Stress, overwhelm, and burnout

Stress, particularly chronic stress, can lead to people feeling overwhelmed, and burned out. What are the symptoms and what can people do about it?

We all know what stress is, and we, at least, sometimes claim to suffer from it. But what is stress really, and what happens to individuals when the stress continues over long periods of time?

Parts of the brain involved

Before we look at stress, let’s look at some of the parts of the brain that are involved in the stress response, for example the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the hypothalamus. In terms of the hippocampus and amygdala, there are, in fact, two of each, one on each side (hemisphere) of the brain. Amygdala means almond, and it is almond shaped (ish). It’s particularly associated with emotions, especially fear, anxiety, and aggression. Studies have found that the amygdalae may be responsible for the emotional reactions of PTSD patients.

Hippocampus is Greek for seahorse (actually, hippo is horse, campus is monster). It is associated with memory, navigation, and it’s where new brain cells (neurons) can be made. London taxi drivers, who have to learn the names of every street in the capital, have larger hippocampae than normal. Whereas people with Alzheimer’s have shorter hippocampae than normal and that could explain the problem sufferers have with creating new memories.

The hypothalamus is about the size of an almond and can be found just below the thalamus and above the brainstem. It acts as the body’s master regulatory centre. Its main role is to maintain a stable and balanced internal state (homeostasis), which it does through the autonomic nervous system or by releasing hormones to manage the endocrine system. As well as being important in the stress response, it also manages temperature regulation, appetite and thirst, sleep-wake cycles. emotions and behaviour, and reproduction.

What is stress?

So, what is stress? Wikipedia suggests that stress is the failure of an organism to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats, whether actual or imagined.

In 2002, JJ Kim and DM Diamond’s suggested a three-part definition of stress, which is:

• There must be an aroused physiological response.

• The stressor must be perceived as aversive.

• The person must not feel in control of the stressor.

It’s worth noting that according to transactional theory, anything has the potential to be a stressor and cause an individual to experience stress. It all depends on how that person interprets the stressor and the meaning they give to it. And it can surprise some people to realize that not all events stress all people equally. So, although we cannot necessarily control the events in our lives, we can control our response to those events. The events themselves don’t cause us to become depressed, stressed, angry, etc. That’s why learning to change our thinking habits can have such a big effect on our lives.”

We also know that the brain can negatively introspect on past events and negatively predict future events, and that can add to the amount of stress that we feel.

The most common physical symptom of stress is headache caused by people tensing their neck, forehead, and shoulder muscles. Longer-term stress can lead to digestive problems, insomnia, fatigue, high blood pressure, nervousness and excessive sweating, heart disease, strokes, and even hair loss.

Emotional responses to stress include anxiety, anger, depression, irritability, frustration, over-reaction to everyday problems, memory loss, and a lack of concentration.

Psychological responses include withdrawal from society, phobias, compulsive behaviours, eating disorders, and night terrors.

It’s important to recognize that not all stress is necessarily bad. For example, Selye (1975) published an article entitled “Confusion and controversy in the stress field” in the Journal of Human Stress. He suggested a model that divided stress into ‘eustress’ and ‘distress’. He suggested that where stress enhances function (and this could be physical or mental resulting from strength training or challenging work) it can be thought of as eustress. Negative stress – distress – is what most people think of as stress, and this may lead to problems. But, basically, Selye’s conclusion was that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!

Selye’s research led him to a three-stage theory known as GAS (general adaptation syndrome):

• Alarm – when a threat or stressor is first identified, the body’s fight-or-flight response kicks in with the production of adrenalin. At the same time some cortisol is produced from what’s called the HPA axis (see later).

• Resistance – if the stressor continues, the body tries to cope with it, but, even so, resources are gradually used up.

• Exhaustion – the body’s resources are used up, and this can lead to illness such as ulcers, depression, diabetes, digestive system issues, and cardiovascular problems.

Normally a stressor will come and then go. The body will activate its fight-or-flight response when it first identifies the stressor and then (slowly) return to normal once the stressor has gone.

What’s happening in the brain and body

The body’s response to a sudden stressor is known as the fight-or-flight-response, which we’re all familiar with.

The fight-or-flight symptoms are:

• Adrenal glands produce cortisol, adrenalin, and noradrenalin.

• Dilation of the pupils, for maximum visual perception. Other senses also become sharper

• Constriction of some arteries to maximize blood pressure to muscles.

• Blood is pushed to the muscles, heart, brain, and other vital organs.

• Sexual and immune functions are suppressed.

• Pulse rate goes up

• People start to breathe more rapidly and the lungs dilate.

• Extra oxygen is sent to the brain, which increases alertness.

• Coronary blood vessels dilate facilitating return flow of blood.

• Blood vessels to the skin, kidneys, and digestive tract are reduced.

• Fat and glucose are released from the liver and metabolized for energy.

• Endorphins (natural opiates) are released to relieve potential pain.

Let’s take a more detailed look at what happens with that fight-or-flight response (often extended to freeze, fight, or flight). Firstly, a stressor occurs – whatever that stressor might be for you, perhaps a polar bear – the amygdala needs to understand the context of the situation. It checks with the hippocampus, which provides the situational memory and environmental context needed to determine whether a threat is actually real. After all, it may be a model of a polar bear, or the bear may be in a cage at the zoo. If the context looks serious, the amygdala sends a message to the hypothalamus that there may well be a live threat and then two different pathways are kicked off at the same time – one uses hormones, and one uses nerves.

Let’s start with the nerve pathway – it’s called the sympathomedullary (SAM) pathway. The hypothalamus sends a signal through the sympathetic nerves of the autonomic nervous system to the adrenal glands. The adrenals are two small glands that can be found just above the kidneys. The adrenal medulla (the inside layer) produces the hormones adrenalin and noradrenalin, which are released into the bloodstream. They both cause the heart to beat faster than normal.

At the same time, the (paraventricular nucleus of the) hypothalamus produces corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which used to be known as corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). This (with vasopressin) stimulates the (anterior lobe of the) pituitary gland to produce ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone). This triggers the production and release of corticosteroids and cortisol from the (cortex of the) adrenal glands. This is called the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis. It’s also associated with a number of illnesses such as anxiety, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome. Doctors will usually treat these symptoms with antidepressants.

The HPA axis is much slower to have an observable effect than the SAM pathway, so it appears to happen slightly later.

The extra blood that goes to the muscles and brain has come from around the abdomen. Blood is draining away from the intestines. If there’s only a small amount of adrenalin, then this will result in a feeling of butterflies in the stomach. As the levels increase, people will feel the need to go to the toilet to remove urine and faeces. There are some animals that deposit faeces around themselves to make them seem less appealing to predators.

All this all starts to happen before the brain’s visual centres can fully process what is happening.

Looking at the hormones used in more detail, we find that

• Adrenalin tends to act more strongly on beta receptors (eg lipolysis, increasing insulin secretion, increasing heart rate, and increasing arteriolar dilation and so decreasing blood pressure).

• Noradrenalin tends to act more strongly at alpha receptors (eg decreasing insulin secretion, causing arteriolar constriction and so increasing blood pressure, contracting sphincters, sweating, and dilating pupils).

• Cortisol and corticosteroids increase blood sugar through gluconeogenesis; suppress the immune system; and aid in fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism.

The hypothalamus also produces thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), which stimulate the thyroid gland to secrete thyroxine. Thyroxine controls the rate of metabolic processes in the body.

Although much slower to respond, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) acts as the ultimate control centre. The amygdala acts quickly on raw emotion, but the PFC uses logic, memory, and rules to decide how a person should actually behave. It evaluates information from the hippocampus to judge whether a threat is real or a false alarm. It can send inhibitory signals to quiet the amygdala once a threat has passed or is no longer seen as threat. It helps the brain learn that a previously dangerous trigger is now safe, updating survival habits. Lastly, it overrides the current fight-or-flight reflexes to return to a more standard state.

Looking in more detail, we find that the parasympathetic nervous system causes the releases a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which directly slows the firing of the heart’s pacemaker cells, lowering the heart rate and reducing the blood pressure. Airways constrict back to normal, and blood flow is redirected back to the digestive tract and reproductive organs.

Fight-or-flight burn up the glucocorticoids – and, once the person is safe, the body’s chemistry returns to normal. The immune system starts to work again as the body rests and repairs itself. Note that glucocorticoids act on the hypothalamus and pituitary to suppress CRH and ACTH production. This is a negative feedback cycle.

Typically, ad hoc threats are dealt with, avoided, or recognized as not being threatening. A person’s hormone levels return to normal, and life carries on as if nothing had happened.

Modern models of stress also recognize that the nervous system does not simply switch between fight-or-flight and relaxed. Under overwhelming threat, individuals may also experience freezing or shutdown responses. According to the polyvagal theory, proposed by Stephen Porges, the vagus nerve plays an important role in regulating feelings of safety, social engagement, and defensive responses. Although aspects of the theory remain debated, it has become influential in trauma-informed care.

Chronic stress

An estimated 964,000 workers in Great Britain suffer from work-related stress, depression, or anxiety, which led to a record-breaking 22.1 million working days lost to the condition.

74% of UK adults have felt so stressed in the past year that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope, and more than one in six (18%) experience stress on an everyday basis.

A survey found that 63% of people in the UK report feeling stressed at least on a weekly basis.

Women consistently report experiencing stress more frequently than men.

In the UK, young adults aged 18–24 report the highest rates of feeling overwhelmed.

Individuals experiencing prolonged work-related stress have a 50% increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that depression and anxiety (heavily linked to chronic stress) cost the global economy approximately $1 trillion each year in lost productivity.

What happens if the stressor continues? When stress becomes chronic, cortisol levels may remain elevated or become dysregulated, depending on the individual and the duration of the stress. Persistently altered cortisol signalling can contribute to increased inflammation, impaired immune function, disturbed sleep, reduced concentration, and a greater risk of conditions such as depression, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.

In a healthy body, high cortisol levels tell the brain to stop making stress hormones. In chronic stress, this negative feedback loop breaks down. Tissues become desensitized to cortisol due to constant exposure. Without the usual cortisol peaks in the morning and drops at night, individuals feel exhausted in the morning but ‘wired’ and unable to sleep at night. Prolonged exposure to stress hormones physically reshapes a person’s brain anatomy.

Modern brain imaging studies have shown that prolonged stress can alter the structure and function of several important brain regions. The amygdala may become more active and more sensitive. At the same time, the hippocampus can become less efficient, contributing to forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating. The prefrontal cortex may also become less active during periods of prolonged stress. These changes help explain why people experiencing chronic stress often describe themselves as becoming more emotional, more reactive, and less able to think clearly. Fortunately, many of these changes appear to be at least partly reversible through stress reduction, exercise, good sleep, mindfulness, and psychological therapies, including hypnotherapy.

Regular physical activity is one of the most effective ways of helping the body regulate its stress response. Exercise doesn’t simply ‘burn up’ cortisol; instead, it improves the sensitivity of the body’s stress-regulation systems, helps restore healthy cortisol rhythms over time, reduces inflammation, and promotes the release of mood-enhancing chemicals such as endorphins. Combined with adequate sleep, relaxation, and social support, exercise helps the body return more efficiently to a balanced state after periods of stress.

It’s said that coffee raises your cortisol level, increases your feelings of stress and anxiety, and raises your blood pressure. One study found that a large dose of caffeine can mimic the symptoms of anxiety disorders. Withdrawal from caffeine does too. Other studies found that people with panic disorder react more strongly to the same amounts of caffeine than a ‘typical’ person.

More recent studies suggest that the effect mainly occurs in non-habitual coffee drinkers after large doses and during stress. Regular coffee drinkers develop a tolerance.

Chronic stress can lead to people feeling overwhelmed or burned out.

Worry and brooding

In addition, your prefrontal cortex (part of that rational brain) can create and send stress messages to the amygdala at any time. These would be worrying messages such as: did I leave the car unlocked, what can I say next time my boss calls me into his office, did I let the cat in/out, etc? Interestingly, your brain uses many of the same circuits for imagined events and real events. So, the more you brood on stressful events, and the more you imagine what might go wrong in a stressful situation, the more the brain assumes you’re living in a very stressful environment.

Also, the amygdala and other emotion-processing areas respond primarily to meaning, not whether something is objectively happening. For example: thinking about giving a speech tomorrow can make your heart race; imagining biting into a lemon may make your mouth water; recalling an embarrassing event can make you blush years later; or watching a frightening film can produce genuine fear, even though you know it is fictional.

Your autonomic nervous system can respond with increased heart rate, sweating, muscle tension, or stress hormones simply because your brain has simulated the event.

The slower pathways of the rational brain or cerebral cortex, particularly the area associated with executive functions can, at any time, recognize whether a threat is real or was only imagined. It can then send messages to the hypothalamus to stop stimulating the body for a fight-or-flight situation. And everything starts to go back to normal.

Other effects

The cumulative effects of chronic stress is known as allostatic load. Allostasis refers to the body’s ability to maintain stability by continually adjusting to changing circumstances. However, when stress becomes frequent or prolonged, these repeated adjustments place wear and tear on the body. A high allostatic load has been linked with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, cognitive decline, and accelerated biological ageing.

Chronic psychological stress promotes the release of inflammatory signalling molecules known as cytokines. While inflammation is an essential part of healing, persistent low-grade inflammation contributes to numerous long-term conditions, including cardiovascular disease, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune disorders, and metabolic illness. Many researchers now view chronic inflammation as one of the major pathways through which prolonged stress damages physical health.

Research over the past decade has highlighted the importance of the gut-brain axis. Stress alters the composition of the gut microbiome, while changes in the microbiome influence mood, immune function, inflammation, and even stress resilience. Maintaining gut health through diet, sleep, exercise, and stress reduction is increasingly recognized as an important component of overall wellbeing.

In addition, stress makes it harder to fall asleep and reduces the amount of deep, restorative sleep that we obtain. Poor sleep, in turn, makes the brain more reactive to stress the following day. Research has shown that sleep deprivation increases activity in the amygdala while reducing the ability of the prefrontal cortex to regulate emotional responses. During healthy sleep, the brain consolidates memories, regulates hormones, clears metabolic waste through the glymphatic system, and helps restore immune function. Improving sleep quality is therefore one of the most effective ways of increasing resilience to stress and maintaining both physical and mental health.

Feeling overwhelmed

An estimated 74% of UK adults have felt so stressed at some point over the past year that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.

81% of women reported feeling unable to cope due to stress, compared to 67% of men

18% of the UK population (nearly one in six people) experience these intense stress levels on an everyday basis.

You can recognize someone who feels overwhelmed if they say something like, “I just don’t have the capacity to ...”. It’s as though they have the view that they have a fixed amount of time, or energy, or, perhaps, intelligence, which has been used up so they can’t do any more tasks. It’s all becoming too much.

So, what does it feel like to be overwhelmed. Typically, it’s an emotional response to a stressful situation that’s hard to handle at that time. It also often comes with a physical response resulting in an inability to think clearly and plan how to deal with the situation. Those physical symptoms can include increased heart rate, shallow and rapid breathing, and sweating – all things usually associated with a fight-or-flight response. And the trigger for the response can be too many tasks or responsibilities and not enough time; fearful situations occurring in the near future, for example giving a presentation or going for a job interview; life changes like starting a new job; and traumatic events like the loss of a loved one. Often, every time a person thinks of what’s going to happen, the feelings get worse.

People often feel that life is getting out of their control – they lack agency – they are pawns in someone else’s game of chess. And they can’t see a way to get back control of their life. And this can lead to procrastination, where a person does less-and-less to deal with the situation.

Feeling overwhelmed can result in in people finding it difficult to take care of themselves. Because they are focused on what’s overwhelming them, they stop doing the things they enjoy and the things they need to do, like booking a dentist appointment. People can become isolated and lonely because they stop seeing their friends. And constantly thinking about the overwhelming issue can lead to people feeling tired, sluggish, and unmotivated. It can feel like you have brain fog when you think about the problem because you can’t find a solution.

It’s worth noting that the term ‘brain fog’ covers a range of symptoms causing cognitive impairment that leaves people unable to think clearly, focus, concentrate, remember, and pay attention.

Brain fog symptoms include: difficulty concentrating or focusing; confusion; fatigue; forgetfulness; losing their train of thought; mental exhaustion; difficulty finding the right words; slow thought processes and reaction time; and trouble paying attention.

Feeling overwhelmed is quite common – lots of people experience it. To overcome it, you will need to come up with a plan to take back control of your life. You need to identify the ‘stressor’ that is causing you to feel overwhelmed and think how you have coped in the past. Think about times when you didn’t feel overwhelmed. What was different. And, think about how you would like to act if you didn’t feel overwhelmed.

Simply being in a different situation can change your thinking. If your thoughts are overwhelming you in one room, walk into another room, or, better still, step out into the garden, or go for a walk in the wood or on the beach – if that’s a possibility. The feelings will subside, and you are back in control.

Use a to-do list. If there are so many things that you need to do, write them down on a piece of paper. You can then tick them off as you do them, but you can stop needing to remember them and let your mind think of something else. You might also be able to delete some items from the list because you don’t really need to do them. And other items may not be very important and can be left until much later – or maybe someone else can do them.

And remember you can say ‘no’ when people try to add to your workload. Or, if it’s your boss, ask them which tasks you should stop working on so that you can take on this new one? That makes it their problem rather than yours. Or, you can simply ask for more time to get everything done. Or ask for help if there is an impending deadline.

Be kind to yourself. Remember that nothing lasts forever, and these feelings of being overwhelmed will pass. Think about things that used to give you pleasure and do them. Make time to see friends and family.

What do we mean by burnout?

91% of UK adults report facing high or extreme levels of stress at points throughout the year, laying the foundation for chronic burnout.

One in five UK workers (20%) had to take time off work in the past year due to poor mental health caused by stress and burnout

In today’s fast-paced and demanding world, burnout has become an increasingly prevalent issue affecting individuals across various industries, from professionals in high-stress jobs to students overwhelmed by academic pressure. And yet it was as recently as 2019 that ‘burnout’ was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an ‘occupational phenomenon’.

According to Mental Health UK, burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion. It can occur when you experience long-term stress in your job, or when you have worked in a physically or emotionally draining role for a long time.

So, how do you know whether you have burnout? Burnout manifests itself in various ways, and it is crucial to identify the signs early to address the issue effectively. Some common symptoms include:

• Emotional exhaustion – feeling emotionally drained, overwhelmed, and lacking the energy to cope with daily tasks.

• Depersonalization – developing a cynical and detached attitude towards work or personal responsibilities, leading to a loss of motivation and decreased empathy.

• Reduced accomplishment – experiencing a sense of ineffectiveness, decreased productivity, and feeling that one’s efforts are not yielding the desired results.

• Physical symptoms – frequent headaches, fatigue, insomnia, and changes in appetite or weight are often associated with burnout.

• Cognitive difficulties – difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and reduced creativity are common cognitive manifestations.

In other words, people feel overwhelmed, helpless, trapped, and/or defeated. They feel detached/alone in the world and have a cynical/negative outlook. They are filled with self-doubt, and they procrastinate or simply take longer to get things done.

Unfortunately, burnout simply gets worse unless a person addresses the underlying issues causing it.

Herbert Freudenberger, an American psychologist who in 1974 used the word ‘burnout’ in this sense, suggested that there were 12 stages in the progression of burnout. This has now been reduced to five stages, which are:

1 Honeymoon phase – there are no signs of burnout. People are full of enthusiasm and commitment. However, there is a risk of overworking.

2 Onset of stress – some days are more stressful than others resulting in less time for family and friends. People begin to find difficulty focusing, and experience headaches, anxiety, and changes in appetite.

3 Chronic stress – a person’s problem-solving skills and performance decrease further, and they start feeling out of control and powerless. people may procrastinate. People start becoming ill more frequently, and become more emotional. People may see even less of friends and family, and some people may take to drink and drugs.

4 Burnout – exhaustion makes it hard to cope with work demands. A sense of failure and powerlessness can lead to despair and disillusionment.

5 Habitual burnout – the symptoms of burnout become part of a person’s life. This can affect a person’s career, personal relationships, and life in general.

Burnout may be the result of stress, but they are not the same thing. Typically, stress involves too much pressure demanding too much of a person physically and mentally. Stressed people can still imagine that if they get everything under control, they’ll feel better. Whereas with burnout, people feel empty and mentally exhausted, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People with burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations.

Burnout is typically caused by a combination of internal and external factors. Some common causes include:

• Work-related factors – high job demands, long working hours, lack of control over work, insufficient support from colleagues or superiors, and monotonous or unfulfilling tasks.

• Lifestyle imbalance – neglecting personal needs, inadequate self-care, and an imbalance between work and personal life.

• Personality traits – perfectionism, high self-expectations, and the inability to delegate or set boundaries.

• Lack of social support – limited social connections, inadequate emotional support, and feeling isolated.

So, what can people do to prevent burnout, if they feel that they are beginning to struggle with it? Recognizing the signs of burnout is crucial, but it is equally important to take proactive steps to prevent and recover from it. Here are some effective strategies:

• Self-care –adopt healthy habits, including regular exercise, adequate sleep, and a balanced diet. Engage in activities that bring joy and relaxation.

• Set boundaries – learn to say no and establish boundaries to prevent overcommitting and excessive workloads. Delegate tasks where possible, and communicate your limits to colleagues or superiors.

• Get help – reach out to friends, family, or professionals for emotional support and guidance. Consider joining support groups or seeking therapy to share experiences and learn coping strategies.

• Time management – organize and prioritize tasks effectively, break larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks, and schedule regular breaks to avoid overwhelm.

• Develop coping mechanisms – engage in stress-reducing activities such as mindfulness, meditation, deep-breathing exercises, or journalling to manage stress levels and promote mental wellbeing.

• Evaluate and reflect – regularly assess your goals, values, and motivations to ensure they align with your personal and professional aspirations. Look for opportunities for growth and make the necessary adjustments to restore a sense of purpose.

What can employers do about burnout in the workplace? There are two possibilities. The first is to produce a wellbeing plan that can be used as a tool by employees to help identify what good wellbeing looks like for them, as well as what things looks like when they aren’t so good. Secondly, stress risk assessments can be used by staff to identify how stressed they feel at work. The next step is to find ways of removing or reducing the risk of burnout.

Another view of burnout comes from Jenevieve Treadwell in Burnt Out Britain How we use and misuse our time, and why it matters. She uses the social researcher Dagfinn As’s four types of time to help to understand how time use affects perception. The four types of time are:

• Necessary time – this is what we need to fulfil our basic needs. This includes sleep, meals, and personal care like washing and dressing. This time is unavoidable.

• Contracted time – this is what we spend on paid work. This portion of our daily time can generally be planned because it is something people have agreed upon, although the degree of choice is very variable. It can take up a substantial amount of the waking day and therefore influences the structure of our time significantly.

• Committed time – this refers to acts that people do because of choices they have made. Getting a pet, buying a house, or having a child affects how people spend their days. People can pay others to reduce their commitments.

• Free time – this is what is left when people have completed their other time commitments.

These types of time compete with each other. Sleeping more means less time to walk the dog in the morning before starting work. Taking on more hours at the office means less time at home with family – there will always be a trade-off.

People are squeezing more and more into their days, which results in multitasking through fragmentation – breaking off from one activity to do something else – which creates a stronger sense of time pressure and reduces the quality of the activities.

Changing between activities breaks down the distinction between different types of time. This can lead to us feeling burnt out because work is taken home, etc. Ultimately, this means that the symptoms – tiredness, feeling overworked, and feeling rushed – are real, but our diagnosis is wrong. We aren’t all sleeping less, working more, or reporting feeling rushed. Adults are getting around half an hour more sleep than they did 40 years ago. And working time hasn’t risen dramatically; women have seen a small increase of 13 percent, while men’s working hours fell by 2 percent. This multitasking can make it harder to distinguish between different types of time and reduces the quality of leisure and self-care.

The core problem is our higher tempo of life. In 1974, the average man changed activity 18 times in the day, which almost doubled to 31 times in 2014. Women have seen an equivalent increase, from 23 to 37. Our push to do it all and reliance on multitasking is breaking down the barriers between different parts of our day.

So, changing activities more frequently makes our days feel busier. This can lead to us feeling burnt out because work is coming home with us, or childcare never stops. Parents are doing more parenting. Fathers have seen a rise of 85 percent in childcare time, and mothers have seen an increase of 81 percent. Consequently, this displaces time from other areas, leaving parents with less room for the other things they want to do.

So, it’s suggested that the multitasking of the four types of time is what’s leading to burnout.

Burnout is a serious condition that can have a significant impact on individuals’ lives, but it is not an insurmountable challenge. By recognizing the signs early on, understanding the causes, and implementing effective prevention and recovery strategies, it is possible to overcome burnout and restore a person’s wellbeing.

Simple steps people can take to deal with stress

There are some obvious steps to de-stress that people can take, but often tend to ignore. These are:

· Get at least 8 hours sleep. That also means adding on the time needed to go to sleep (say 20 minutes) and to wake up properly (perhaps another 10 minutes or so). Obviously, people vary in the time they need for each stage.

· Exercise. You don’t need to be fit enough to run a marathon, but you do need to move around as much as possible. Exercise keeps your brain healthy. Try walking in the countryside or a beach.

· Eat sensibly – no ultra-high processed foods (UPFs). Eat vegetable (your body needs the fibre) and fruit.

Other ways to de-stress include:

· Breathing, for example:

o 7-11 breathing – breathing in for the count of 7 and breathing out for the count of 11 also uses the parasympathetic nervous system to help calm down.

o Square breathing – a person can sit upright in their chair with both feet on the floor. And then the procedure is inhale for the count of four, hold for the count of for, exhale for the count of four, hold for the count of four. And then repeat.

o 4-7-8 breathing – the tip of the tongue is placed and kept against the ridge of tissue behind the upper front teeth during the exercise. Completely exhale through the mouth, making a whoosh sound. Then close the mouth and inhale quietly through the nose for a count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale completely through the mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight. Repeat.

· Mindful breathing – a person focuses on their breathing and focuses their attention on the present without allowing their mind to drift off.

o Choose a calming focus, including a sound (‘om’) and a positive word (‘peace’) or phrase (‘breathe in calm, breath out tension’) to repeat.

o Let go and relax. When you notice your mind has drifted, take a deep breath and gently return your attention to the present.

There are many audio meditations that can be used for mindful breathing.

· Abdominal breathing – 20 to 30 minutes of abdominal breathing each day will reduce anxiety and stress.

o Place one hand on your upper chest and the other hand on your abdomen, below the ribcage.

o Allow your abdomen to relax.

o Breathe in slowly through your nose. You should feel your abdomen rise and fall with your other hand.

o Exhale slowly through slightly pursed lips. The hand on your chest should remain relatively still.

Try building up to five then ten minutes, one to four times a day.

· Embrace imperfection. Trying to be perfect all the time is very stressful. This can lead to thoughts such as: “I’m not good enough”. People need to try to think less in terms of black and white and see the shades in between these two extremes. Good enough is good enough. No-one needs to be perfect.

· Identify automatic thoughts. This is a CBT technique. Automatic thoughts are our internal dialogue that occurs rapidly and repeatedly. Uncovering the meaning of the negative automatic thoughts that a person may have can help them to begin to replace them with more positive thoughts.

· Become a neutral observer. It can be very easy to look at stressful situations emotionally. A person can try to imagine their stressful thoughts are someone else’s. It then becomes possible to be more objective and perhaps give that imagined other person some advice on how to deal with the situation.

· Meditation releases DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) and melatonin – two useful hormones for healthy bodies. In addition, mentally focusing on nothing helps you to not worry about other issues going on in your life, which could otherwise increase your cortisol level. Any repetitive action can be a source of meditation, including walking, swimming, painting, knitting. You can be meditating while carrying out any activity that helps keep your attention calmly in the present.

· Progressive muscle relaxation – by tensing and relaxing all the muscle groups in your body, you can relieve tension and feel much more relaxed. Start by tensing all the muscles in your face for ten seconds. Then completely relax for ten seconds. Repeat this with your neck, followed by your shoulders, etc. Tensing your muscles also boosts your willpower.

· Sex relieves tension! The physical benefits of sex are numerous, and most of them help to relieve stress. People tend to have less sex when their stress levels are high, which they shouldn’t!

· Music – when dealing with stress, the right music can actually lower your blood pressure, relax your body, and calm your mind.

· Yoga has apparently been used for over five thousand years! It combines several stress management techniques such as breathing, meditation, imagery, and movement.

· Mindfulness means focusing on one activity at a time, so forget multi-tasking! Staying in the present-tense can help promote relaxation and provide a buffer against anxiety and depression. Practice it by focusing on your immediate surroundings. If you’re outdoors, enjoy the shape and colours of flowers, hear a bird’s call, or consider a tree. If you’re eating, enjoy the taste and feel and aroma and texture and everything else about each mouthful of food.

· Stroke a pet – you can induce a relaxation response by cuddling your pet, giving an unexpected hug to a friend or family member, snuggling up with your spouse, or talking to a friend about the good things in your lives. When you do, you’ll be reducing your stress levels. Social interaction helps your brain think better. Physical contact, like stroking your dog or cat, may actually help lower your blood pressure and decrease stress hormone levels.

· Self-massage – place both hands on your shoulders and neck. Squeeze with your fingers and palms. Rub vigorously, keeping your shoulders relaxed. Wrap one hand around the other forearm. Squeeze the muscles with your thumb and fingers. Move up and down from your elbow to fingertips and back again. Repeat with the other arm.

· Act as if... – when most people are relaxed (particularly men) they have a tendency to spread their legs slightly and take up more space. If you are stressed, by consciously spreading your legs while sitting you will take up more space. Perform the action, and the relaxed feelings should follow. When people are relaxed and free of stress, they allow themselves to slouch. So, if you feel unhappy or stressed, allow yourself to lean back your head and slide down in your chair. Once again, the relaxed feelings will follow the action.

· Relax every part of your body

· Let go – there’s no point holding on to things

· Accept things as they are

· Watch impartially – what goes on in your mind and body

· Consciously breath – it helps you relax.

· Worry pad – carry a worry pad with you. Every time you find yourself worrying, think what you can do about that worry at the moment. If you can do something about it, then do it. If not, simply put it on your worry pad and take ten minutes every night to look over your worries and just worry solidly for those 10 minutes only.

· Laughter filter – a ‘laughter filter’ turns any experience you are having into a humorous incident. When you are going through a situation that would usually make you feel angry or stressed or disappointed or frustrated, ask yourself “How would I tell this story as a stand-up comedian?”

· Count your blessings – at the end of each day reflect on one or two things you are grateful for.

· Take time to talk – have an uninterrupted conversation with your partner or closest friend each week.

· Plant something – even if it’s just a window box or pot. Keep it alive!

· Cut down your TV viewing.

· Smile – at and/or say hello to a stranger at least once a week.

· Phone a friend – make contact with one friend or relative you have not spoken to for a while.

· Spread some kindness – do a good turn for someone whenever you can.

There are other techniques available. Find the ones that work for you.

Conclusion

It cannot be emphasized enough the importance of taking steps to deal with chronic stress as soon as possible. This could be using the suggestions listed above, talking to friends, having a meeting with appropriate people at work, or seeing a therapist (a solution-focused hypnotherapist is recommended). As the stress leads to feelings of being overwhelmed or burned out, people lose the ability to think clearly, or have the energy to take any steps.

And, what’s significantly important for organizations, is that more people are recognizing that stress is causing them mental health issues and are taking time off in order to deal with the problem. That means chronic stress is not just harming the individuals, it can start to impact the success of the business.