Long-term accumulated stress leads to physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, which is characteristic of burnout syndrome.
Stress: 21st century disease
We are living through a pandemic, which we know started in 2020, we don’t know when it will end, but it affects all aspects of our lives. However, for even longer, we have been affected by a much more dangerous disease – stress, the disease of the 21st century.
According to studies, 98% of Romanians are affected by stress, but less than half of them treat it!
Stress manifests itself in three phases. The first phase is the alarm reaction in which physical and intellectual functions are intensified, preparing the body to react. The second phase is the resilience phase in which the body begins to adapt to the stress and begins to experience fatigue, which affects performance and efficiency. The third phase is burnout, when the effects of stress are realised.
he onset of stress leads to fatigue, lack of energy, irritability, which if not addressed in time, leads to panic and anxiety.
Ritmul in which we live is literally giving us headaches. We’re always on the run, we always have a long to-do list and we slalom through life to get everything done by the deadline.
In all this whirlwind we find ourselves in, both professionally and personally, we also face financial problems and the 24 hours become insufficient to cope with all the responsibilities we have taken on.
This is, in fact, the body’s alarm reaction to anything that is considered dangerous. It is normally an automatic response that the body makes when it detects a possible threat. Once the danger is identified, the nervous system triggers a process called ‘run, freeze or fight’. The heartbeat increases, breathing intensifies, muscles tense, blood pressure rises, and the whole body is in a general state of alert, ready to either flee from danger or face it.
In principle, stress is absolutely normal, part of the survival instinct that occurs when the body needs to adapt to something new. In other words, the nervous system sends us a mobilisation signal and that’s how we cope with challenges. It’s those pre-exam jitters or the tension you feel during a public speech. In the long term, however, stress becomes an enemy, attacking your health and taking control of your life. It can cause chronic fatigue, depression, digestive problems or cardiovascular disease.
Many of us prefer to escape stress with alcohol or smoking. There are habits that easily turn into addictions and can cause serious illness. They are an accessible refuge for those who want to hide from their problems, but both habits are very harmful to the body and do not eliminate the problem, but only exacerbate it and make it more complex.
But what is the link between stress and burnout? We turn to a statement given to AGERPRES Agency by Petronela Nechita, a primary psychiatrist at the Socola Psychiatric Institute in Iasi:
“Burnout presents three main categories of stress symptoms: physical exhaustion, such as the presence of physical symptoms, emotional exhaustion, which comes with symptoms related to attitudes and feelings, and behavioural symptoms in terms of low productivity, job dissatisfaction. Burnout syndrome occurs particularly in people whose profession involves a great deal of responsibility and frequent interactions with people.
Burnout syndrome or chronic fatigue is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress, especially at work. It occurs at times when we feel overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted and unable to carry out our daily routine. Symptoms of burnout include a general feeling of tiredness and weakness, as well as decreased immunity, frequent illness, loss of motivation and depression.
Prevent burnout through diet
Because of stress, many people go off their diet. It’s no wonder that after a hard day’s work we seek out the nearest fast-food joint,
and when we’re suffering from a broken heart we devour all the chocolate we can find.
Burnout can be a consequence of prolonged stress and is also associated with vitamin deficiency or a weakened immune system.
Medicine seems to have found a solution to help us cope more easily with life’s difficult situations by suggesting that we supplement our diets with magnesium, fatty acids, vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin B complex.
Food supplements that energise, invigorate and tone the body work wonders in situations of stress, overwork and exhaustion.
Magnezium is an important mineral for the body, helps maintain normal blood pressure, increases energy and calms anxiety, and has multiple health benefits.
At the same time, people with burnout syndrome usually have lower levels of essential fatty acids, which are important for reducing inflammation and boosting immunity.
Vitamins B2, B3, B5 and B12 contribute to normal energy metabolism and normal functioning of the nervous system.
Vitamin B12 is what helps convert the food we eat into energy, which our cells can use. Vitamin B12 also prevents a type of anaemia that makes us feel weak and tired. Some people are at higher risk of vitamin B12 deficiency (the elderly, vegans, patients with gastrointestinal disorders), so a doctor may recommend B12 supplements to combat or prevent fatigue.
Along with magnesium and the B vitamin complex, vitamin C is also an ally in the fight against fatigue, as it helps the immune system.
Another ally of the immune system is vitamin D, which is deficient in a fairly high percentage of the general population. Experts already know that if there is a vitamin D deficiency in a person suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, there may be a slight improvement in symptoms after an adequate period of vitamin D supplementation.
Burnout syndrome can affect anyone, regardless of age and gender, although it has been observed that it most commonly affects women in their fourth and fifth decade of life, and preventing it by adopting a balanced and healthy lifestyle should be a long-term personal goal. In addition to vitamins and minerals, arginine is effective in preventing and treating fatigue associated with stress and exhaustion.