Stress, burnout and your brain

Are you on the road to burnout?

Imagine for a minute that you are driving your car and it's starting to run low on gas. You realise this, but don't want to stop and refuel – you'd rather push through until the next gas station and top up then. Fortunately, one of your friends recognises that you're running low on fuel and tells you to take a break and get some rest (and maybe even a snack).

?Now imagine instead that no one warns you about being stuck on empty – or if they do, maybe their warning falls upon deaf ears. The point is you keep going without stopping because after all "you've got this!" Inevitably though as time passes, not only does your fuel dwindle to zero leaving your car stranded in the middle of nowhere, but you start to notice that your mental focus is wavering and energy levels are dropping. This is stress.

?The car/brain analogy is a great way to look at how stress impacts our brain. Consider that when we get overwhelmed with stress (the gas pedal of our metaphorical car) it's like adding excess fuel into an engine – eventually, the excess will cause problems such as degradation in performance, damage to parts, or breakdown altogether. In fact, under constant stress, you can end up with burnout trying to compensate for all the added fuel.

?Stress is the body's natural response to events that require a change in how much effort we put into something. It's our way of initiating a 'fight or flight reaction to new demands that may be placed upon us – and it happens without conscious thought. In fact, our brain has a dedicated stress-response system called the HPA axis (hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis) to help us cope with stress. The resulting cortisol release is the fuel that is pumped into the system to help us adapt and deal with these new challenges.

Cortisol can be useful in this regard, but when stress becomes chronic (a long-lasting feature of our lives), it too causes problems through its effects on our brain. For example, although cortisol itself has benefits such as promoting feelings of being 'awake and alert' as well as being a potent anti-inflammatory, it also suppresses the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. This can result in symptoms such as impaired cognition, memory loss, learning difficulties, decreased cognitive performance including problem-solving, increased risk of depression and mood disorders, issues with sleep quality including sleeping too much, and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

In fact, it has even been shown that stress can shrink certain regions in our brains, including the hippocampus responsible for learning and memory. In other words, too high a level of cortisol actually makes us dumber – not exactly helpful for those who need their brainpower at their job!

Luckily, there are ways to combat this. Mindfulness training is one of the most effective ways to reduce stress and cortisol levels. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that mindfulness meditation increases activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) – the part of our brain responsible for cognitive control, self-regulation, and emotional regulation.

The result? Improved emotional regulation, more self-control, and greater feelings of happiness. In fact, mindfulness has been shown to improve working memory circuits and even reduce the physical expression of stress through changes in cortisol levels and heart rate.

That can lead to better job performance and satisfaction with your career path – not to mention a healthier brain, too.

Check for signs of burnout: A useful test developed by psychologist Christina Maslach, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley who has spent her career studying stress and burnout. If you answer "yes" to any three of these six questions, you may be heading towards burnout:

? Have I become more cynical or negative about things going on in my life?

? Do I feel like I can't succeed at my job?

? Do I often become frustrated because I feel overloaded, overburdened, or overworked?

? Do I feel like just going through the motions in my daily activities?

? Am I using food, drugs, or alcohol to relax more than once a week?

? Do I feel physically run down or exhausted a lot of the time?

?So if you're returning with affirmative answers to more than two of these questions – it might be time to consider making some changes to bring your cortisol levels back under control.

Here are some tips for you to try right now:

1. Recognise the stress signs – if you notice yourself becoming irritable, hostile or acting out in anger with loved ones more than usual it's probably time for a break. If negative emotions continue, this could be a sign of depression as well as burnout.

2. Take the time to breathe – possibly the simplest yet most effective tool for self-care is just being mindful and conscious about your breathing. If you're feeling overwhelmed, try a quick meditation session to help bring yourself back into balance.?

3. Meet with friends or family – if you feel the need to connect with others, be it in person or over the phone, try re-igniting your social network. Socialising is another way of combating stress and bringing yourself back into balance.

4. Exercise – although this can sometimes heighten cortisol levels in the short term, research shows that regular exercise reduces stress in the long run and can even reduce cortisol levels.

5. Think about change – sometimes we get so locked into our routines and ways of thinking that we forget to consider making a change. Do you feel like you haven't been pushing yourself? Try setting some new goals or trying new things – even if they're small changes.

6. Get plenty of sleep – although too little sleep can lead to feelings of burnout, it is equally important not to get too much sleep either. Researchers have found that getting more than nine hours of sleep a night indicates burnout.

7. Eat healthily – our brain and body are fuelled by what we eat, so it's important to fuel yourself with the right foods if you want to sustain your energy levels through the day. Start your days off right with a healthy breakfast, and don't skip meals.

While it's important to be cognizant of the dangers that stress can pose to our mental and physical health, it's also crucial not to let ourselves become paralyzed by fear. Stress is a part of life, and we can't avoid it altogether. What we can do, however, is learn how to manage it more effectively. Mindful practice is one way to start reducing the amount of stress in our lives. There are many other techniques as well; the key is finding what works best for you and making sure to implement it into your daily routine. If you're feeling burned out or at risk for burnout, don't hesitate to reach out for help. There are professionals who specialize in helping people manage their stress levels, and they can help you return to a healthy, happy place.