Snowstorms, Salt, and Burnout
Burnout is a hot topic.
The demands of daily living have become more intense leading to chronic stress for many people. Not only is this the case in the workplace, but in our relationships, our ceaseless encounters with technology, and the ever present assault on our peace of mind from global and national economics and politics. There is the constant threat of violence in both small towns and big cities. Domestic strife is also a source of chronic stress. Abusive relationships, loneliness, the opioid epidemic, child care issues, caring for elderly or ill family members, are also often compounded by economic insecurity or absolute poverty.
All of the above can overlap and magnify the stress to such an extent that it can and will make us all physically and mentally ill. That is what burnout is and means; it’s a biologically based adverse reaction to chronic stress. What we experience as a lack of energy, feelings of frustration, a negative outlook, cynicism, and poor or underperformance in many activities of daily life are signs of chronic stress. All of which is bad but it can get worse. In the long run chronic stress contributes to hyper-tension, cardiovascular and digestive problems, immune deficiencies, obesity, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. It also results in anxiety, depression, insomnia, memory impairment, post traumatic stress disorder, headaches, and even chronic pain.
This is the effect of complicated biochemistry. Initially, in threatening circumstances, certain hormones and other chemicals are released .They allow us to respond to danger by triggering the fight or flight mechanisms deep within the brain and throughout our nervous system. That’s the good part. It is a survival response that is hard wired. But under chronic stress that same biochemistry creates havoc with our mind and body.It makes us sick.The mental health impairment is also biologically based. Neurological deformations result from the erosion of vital neural connections due to the effects of cortisol and other stress hormones in the brain and body. What feels like anxiety and depression is the breakdown in neural integrity. As that process intensifies we are less likely to make good decisions. This creates a downward spiral as we become less able to respond to stress in healthy ways.
As an analogy, imagine a severe snow storm. Cities respond by sending out the snow plows. They spread salt on the roads and folks throw salt on the side walks. That gives people some traction to get around as safely as possible. But salt is a corrosive substance. Now imagine if it snowed for an indefinite amount of time. The trucks keep laying down salt on roads and bridges. Over time that salt begins to eat away at the roads and bridges eventually making them unsafe and in need of repair. What started out as a short term response to a bad situation now contributes to another long term problem that is in many ways worse than the snow;Infrastructure collapse. That is what happens to the human body over time due to chronic stress. Our neurological integrity is compromised. What started out as an effective response to a short term crisis, now causes systemic damage to the mind and body.
But there is a saving grace. When we recognize the danger, we can better address the causes and fortify ourselves. In my own life, some 34 years ago, I was confronted with and confounded by a cluster of stressors over which I seemingly had no control. At that time I was trying to finish college, raise a family, take care of my terminally ill parents, keep a marriage together, while working two to three jobs at the same time, none of which kept the wolf from the door.It was not unusual for me to work seven days a week. Sometimes I would work double shifts, or I would double back from a second shift to a first shift with barely five hours sleep in between. I smoked almost two packs of cigarettes a day and splashed down about twenty cups of coffee. I ate poorly, living on a diet of carbs, sugar, salt and fat. My alcohol intake was moderate but pervasive. I was angry, depressed, anxious, irritable and exhausted most of the time. Then I almost had a stroke.
As my shift started, I began to feel odd. I found it difficult to find words while trying to speak. There was a weakness in my left side. My mouth drooped to the left. Fortunately I was working in a health care setting. My co-worker alerted the nursing supervisor who sent me directly to the emergency department. The ED admitted me for what turned out to be a transient ischemic attack. That means I was having a stroke of short duration due to a temporary blockage in blood flow in my brain. I was lucky. The blockage passed without any medical intervention aside from being monitored. I was lucky in other ways,too. My wife was very supportive. We talked at length as we walked up and down the hospital corridor. Things would have to change. I would have to change. Our relationship would have to change.Life would have to change. And so it began.
I quit smoking, cut back on drinking, both alcohol and coffee, we changed our diet, I started to exercise, began to practice meditation, including tai chi, qigong and yoga. It was a slow process, not overnight. There were backslides and setbacks. I had to quit working so much and get control of my schedule. It took time and support from my wife and family. I took advantage of my EAP and began counseling. I was only 38 at the time and I almost died or suffered a disability. That didn't happen so I was given a second chance and I took it.
Over time I learned to be resilient. I learned when to be flexible and when to be firm. I practiced introspection. Checking in with myself. How did I feel? That took insight cultivated over time. Were my responses appropriate to the circumstances? I solicited validation from my wife and peers. I set boundaries and weaned myself from toxic relationships. I cultivated strong social and emotional supports. I made it a practice of developing healthy behaviors. Not only was I taking better care of myself but I was also getting better at taking care of others, on the job, with my family, and my terminally ill parents. Life was still impossibly difficult. I didn't get rich, my father died, then my mother. True grief followed and other catastrophic losses ensued. I was, however, better prepared to cope, adapt, and grow into someone capable of responding to the demands of life rather than reacting to them. I moved from maladaptive behaviors to adaptive behaviors.
This became a lifelong practice. I am now 72. My kids are grown. I have grandkids. My wife and I have a strong relationship. I am active in the community. I have a robust and interesting life. Most importantly, I am in good health. I can do 100 pushups a day. The crisis I sustained at 38 became an opportunity to change my life. Stress management was crucial to that change
