Burnout. What is it? And how yoga can help.
Are you feeling physically and emotionally drained?
Has this been going on for a while and you just ever can’t seem to ‘catch-up’ on sleep, or get your energy back?
Have you started to notice a decline in your motivation and performance at work, or at home, or both?
Perhaps you have started experiencing a disconnect from work, relationships and friendships?
These all could be signs that you are experiencing burnout.
Burnout has become increasingly common in our modern day times. It is usually associated with chronic workplace stress, but it can also affect people that are experiencing ongoing, long-term stress in their personal lives.
Defined as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, burnout can have detrimental effects on your health, relationships, and overall well-being.
However, the good news is, Yoga can help!
What is Burnout?
Before delving into how yoga can help alleviate burnout, it's essential to understand what burnout truly entails.
Burnout is not simply feeling tired or stressed; it is a state of chronic depletion characterized by feelings of cynicism, detachment, and inadequacy. It often arises from prolonged exposure to stressors such as demanding workloads, unrealistic expectations, and a lack of support or recognition.
The symptoms of burnout can manifest across various domains of life, including physical, emotional, and cognitive realms.
Physically, individuals may experience:
Fatigue
Headaches
Insomnia.
Emotionally, they may feel:
Detached
Irritable
Overwhelmed
Cognitively, they may struggle with:
Concentration
Difficulty with memory
Poor decision-making
The Role of Yoga in Combating Burnout
Yoga is an ancient practice originating from India, and offers a holistic approach to healing that directly addresses the underlying causes of burnout.
Through a combination of physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation, yoga helps promote a sense of balance, resilience, and inner peace that is especially beneficial if you are struggling with burnout.
Stress Reduction
At the core of yoga philosophy is the principle of mindfulness, which involves being fully present in the moment. Mindfulness also encourages an attitude of acceptance and non-judgment towards whatever you are experiencing in that present moment.
Through practising yoga, you learn to tune into your body and breath. This helps foster a sense of awareness that can help you recognize and manage stress more effectively. Techniques such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, yoga activate your body's relaxation response, counteracting the physiological effects of chronic stress.
Physical Well-being
The physical benefits of yoga are well-documented, with numerous studies highlighting its positive effects on flexibility, strength, and cardiovascular health.
Regular yoga practice can help alleviate physical symptoms associated with burnout, such as muscle tension, joint pain, and fatigue. By improving circulation, reducing inflammation, and releasing endorphins, yoga enhances overall vitality and energy levels, enabling you to cope more effectively with the demands of your daily life.
Emotional Resilience
Because yoga offers more than just the physical postures; it also provides a foundation for emotional healing and self-discovery.
Through practices such as meditation, breathing techniques and guided visualization, you are able to cultivate greater emotional resilience, allowing you to navigate challenges with grace.
By developing qualities such as compassion, gratitude, and acceptance, yoga helps create a sense of inner peace. This in turn builds your emotional resilience, thereby reducing vulnerability to burnout.
Mind-Body Connection
One of the unique aspects of yoga is its emphasis on the mind-body connection, recognizing the relationship between physical health and mental well-being. By synchronizing breath with movement, yoga integrates the body and mind into a unified whole, promoting a sense of harmony and well-being.
This mind-body integration is particularly valuable if you’re experiencing burnout, as it helps you reconnect with your inner self and access your innate capacity for healing and renewal.
Community and Support
In addition to its individual benefits, yoga offers a sense of community and support that can be invaluable if you’re struggling with burnout.
Whether practicing in a studio, attending a retreat, or participating in online classes, yoga provides opportunities for connection, camaraderie, and shared growth.
By fostering a sense of belonging, yoga creates a supportive environment to enable you to feel seen, heard, and accepted, reducing feelings of isolation and alienation.
Below are 5 of my favourite Yin Yoga poses that can help with burnout:
Sphinx Pose
A back bending pose, Sphinx pose helps provide a stretch for the front of your body, easing tension or tightness in your chest, abdomen or hip flexors that can be a result of long hours sitting at a desk.
Benefits of this pose can include easier breathing, increased energy, improved digestion and reduced stress levels. It may also help ease low back pain.
To move into Sphinx pose, lay face down on your mat.
Prop yourself up onto your elbows and forearms, with your elbows slightly in front of your shoulders and shoulder width apart. Your spine will curve away from the floor into a back bend.
You may like to fold your arms in front of you or bring your palms together if you find it uncomfortable with your arms parallel.
Find a comfortable position for your head and neck, and soften your gaze. If you find your head gets heavy while you are in the pose you can rest your chin or forehead in your hands.
Adjust your legs so that they are a comfortable distance apart and allow yourself to relax into the pose.
Stay here for 2-3 minutes, noticing how your body feels while you are here. When you are ready to come out, lower down and rest on your belly with your head on your folded arms for approximately 1 minute
Supported Child’s Pose
Helps relieve stress, anxiety and irritation. Child’s pose calms and quiets your mind.
It also provides a gentle stretch for your back and encourages relaxation of your head, neck and shoulders. Using a bolster or pillow under your head and torso helps create a feeling of self-care and nurturing.
*Note: If your knees are not a fan of this pose, any forward folding position where the head and torso are supported would also work.
For Supported Child’s Pose, you may like to start by kneeling on all fours with a bolster, pillow or rolled up blanket in front of you.
Move the hips back towards the heels as you bring your feet together and move your knees a comfortable distance apart.
Bring the bolster (or whatever you are using) underneath your head and torso so you feel completely supported
Fold your arms underneath your forehead, or if you prefer turn your head to one side (making sure to change sides halfway through your time in the pose.
Stay for 1-2 minutes and slowly move out by lifting your torso up slowly.
Pause here, then rest in a comfortable position - seated or laying down for up to 1 minute.
Reclined Twists
Reclined twists generally feel quite relaxing as they help to ease tension and stiffness along your spine and back. They also gently move and “massage” your abdominal organs, supporting better digestion (something that can be negatively affected when you are experiencing burnout).
In addition, they give you the option of choosing a variation that targets the area of your body where you feel you need it most.
Start by laying down on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.
Reach your arms out to the sides, more or less in line with your shoulders (you can always adjust to suit your body once you are in the twist)
Breath in and then as you breath out let your knees twist to the right.
If your knees don’t make it all the way to the floor, you may like to use a bolster or pillow under them to create more comfort and ease in the pose.
You can keep your head looking straight upwards, or turn to look in the opposite direction to your knees.
Relax into the twist and notice how it feels. You can play around with the position of your arms or legs for the first few breaths to find a position that feels right for your body. Once you find it, allow yourself to relax into the pose.
Hold for 2-3 minutes each side, pausing in a “neutral position” in between sides for a few breaths and then again after the second side for up to 1 minute.
Caterpillar at the Wall / Legs up the Wall Pose
Helps calm and balance your nervous system by activating your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest mode).
Accessing this state regularly helps lower stress levels and improve the quality of your sleep. This gentle inverted pose can also help ease discomfort or fatigue in your lower back and legs.
The easiest way I find to get into this pose is to lay on my side close to the wall with my knees bent up into my chest.
From there I just roll over onto my back and straighten my legs up the wall. take a moment to check in with how you feel here. Place your arms wherever they feel comfortable and relaxed.
You can always shuffle your hips closer to, or further away from the way depending on how this feels in your hamstrings.
You can stay here for 2-5 minutes depending on how you are feeling.
To come out of the pose, bend your knees to your chest, roll to your side and rest there for a few breaths before coming into a comfortable resting position for 1 minute.
Savasana
A resting position that is often used in between poses as well as at the end of a class.
Helps balance and calm your nervous system, allowing you to enter the parasympathetic (rest & digest) state.
It is in this state where your mind and body have the opportunity to relax & recharge.
Lay down on your back with your head and spine in a straight line, weight evenly balanced left and right sides of the body. Close your eyes and relax your face, head and neck.
Relax your shoulders and place your arms a comfortable distance from your sides. Palms can be facing up or down.
Take your feet a comfortable distance apart and allow your feet to find a relaxed position.
Even though I am not using props here, I highly recommend having a small pillow or blanket under your head that brings your chin slightly lower than your forehead, and a bolster or pillow under your knees. This will allow you to relax more deeply into this final rest position. It also feels very nurturing when you are feeling exhausted or overwhelmed.
Stay for a minimum of 5 minutes and allow your body to completely relax. Let go of any thoughts or distractions and rest your awareness on the sensations of your body relaxing and your breath moving in and out.
To come out of the pose, start to gently move your body and roll onto your side. Stay there for a few breaths as you begin to blink your eyes open.
When you feel ready, move to a seated position and ease back into your day, feeling refreshed and relaxed.
Sadly, burnout is all too common in today’s busy world, but you can find some relief. Through the therapeutic and restorative practices that yoga offers, you can start to feel better.
My personal preference for when I am experiencing burnout are Yin Yoga or Restorative Yoga practices as I find that both these styles help my overactive mind switch off for a while and give me some peace. They also help bring my awareness to where I am holding unconscious tension in my body so I am better able to let it go.
Having said that, all styles of yoga are beneficial at helping ease the symptoms of burnout and restore some balance in your life. What works for you will depend in part on your personality and preferences.
By incorporating yoga into your daily life, you can develop resilience, restore balance, and reclaim your energy. Allowing you to thrive in the face of life's challenges. As the ancient yogis knew well, the path to true well-being begins from within, and yoga offers a time-honoured roadmap for navigating the complexities of modern life with grace and ease.
Sam x
*If you would live in the Murray Bridge area and would like to see if yoga can help you overcome burnout, why not come along and try my Monday night Yin Yoga classes?
They are suitable for all ages and levels of experience. Beginner-friendly, each class is designed to help you relax, recharge and rebalance your body and mind 💕🧘🏻♀️☮️