Welcome to another episode on stress awareness and management. As we dive into the topic, consider where you stand on a stress scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest level of stress. If you are above 3, this guide on how to prevent burnout is crucial for you.
April is National Stress Awareness Month. Recently, I turned 37 and spent my birthday reflecting and enjoying a peaceful weekend. Birthdays and celebrations can be both joyful and stressful, highlighting the importance of managing stress effectively to prevent burnout.
Preventing Burnout and Understanding Stress
Stress awareness is the first step towards a better life and essential for burnout prevention. Living in constant stress can make us feel stuck and behind. Here are some important facts about stress:
Fact 1: According to the American Psychological Association, chronic stress can lead to severe health issues like heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.
Fact 2: A study found that 77% of people experience stress that affects their physical health, and 73% have stress impacting their mental health.
Fact 3: Workplace stress costs the U.S. economy approximately $300 billion annually due to absenteeism, decreased productivity, and employee turnover.
Here's a breakdown of the different phases of stress and burnout:
1. Honeymoon Phase of Stress
Characteristics: Optimism, free-flowing creativity, high productivity, sustained energy.
Example: Positive stress from events like weddings or new jobs.
2. Onset of Stress
Characteristics: Changes in lifestyle and diet, neglect of personal needs, higher blood pressure, lower productivity, early signs of anxiousness and forgetfulness.
Example: Prolonged work hours, irregular eating habits.
3. Chronic Stress
Characteristics: Increased caffeine or alcohol consumption, avoidance of hobbies, procrastination, social withdrawal, irritability, feeling overwhelmed and disengaged.
Example: Consistent overworking, avoiding social activities.
4. Burnout
Characteristics: Neglect of personal needs, self-doubt, social isolation, chronic mental and physical issues, emotional emptiness, wanderlust.
Example: Dreaming of escape or drastic lifestyle changes.
5. Chronic Burnout
Characteristics: Persistent burnout through various life stages, extreme mental and physical fatigue, feelings of hopelessness.
Example: Long-term dissatisfaction and exhaustion.
How to Prevent Burnout
Awareness of your stress level is the first step to improvement. Identify where you are on the scale and recognize that change is possible. Burnout can feel unrelenting, but with the right support, you can prevent burnout and overcome it. For more detailed strategies on managing stress, you can read our comprehensive guide on understanding and managing stress.
Next Steps to Burnout Prevention
Identify Your Stress Level: Determine if you are in the honeymoon phase, onset of stress, chronic stress, burnout, or chronic burnout.
Attend Upcoming Events: Join our coffee chats, virtual networking, and wellbeing events to learn more about how to prevent burnout.
Book a Consultation: Connect with me for personalized support in managing stress and preventing burnout.
To further inspire you, check out this client success story on overcoming burnout. This testimonial highlights the real-life impact of effective burnout prevention strategies.
Understanding and managing stress is essential for a healthier, more fulfilling life. If you found this guide helpful, reach out on social media or visit my website for more information on burnout prevention. For more resources, visit Acheloa Wellness and connect with me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. I look forward to supporting you on your journey to wellness.
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What You'll Learn from this Episode:
Five Phases of Burnout and Stress
Importance of Recognizing One's Stress Level
How Coaching and Consultation Helps
Watch the Full Episode:
Full Episode Transcript:
Welcome, everyone. I'm happy to have you here. April is National Stress Awareness Month, and I'm bringing content to help you identify your stress. On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being high, where is your stress? If it's over 3, today’s episode is for you.
Recently, I turned 37 on Sunday. I spent my birthday doing some introspection and reflection. My life has been moving fast, and nothing felt better than a slow, spacious birthday. I had a nice dinner with friends on Friday, enjoyed Saturday to myself, and did brunch with my family on Sunday. It was a quiet, peaceful weekend.
If you have an April birthday, happy birthday! For everyone else, let's celebrate together.
Client testimonial from Simrit, a business owner: “With Lauren as my burnout coach, I was challenged, educated, and encouraged. If you have an opportunity to learn how to take care of yourself, please do. This is the power play right here. You will not be disappointed.”
Today, we’re talking about stress awareness. Recognizing your stress is the first step to finding a better life. If we’re living in stress, we’re stuck. But the life you want is closer than you think. When working with someone for the first time, we need to change their perception. Stress feels worse than it needs to be.
I recently talked to a colleague about a client with burnout. We’re often unaware of how much stress we experience, especially in professions with back-to-back meetings, endless emails, and constant demands. It feels like death by a thousand cuts.
Let's identify where you are on the burnout scale:
Honeymoon phase: mild stress, high productivity, sustained energy.
Onset of stress: lifestyle changes, neglect of personal needs, early anxiousness.
Chronic stress: more coffee or alcohol, procrastination, social withdrawal, irritability.
Burnout: neglect of needs, self-doubt, social isolation, physical and mental dis-ease.
Chronic burnout: ongoing, extreme mental and physical fatigue, feeling stuck.
Chronic stress leads to burnout. If you do nothing different, you’ll move towards burnout. Chronic burnout can feel like there’s no return, but there is always a way back. When I burned out 11 years ago, I took control of my wellbeing. Now, I have a process to help you.
Where are you on the scale? Honeymoon phase, onset of stress, chronic stress, burnout, or chronic burnout? Awareness is the first step to a better life. The life you want is closer than you think.
You can overcome burnout, especially with help. Book a consultation with me. Links are in my profiles on Instagram and LinkedIn. I’m here to make it easy for you. Listen, find the link, sign up. I’ll take care of the rest.
Thank you for listening. If you liked this episode, give me a like. Let me know what you think. Find me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube. I love hearing how this is landing for you.
For more information, visit Acheloa Wellness. Thank you for joining me today. I’ll see you at an event or here next week.
