ll finish my daughter granola bar- and maybe pour a glass of water.”
“My sister wants to come over, I’m already stressed, but I can’t say no-.”
“These notifications are making me crazy, but I don’t want to miss them.”
“I fell asleep on the couch again- I need to go to bed earlier.”
“I forgot to shower- I’ll wake up earlier tomorrow.”
She said for the 100th time….
No plans, no actual steps to make changes, just fleeting thoughts of how things could be better.
If you’re spending all your time reacting to the circumstances around you- you’re missing out on the very present moment, and you’re on your way to burn out.
How would you actually feel?
What would actually be the result if you changed these minor elements in your day?
No plans, no actual steps to make changes, just fleeting thoughts of how things could be better.
If you’re spending all your time reacting to the circumstances around you- you’re missing out on the very present moment.
How would you actually feel?
What would actually be the result if you changed these minor elements in your day?
If you relate to these habits above- you’re my people.
Remember, It’s my actual job to help people just like you make sustainable changes so you can actually start feeling like yourself again.
I would love to be an ally on this journey with you. I know you don’t want something more on your plate right now. I’ll be responsible for the how. All you have to do is commit and show up.
Schedule a free consult and we can talk about what is actually at the root of your current symptoms of burn out and frustrations.
Or, you can lovingly forward this to a friend. <3
Here I talk more about why it’s really so hard to be consistent with our intentions when the other side of our brain is always wanting sugar, safety, and predicability- even when you know it doesn’t serve you.
It’s why these old habits are so hard to break alone.
Best, Leana
*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I do not recommend products that I have not personally vetted. *
