Dr Ela Manga chats about the symptoms of burnout and how to deal with it.

FILE: Burnout is when your body's stress response dominates over its relaxation response. Picture: 123rf.com

Burning out is something everyone experiences at some point in their lives and can lead to adverse consequences on our mental health but it is nothing to ashamed of.

To put it succinctly, burnout is when your body's stress response dominates over its relaxation response and negatively affects your mental, physical and emotional health if not dealt with.

Dr Ela Manga, medical doctor and founder of Breathwork Africa, recommends three steps to take when one is experiencing a burnout, something particularly prevalent this time of year.

  • The first step is to recognise that you're burning out and bring awareness to every potential factor that could be contributing to the symptoms of your burn out.

  • The second step would be to build up what she refers to as a "toolkit of recovery" - which you can access easily and practice consistently to become more mindful of the present and less preoccupied with the past and the future, which you have no control over. Good examples of practicing mindfulness are breathing exercises and meditation.

  • The last step would be to get support both within and around you that you can rely on to help you through this journey.

Remember to practice radical compassion, not only on others, but yourself as well.

Listen to the audio for more.



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