Not all of us can shine bright like diamonds 24/7, even Rihanna: in 2011, the singer was hospitalized due to the amount of work she had to deal with.
"One morning, I woke up and started crying so hard," she said in one of the interviews.
And she's not alone: millions of us go through the symptoms of burnout.
But the key isn't to fear it but to find ways to cope. Some proven techniques can help you shine and preserve beauty despite all the stress you experience.
Bookmark this article, which offers solid advice on how to prevent burnout, as well as useful self-care ideas.
What Is Burnout: Key Symptoms
First, let's learn what burnout is. If you had a long, hard day at work and want a bubble bath (Chandler-style), this is not a burnout. You're tired. But if you're feeling fatigued for weeks, have trouble falling asleep, and your weight is jumping up and down—you're probably burning out.
Another way is to sit down and lay out your life priorities:
- Is it the job that drains you?
- Are you feeling social stress?
- Are you unable to say no?
- And most importantly, are you going to do something about it?
Now, let's see how burnout affects your overall well-being—and what you can do to stay beautiful and energetic even under stress.
How Burnout Affects Your Overall Health
Burnout basically means living under constant or prolonged stress. Keep burning long enough, and it will cause chronic fatigue, weakening of the immune system, increased stress, and inflammation. People with burnout are more prone to infections, flu, and other types of disease. Plus, burnout can lead to some form of depression.
Insomnia is another challenging consequence of burnout. When you're burned out, you tend to overthink, feel unable to relax, and stay tense—making it harder to get restful sleep.
How Burnout Affects Your Beauty
When you're deeply stressed, your body produces cortisol—a hormone signaling that you're in trouble. It's a way for your body to tell you that you should stop, look around, and rethink what you're doing. Cortisol is also responsible for premature aging, skin and hair issues, and even bad posture.
- Premature aging. If you're under deep stress for a long time, you might witness your skin become less elastic. This happens because stress ruins collagen, a major protein keeping your skin smooth.
- Skin and hair issues. Burnout reduces your body's ability to nourish your hair, that's why it can grow thin or even shed. If you find tangles of hair everywhere or stop caring for your hair entirely, it could be a sign of burnout. Likewise, the same stress can also cause acne and breakouts.
- Posture change. Deep mental exhaustion causes muscle tension—especially in your neck and shoulders. Poor muscle tone, if not addressed in time, can turn you into a sloucher. Add the fact that we're almost stuck to our phones when we're not sleeping—and you get a terrible looking forward head posture.
Four Actionable Ideas To Prevent Burnout
Let's dive deeper here. What can you do right now to decrease the chances of getting a burnout?
Try stress management techniques.
Many people fear techniques like meditation, associating it with some spiritual or even religious practices. But it's not truly so. Meditation is basically about learning to notice your thoughts—and feeling at ease with them. Sometimes, it's like a painkiller pill when you're suffering.
How to meditate?
- Sit back and make sure you're undistracted for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Try to breathe in and out, and close your eyes.
- Follow your breath and see how your body relaxes and softens.
- Notice your surroundings, noises, and, most importantly—how your body is feeling.
- The key here is to accept everything that comes and goes—every thought and feeling.
- Try not to resist anything, but just enjoy the time you're taking for yourself.
Once you've mastered this technique, you can go on to the next step. There are meditations for every life event—approaching birth, coping with cancer, dealing with regret. Meditation experts would guide you through your important life events, explain what you can feel or experience, and advise on coping techniques.
Apps like Liven can help you schedule meditation and other self-care techniques so that you can adopt new behavior and overcome burnout. The team at Liven believes that self-discovery is the key to a better life. Their app helps you gain perspective on your emotions, thoughts, and habits to re-script your inner dialogue.
Eat a balanced diet and hydrate.
Eating healthy is simpler than you think: there is scientifically proven advice on what's good for your body.
- Eat vegetables of all colors, including greens and seasonal ones. Why not make a smoothie now? Blend two bananas, some spinach, and soy milk for a healthy protein boost. It tastes better than it sounds :)
- Add fruits to your daily eating routine. Choose fresh ones and opt for berries if you can—they make for a perfect snack. It's proven that fruits can help reduce inflammation and aid digestion.
- Cook whole grains like brown rice or whole-grain pasta. Whole grains provide fiber to support heart health, help manage weight, and reduce chronic disease risks.
- Snack on healthy protein: nuts, beans, and more. Limit bacon, cold cuts, and processed meals, as they may cause fatigue and inflammation. You can arrange a cheat day for yourself when you're eating unhealthy, but limit it to just a day a month.
For those who are lactose-intolerant, it's best to substitute dairy with some plant alternatives, like soy, banana, or oatmeal milk.
You might experience cravings if you menstruate, and that's perfectly normal. But try to vary your food choices to enrich them with nutrients. If you're ordering a pizza, top it with arugula, spinach, or salad leaves.
Drink about 8 cups of clean, warm water to keep yourself hydrated. Drink some more if you still feel thirsty. And here's a wishlist idea for your friends: ask for a nice water cup with a hydration scale to monitor your water intake throughout the day!
Exercise and sleep well.
Exercising and sleeping well is vital, but you need to know how to build your routine. Let's look at some advice if you're too busy with your job.
Nintendo Switch sports (or even Nintendo Switch Ring!) is a great idea to start with easy and fun exercises at home. You can build a habit of having physical activities at a certain time every day and then upgrade your routine to a more advanced one where you go to the gym and exercise with bigger weights.
Listen to your body—how does it feel today? Depending on your cycle, schedule, and chores, you might switch up your workouts (home sessions count, too) or skip them for a day or two—and that's perfectly fine.
Another idea is to socialize as you do sports—though it may seem stressful. Start with some small steps. Take your best friend out to run. Sign up for the local yoga club. Apply for a dance class that plays your favorite music to keep yourself interested.
Sleeping well is important. Make sure you get 7–8 hours of sleep in a cold (15–20°C) room with curtains closed. Some like to listen to music before they fall asleep. As hard as it may sound, drop your phone at least an hour before you go to bed—you need that melatonin to develop. Try to set an alarm clock and leave your phone in another room.
Before going to sleep, you might also want to meditate or take a warm, relaxing bath.
Do your skincare routines and self-care practices.
The more you care for yourself, the less likely you are to develop burnout. Self-care practices include skin care, hobbies, and other routines. Let's discuss them in more detail.
For most people, it may take years, but you have to find your dermatologist. A person who knows exactly what to do with your skin type. Your specialist will help you find proper products for your home skincare. If you haven't done it yet—keep looking. You might want to ask your friends for recommendations or search via local beauty hubs.
Wrong skincare products will do your skin no good. If possible, see your dermatologist once or twice a month. Or simply make it a good routine to care for your skin at home:
- Deep wash your face with a cleanser applicable to your skin type.
- Then exfoliate.
- Finally, nurture your skin with some creams or lotions.
- You can also apply masks once or twice a week.
- Put on some music as you do so to put yourself in a better mood.
Make sure you take care of not only your face but your body as well. You could be going for a massage and nurturing yourself with some lotions after a bath.
Self-care practices are individual. For some, there's nothing better than a good walk in the park—and it's free of charge. Some will opt for a feel-good evening with their favorite TV series and a snack (still, please try to keep it healthy—nuts or fruits will do).
Other self-care ideas include reading, dancing, mindful shopping, power naps, or going out with some friends. Just listen to what your body and soul need right now—again, meditation can come in handy here.
Final idea: you are your biggest project—not your job. Take good care of yourself and use these handy techniques and apps to make self-care a habit.
Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Cook at home to save up some money. Try to make sports your daily (start with weekly) routine. Get enough sleep in a cold room with your phone turned off. Indulge in your hobbies to feel like yourself, even if you're burnt out.
Rooting for you!
