Avoid stress, burnout with mind & body nurturing
Nurturing the mind and body is critical to lowering stress and avoiding burnout. Managing daily stress, monitoring aches and pains, good nutrition, and getting a good night's sleep are all part of the recipe to better health.
“The single most important aspect of stress management is balance of work, self-care, and our relationships with both our families and our source of spiritual strength,” said Kelli Connolly, a bereavement counselor at the Visiting Nurses Association in Butler.
Stress doesn't just come when life changing events happen. Daily stressors can build over time and create a snowball effect that impacts far beyond the personal life.“I often recommend people avoid stress by making a list each day of tasks to be done and then prioritizing them in order,” Connolly said.“Most importantly, we need to make the list knowing that if we simply can't check off every task, we have not failed. Many people set their expectations of what they can realistically accomplish in one day way too high.”Connolly said many people need to be more accepting of what they do not have control over.“More often than not,” said Connolly, “I find that we are all prone to creating stress for ourselves by trying to control a situation or change something that is outside of our sphere of influence.“Being able to accept that we cannot control and/or change all things is not only healthy but takes a lot of weight off of our shoulders.”
Carrying stress in the body is natural but can be detrimental. Musculoskeletal pain can be a predictor of burnout and stress, so it's important to be proactive.“We are experts in the body and how it moves and what stresses it out,” said Dale Reckless, a physical therapist at Cranberry Physical Therapy and MRS Physical Therapy. “There is a newly recognized issue with people working from home.”Working from home or in non-traditional office settings can impact the body and speed up the time line for stress and burnout to set in.“People are sitting at a kitchen table, on their couch recliner or bed,” said Reckless, who has evaluated clients' work-from-home setups. “It's causing a lot of symptoms of neck and back pain.”He said small adjustments can help ward off painful episodes.“Standing up from your work station every 45 to 60 minutes and taking mini stretch breaks will improve your productivity and reduce muscular strain in your neck and back,” Reckless said.
Nutrition is not only important for managing weight and fueling the body but also serves as a vital tool in preventing and alleviating stress and burnout.Experts suggest choosing foods that are nutrient-rich like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts/seeds, healthy fats, and lean protein sources like beans and venison, chicken, or grass-fed beef.“Eating a blood sugar-balancing diet rich in vegetables, fruit, fiber, lean proteins, and healthy fats is what your body wants and needs,” said Abbey Walsh, a nutritionist and yoga instructor in Butler.Cortisol is a steroid hormone made by the adrenal glands. It helps the body respond to stress, regulate blood sugar, and fight infections.“When your cortisol levels are balanced (and under control), your physical, emotional, and mental stress levels are also balanced,” said Zoe Fetchko, CHHP, CNHP, MI, a manager at DeWalt's Health Food in Butler.Walsh said that the best recommendation she can give is when people are feeling stressed, to get away from food.“When we are hangry and stressed we don't make the most nourishing food choices, myself included,” Walsh said. “Grab your water bottle and move away from the food. Go for a walk or take a few minutes to plug into a few minutes of intentional breathing.”
Getting quality sleep can be just as important as the number of hours slept. Quality sleep can help with a person's ability to cope, manage their stress, and modulate their reactions to stressful situations.“When we sleep, it helps the body heal physically,” said Dr. Ram Parikh, D.C., of the Discover Wellness Center in Butler. “That's when the cells regenerate and heal our bodies on the inside. It helps our brain to be sharper and it's the only time the body can lose weight.”“It's best to sleep for at least six to eight hours. That's the best timeframe for the body to have enough time to heal, rejuvenate and feel refreshed to conquer the day,” Parikh said.
Managing stress and burnout is an ongoing process that incorporates every aspect of life including mental, physical, and external considerations.“A balance of work, self-care, and our relationships with both our families and our source of spiritual strength all need to be prioritized, in order of importance, so that we can find a healthy balance between them,” Connolly said.“We are physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual beings; therefore if one of these aspects of our being is neglected, we are out of balance.”
