What Happens to the Body During Burnout?
The term ‘burnout’ is used a lot these days, but it’s often framed as a purely mental issue – something that lives in our thoughts, motivation, or attitude.
This is demonstrated by the response people get when they try to explain how exhausted they feel: ‘Maybe you just need a holiday,’ or ‘Try to think more positively.’
These kinds of replies reinforce the idea that burnout is simply about mindset, when in fact the body is deeply involved. To understand exactly how the body is involved, however, it’s first important to understand exactly what burnout is.
What is Burnout?
Burnout is the result of prolonged, unresolved stress that has forced the body into a state of survival mode, keeping stress hormones like cortisol elevated far longer than they’re meant to be.
Over time, this constant activation takes a toll on both your mental and physical health, leading to a deep sense of exhaustion that doesn’t go away with rest.
Mentally, burnout shows up as brain fog and emotional detachment. You may feel irritable or overwhelmed by tasks that once felt manageable, and even making simple decisions can be coupled with a feeling of anxiety or dread.
Physically, the body begins to signal distress through a range of symptoms– none of which are isolated symptoms, but are interconnected responses to the same prolonged stress load.
What are the Key Strategies for Managing Burnout?
The way in which this impacts the body is exemplified by the four strategies that are used to manage it: CBD flower, muscle relaxation, regular exercise, and detoxification.
For people who buy CBD flower, many have not only reported a greater sense of calm, but a reduction in physical tension and improved sleep quality.
Likewise, those utilising the three other strategies – especially muscle relaxation and detoxification – have noticed reduced muscle soreness, improved circulation, and more consistent energy levels throughout the day.
Of course, for any given person, one strategy might work better than the other, but the point is that each four are physical solutions that directly support the body’s recovery – reinforcing the notion that burnout manifests physically just as much as it does mentally.
What Happens to the Body During Burnout?
Now let’s look at what these strategies are addressing. If you’re experiencing burnout, there are a few things that could be happening to your body, including chronically elevated stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, disrupted sleep cycles, tense or sore muscles, digestive issues, and a weakened immune system.
The nervous system might also be stuck in ‘fight-or-flight’ mode, leaving you constantly on edge, while the brain struggles with focus, memory, and emotional regulation.
Even worse than this, burnout can also lead to symptoms of chronic inflammation and perhaps even cardiovascular problems. The reason for this is that cortisol and adrenaline can trigger a cascade of physiological effects.
Chronically high cortisol, for instance, can increase blood pressure and elevate blood sugar, both of which can put a strain on the cardiovascular system. At the same time, higher stress levels can cause the body to develop cortisol resistance – meaning immune cells no longer respond to its signals effectively.
As a result, the immune system can become overactive, producing excessive pro-inflammatory molecules known as cytokines. This then triggers inflammation throughout the body, which will contribute to a range of health problems like joint pain and digestive issues.
Even if you don’t experience those worst-case scenarios, however, your body is still bearing the damage of prolonged stress, with multiple systems operating in overdrive to recover. Eventually, this constant strain will lead to physical wear and tear, which is why so many look to those strategies that actively support the body’s recovery.
Recovering From Burnout
Going back to those strategies, there are numerous ways in which they target the physical effects of burnout:
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CBD Flower
For CBD, many have reported that it promotes a sense of calm and reduces physical tension. As for how it does this, it’s all about its interaction with the body’s endocannabinoid system, which helps regulate stress responses and sleep. By influencing this system, CBD can help lower the release of stress hormones like cortisol, which ultimately calms the nervous system and allows the body to shift out of that ‘fight-or-flight’ mode we mentioned earlier.
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Muscle Relaxation
When it comes to muscle relaxation, again, it’s all about consciously relaxing the muscles that are being affected by higher levels of cortisol. By focusing on releasing tightness in areas like the shoulders, neck, and back, the body receives signals that it can shift out of chronic stress mode, subsequently reducing overall physical tension and signalling the nervous system to enter a more restorative state.
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Regular Exercise
Regular exercise, too, boosts these signals. Because physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins – which act as natural mood enhancers – it helps counteract the effects of chronic stress on the body. Not only this, it also improves circulation, strengthens the cardiovascular system, and prevents insomnia – making it one of the best strategies for those really suffering from burnout, to the point where inflammation and cardiovascular issues are becoming a serious problem.
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Detoxification
Lastly, detoxification supports the body by helping remove toxins that are accumulating due to stress. This includes staying well-hydrated, eating nutrient-rich whole foods, limiting alcohol and caffeine, but it also includes getting adequate sleep and inducing sweating through gentle exercises. It might sound like a small thing, but both of these approaches have been reported to stimulate the body’s natural detoxification processes, supporting the liver and lymphatic system in eliminating waste and reducing inflammation.
Conclusion
Other strategies that are said to help support recovery include proper nutrition, social support, and mindfulness, but as we mentioned before, each individual may respond differently.
The point is recognising that burnout has real physical effects on the body, and so must be treated just like any other physical health condition.
The mind and the body work in tandem, and what starts as an emotional issue can quickly turn into something more. So make sure you remember that when you feel your stress levels rising and the weight of burnout starting to close in.