Written by: Chelsea Eilts, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
In today's hustle culture, burnout has become a norm. This is especially true amongst women who juggle multiple roles. It comes as no surprise, then, that 46% of women said they felt burnt out in a 2022 Future Forum survey of six developed countries. ¹
But what if the key to healing the overwhelm and exhaustion of burnout lies not only in stress reduction techniques but in healing the hormones?
This article dives into the connection between burnout and hormonal imbalance, offering practical steps to restore energy and enthusiasm in body and mind.
What is burnout?
Burnout is more than just occasional fatigue or irritability. It's a state of utter exhaustion, cynicism, and feeling not good enough that comes out of chronic stress.
The World Health Organization tells us that burnout comes from ongoing work-related stress that hasn’t been appropriately managed. ² Formal tests for burnout look for the combination of emotional detachment, a drop in professional performance, ³ persistent fatigue, mood swings, and reduced ability to think. ⁴
Beyond these psychological effects, though, burnout can have a profound impact on the body. And, the hormonal system is one place where this impact is most obvious.
Hormones & the stress response
Whenever we face stress, the brain triggers a fight-or-flight response. This response causes hormones to be released, sounding the alarm throughout the body.
Cortisol, a stress hormone made by the adrenal glands, is crucial for managing the event. Ideally, the adrenals make the right amount of cortisol, you resolve the stressful situation and then everything returns to baseline.
But if the stressful situation doesn’t get resolved, the fight-or-flight response never goes back to baseline. This leaves body and mind in a revved-up state, step one on the road to burnout and hormonal imbalance.⁵
The burnout-hormone cycle
Understanding the interplay between burnout and hormone imbalance is necessary in order to heal both. It's a cyclical relationship: chronic stress leads to hormonal disruptions, hormonal disruption worsens burnout.
1. How stress affects hormones
During chronic stress, the body is in a constant state of high alert. The adrenal glands respond by making more and more cortisol, which disrupts the delicate balance of all other hormones. Thyroid, estrogen and progesterone imbalances are common, causing fatigue, weight gain, mood swings, and irregular cycles. ⁶
2. Hormonal imbalance fuels burnout
Hormonal issues can come from burnout, but they also make it worse. For example, hypothyroidism causes fatigue and slow metabolism, making it harder to cope with daily stressors. Similarly, fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can cause mood swings and poor sleep, further lowering your resilience to stress. ⁷
3. Breaking the cycle
Breaking the cycle requires a holistic approach, addressing mind and body together. Stress management is supported by healthy hormones.
To start, the best plan will help you to slowly shift your mindset, lifestyle and nutrition habits, while supplements (and even medication) are used to facilitate healing.
Identifying hormone imbalances
But first, how can you know how burnout has affected your hormones? While every woman’s body is unique, there are many common signs to clue you into a hormone imbalance, such as:
Physical signs
Unexplained weight gain or loss.
Fatigue, even after getting enough sleep.
Insomnia or excessive sleepiness.
Changes in appetite or digestive issues.
Recurring headaches or body aches.
Reproductive signs
Irregular menstrual cycles or severe PMS.
Decreased libido.
Fertility issues.
Mental-emotional signs
Mood swings, anxiety, or depression.
Reduced ability to cope with stress.
Trouble concentrating or memory loss.
It's important to know that these symptoms can point to various health conditions, not just hormonal imbalances. For accurate diagnosis and treatment, it may be necessary to consult with a healthcare professional (preferably one trained in functional medicine).
Within functional medicine, specialized testing (like DUTCH testing) is used to see exactly how stress is impacting the hormones.
Action steps to beat burnout
Once you identify how burnout is affecting your hormones, it’s time to get strategic. Restoring hormonal balance while recovering from burnout takes a multipronged approach.
Consider these go-to strategies to help normalize energy, metabolism and stress hormones:
Lifestyle
Calm the mind: Incorporate practices like meditation, 4-square breathing, or emotional freedom technique (aka “tapping”) to calm down a hyperactive fight-or-flight response.
Create sleep routine: Keep your sleep time as routine as possible, scheduling yourself 7-9 hours for sleep every night.
Regular exercise: Move your body every day. Yoga is a great option because it gives you all the benefits of exercise without spiking cortisol the way other types of exercise do.
Nutrition
Anti-inflammatory diet: Include foods with omega-3 fats, like salmon and flaxseeds, to reduce stress-induced inflammation. Avoid highly-processed foods, reduce daily sugar intake (20g or less) and limit caffeine (1-2 servings), because they all worsen hormonal issues.
Balanced macros: Make sure your meals and snacks have protein, fiber and healthy fat. Avoid carb-heavy snacks that throw off your blood sugar and exacerbate fatigue.
Hydration: Getting enough water is required for health, period. Most women do best drinking half their body weight (in pounds) in fluid ounces every day. (Example: 160-lb woman aims for 80 oz water daily).
Supplements
Vitamins and minerals: Always remember the basics! Essential vitamins (like A, D, E, K, B-complex, and C) and minerals must be present for hormonal healing to occur.
Adaptogens: Herbs like ashwagandha and rhodiola are known to help the body adapt to stress and balance hormones. They boost energy without any caffeine crash!
Professional support
Functional medicine: Consult with a functional health expert (best decision I’ve ever made). This style of medicine is holistic and science-based, using specialty testing to build a laser-focused plan for recovery.
Counseling: Consider working with a qualified mental health professional to process any unresolved emotions and limiting mindsets that may be contributing to burnout.
By working these strategies into your life step-by-step, you can start to regain control over your hormonal health and overall well-being.
Remember, the journey to balance is personal, and what works for one woman may not work for another. Always chat with your doctor before starting new supplements or major lifestyle shifts, especially if you have complex health needs. Consider this article a starting point, not a substitute for personalized medical advice.
The path forward
By now, you can see the journey to overcoming burnout and recovering hormonal health is multifaceted and deeply personal. It's not just about managing stress, and it's about nurturing your body and mind in harmony.
Remember, you're not alone in this journey. Whether you're just starting to recognize the signs of burnout or you're deep in the throes of hormonal imbalance, there's a path forward.
If this article resonated with you, and you're ready to take the next step towards holistic well-being, I'm here to help.
As a functional health consultant, I offer comprehensive testing and personalized strategies to help women renew their energy, metabolism and hormone balance.
Don't let burnout dictate your life. For more insights and a deeper dive into recovery, swing by my blog – it's a treasure trove of tips and strategies. And if you're ready to get professional support, book a consultation today, here. Your road to recovery begins now.
Helpful links:
Chelsea Eilts, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dr. Chelsea Eilts, Naturopathic Doctor and Doctor of Chinese Medicine, is a functional health consultant with a focus on burnout recovery. Her personal experience with burnout, which led to a dramatic health crisis, set her on a quest for healing. This journey brought her to the brightest minds in alternative healthcare, where she discovered the deeply restorative power of holistic medicine. Chelsea has since dedicated her expertise to helping women regain mind-body health with vital energy, metabolism and hormone balance.
Article References:
[1] Future Forum. Future Forum Pulse Winter 2022-2023 Snapshot [Internet]. San Francisco: Slack Technologies; 2023 [cited 2024 Jan 7]. Available from: https://futureforum.com/research/future-forum-pulse-winter-2022-2023-snaps hot/
[2] World Health Organization. Burn-out an 'occupational phenomenon': International Classification of Diseases [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2019 [cited 2024 Jan 7].
[3] Maslach C, Schaufeli WB, Leiter MP. Job burnout. Annu Rev Psychol. 2001;52:397-422.
[4] Schaufeli WB. Test Manual: Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) English version 2.0 [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2024 Jan 7]. Available from: https://burnoutassessmenttool.be/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Test-Manual- BAT-English-version-2.0-1.pdf
[5] Gottfried S. The Hormone Cure: Reclaim Balance, Sleep, Sex Drive and Vitality Naturally with the Gottfried Protocol. New York: Scribner; 2017.
[6] Sapolsky R. Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping. New York: Henry Holt and Co; 2004.
[7] Romm A. The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution: A Proven 4-Week Program to Rescue Your Metabolism, Hormones, Mind & Mood. New York: HarperOne; 2018.
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