The term ‘burnout’ was first coined in the 1970s, by American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, however, it was not officially recognised by the World Health Organisation in its International Classification of Diseases until 2019. As the name suggests, burnout defines the consequences of severe stress caused by high standards. Originally only applied to ‘helping’ professions such as medical practitioners, we now know burnout can affect anyone from overworked employees to stay-at-home parents.
Although society now has a pretty clear understanding of burnout, unfortunately, many organisations don’t. Whether afraid of change, or neglecting the issue, many workplace cultures simply don’t cater to mitigating burnout amongst employees, especially within corporate industries. Professional women are especially prone to burnout, as many generally feel they have to work twice as hard as their male counterparts to advance their careers.
Luke Rossmanith, founder of About Courage, is a man dedicated to helping professional women stay ahead of burnout. Luke preaches building health and resilience, as often organisational change does not happen overnight. A health practitioner and health coach for over 16 years, Luke has personally worked with hundreds of clients struggling to dramatically improve their health, confidence, and motivation, so that they can consistently perform at their best. “What I find common amongst many professional women is that their health is no longer supporting them, and they’re burning out,” he says. “I have developed a step-by-step strategy to take a person struggling with multiple health issues caused by burnout to break free from the big six by elevating their health so they may thrive.”
The big six Luke refers to are the 6 hardest-hitting symptoms of burnout for women. These are;
– Feelings of anxiety and overwhelm
– High, and almost crippling, levels of stress
– Poor sleep
– Adrenal fatigue and exhaustion
– Hormonal imbalances (could also be menstrual or thyroid-related)
– Digestive issues
Also worthy of note are other symptoms which can manifest;
– Chronic aches and pains
– Immune stress
– Skin issues (eczema, psoriasis etc.)
The big 6 can cause us to experience unexplained mood swings, poor personal boundaries, lowered self-esteem and self-worth, and feeling disconnected from our loved ones. They can also prevent us from relaxing when we try to take time for ourselves, decrease our motivation and concentration, can lead to poor decision making, and even cause lack of libido and intimacy in personal relationships.
Learning to build resilience and a healthy lifestyle is key not only for women, but for all to prevent falling prey to burnout. Ensuring we do small things such as asking for help when we need it or taking the time each week to schedule in activities to maintain a healthy work/life balance goes an extremely long way. Similarly discovering more about our thoughts and emotions will help us have more control over our minds and bodies, empowering the way we feel about all aspects of our lives.
Burnout is real, and it isn’t something to take lightly. Taking the steps to build up our health and resilience today can be potentially life-saving in the future.
If you would like to work with Luke to reconnect with your best self, you can learn more about his programs here.