A Nervous System Reset That Works*

*Your mileage may vary.

I'm all about doing a nervous system reboot with my clients before we get into the coaching stuff. Since I'm not perfect (shocker) I also have to do the same thing with myself.

Here's what's just works.

Yes, yoga teachers get burnt out too. I've got a day job, family, friends, and a full life like anyone else. I also have passion projects that are are juggling act. This season of burnout came from a combination of work, poor boundaries with tech, and the existential stuff that rises up from my Old Friend Grief.

Here's what I've been doing to reset my nervous system:

First, know your numbers. We all have some kind of health & fitness tracker now. I took a hard look at weight, blood pressure, hours slept, and HRV. Then, I endeavored to get these numbers in range.

If you need a fitness tracker that doesn't doxx your location or data, we've got one with RUNSTR. (One of the many aforementioned side projects).

Wait, how do you know it's burnout?

For me, the signs are that I'm quick to get frustrated, I've ignored the to-do list, I feel ineffective at what work I am doing, and I stop caring. I seek the shortcuts, which isn't like me. I don't feel like myself, I'm thinking negatively, and ruminating. All of these are signs of burnout. My HRV lowers, sleep is bad, blood pressure is up, and my weight increases due to poor eating habits.

With that out of the way, here's what HELPED the burnout

I can tell I'm on the tail-end of it. HRV is rising, BP is lowering, and I am feeling more in gratitude. Traffic and other little things aren't triggering me. I'm getting my focus back, my body is less filled with tension, and I feel more optimistic. I'm catching the ruminating rather than spiraling into it. Life is fun again.

This was a brief bout with burnout and I pulled back from the edge pretty quickly. But it's taken about 5 weeks to get past it. Five weeks filled with grieving and self-care. If your burnout has been brewing for a lot longer, it's going to take longer to come out of it. (I've been there too).

This time around, I turned to escapism through reading novels in order to stop the rumination. This also improved focus for me. When that wasn't the appropriate choice, I had restorative yoga, improving my golf swing, and taking walks.

I think our first instinct when we burn out is to cocoon. The trick is to know yourself well enough through self-study (svadhyaya in yoga) so you can make the call on when cocooning is beneficial and when it perpetuates the problem. Sometimes, you need to get off your ass. Get out of the house. Try new things.

For self-care, there were hot bubble baths with silence or soft music. Sometimes the novels came with me into the tub. There were also trips to buy new clothes or gather comfort items for the home. I ended up redecorating my entire bedroom and re-organizing it based on finding a duvet cover on sale for $14. It doesn't have to be expensive. We just need to do things that feel calming, nurturing, and comforting again. (Again, what works for me may not work for you. The idea of redoing a room may not relieve burnout for some).

Cooking meals wasn't on the table because it felt like work and I decided to just go with that. Sometimes, cooking is a grounding self-care activity for me. Not this time though! I allowed myself to indulge in chocolate and carbs for a bit. Sometimes, you need comfort food.

I allowed myself to disentangle from work more and more, enforcing strong boundaries around work. I offloaded ALL text messaging apps from my phone. I made sure anything work-related was OFF my phone and only on my laptop so that when I close the laptop, I also close off work. My work is exciting; I can see how it sucked me in. But that's not sustainable. I'm a human being not a human doing (and so are you).

Burnout can feel like death by 1,000 cuts.

Sometimes, we just don't detect what's toxic in our lives because it's a paper cut here and there. This is what this burnout was like for me. I've done 10 years of therapy, I've been sober a long time (almost 13 years), and this year marks my 30th year of practicing yoga. Svadhyaya is the answer. It preventing me from allowing this to go on for months, which would have led to all kinds of ruin and a much longer recovery.

Getting out of the house to do some fun things that weren't hyper-social helped. Dating didn't sound fun & going to networking events with strangers also sounded like work, so I stopped. I took a golf lesson instead and went to the driving range with my nephews. Staying around loved ones and socializing in small groups has been great.

Best of all, I took time for myself. Whether it was getting hair or nails done, it was a subconscious reminder that I matter and must reconnect with myself in as many ways as I possibly can. I didn't watch news. I cleansed my space energetically. I talked on the phone for hours with my best friend who would listen and listen—then cut me off when I ruminated. I cut back hours for a week and that finally fixed it, plus all the self-care and lifestyle changes that helped me focus on having fun and moving into new energy.

For extra enrichment, read my friend Abel James' blog about why trying to calm down may be stressing us out. (For those of you who thrive on stress).

The Burnout Fix is The Same as It Ever Was

Restorative yoga, long walks, long baths, less screens, less news, more Reiki, meditation, routine, and sleep.

If you need help getting started with any of this, I've been there. I'd love to help you if you need it.

Your mileage may vary depending on your level of burnout and the cause of it. Over time, I've trained myself to spot the signs and reign it in so I can recover for burnout. I know I'm prone to it. (Back to the importance of self-study!)

Finding what works for YOU is how I help. Because YOU are the architect of your own destiny. What I shared about are just my ideas. I can help you find your own.