How to Prevent Burnout in The City
It's 10 pm, you’re sitting at your desk eating a Deliveroo that just arrived and you know you’ll do it again tomorrow. And the day after that.
Believe it or not, this is the beginning of burnout. You just don’t know it yet.
Burnout is a word that is thrown around a lot, and can often be used out of context. But, put simply, burnout is a state of complete mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. And despite what society may tell you, burnout is not caused solely by a stressful and demanding work environment or working too many hours. It can be experienced by anyone, at any age, who has prolonged levels of stress and pressure.
That said, a high-pressure work environment often reduces access to things essential to our well-being: natural light, nature, connection with family and friends, nutritious food, and regular movement, to name a few. Fewer of these basic human needs, combined with a lot of work, is a recipe for burnout.
The thing with burnout is, it won’t just go away. Particularly if you’re a Type A personality. But when you’re aware of the signs, there are things you can do to remedy it, and prevent it fully taking over.
A little bit about Type a personalities
Type A personalities are often individuals who are characterised by their competitiveness, ambition, impatience, and sense of urgency. Alongside these traits often comes a tendency toward workaholism, fuelled by an ambitious nature and desire to succeed.
Type As are also often perfectionists; they strive for achievement and are constantly seeking to improve. They may have difficulty relaxing and can be overly focused on work or personal goals, leading to potential stress-related health issues.
When you take this into account, it isn’t a complete surprise that a 2017 study found that Type A personalities may be more at risk of burnout than those with Type B personalities.
The relentless drive in Type A individuals means they often overextend themselves and find it difficult to relax or take much-needed breaks. Their perfectionist tendencies and desire for achievement may result in them neglecting their self-care, enduring chronic stress, and ultimately make them more susceptible to burnout.
If you are a Type A personality, then this isn’t something that you can - or want to - necessarily get rid of. It’s who you are and you don’t want to change that, as it enables you to function and succeed in the way that you know best. You will continue to push forward, work all the hours and be on the go, and while it’s not sustainable, there’s a solution.
When you know how to make room for rest, set boundaries, and prioritise your well-being, you’ll find that you can refuel and recharge your health so that you’re primed to return to your go-go-go lifestyle.
A Cautionary Tale
Take it from a Type A personality who has been there and got the t-shirt. You must find time to leave the City behind, even if for just 24 or 48 hours. If you want to keep growing your career while balancing a healthy personal life, the answer is always to hit pause at regular intervals.
Think about how living in the city can affect your health. First off there’s so much light and noise pollution day and night, meaning it’s more difficult to relax and sleep. Then there’s the air pollution which can contribute to a build-up of toxins in the body. The same can be said for the poor water quality. We spend long hours sitting, when we were designed to move. Lastly, and this is such an important one, there’s a shrinking amount of green space, meaning we are removed from the natural world that we are meant to live in. Access to nature has a direct correlation to positive mental health.
Time For A Time Out?
So, what are the solutions for those who both thrive on the city pace but also seek balance and sustainability in their lives? It’s simple: a time-out.
Sometimes that can be as simple as incorporating structured breaks and mindfulness into your daily routine. Perhaps you are already implementing a short Calm app break in the middle of your workday, or a quick walk around the nearest park or square on your break. These are great places to start.
Here’s our tried-and-tested list of things to think about when planning a time out, to ensure you reap the benefits and return to your busy city life ready to resume service:
Seek fresh air. The air pollution in cities is a lot worse than even in the countryside a couple of hours away, so think about how often you can escape the city for a different scenery.
Get out in nature. I can’t stress this one enough. Nature is proven to lower stress levels, so immersing yourself in this will work wonders. You don’t have to necessarily travel far; rivers, lakes and green spaces exist within cities and if you jump on a train for 30 minutes, you’ll be greeted with an abundance of nature. If this is impossible, head to your nearest park or green space and focus on looking at trees for a few minutes every day.
Prepare to wind down at the end of the day. A meditative activity at the end of the working day is a great thing to implement if you can, particularly if you work from home, as it will help to distinguish the line between work and rest.
Prioritise sleep. This might seem like a simple one, but just notice the difference when your sleeping environment doesn’t include noise from city traffic and street lights shining through the windows. Start with the environment of your bedroom: think cool air, fresh sheets, and blackout blinds can make a huge difference. Then build sleep habits into your evenings, such as a discipline around avoiding stimulants in the evening, such as caffeine, screens and social media.
Chase natural light, always. We’re bombarded with artificial light in cities. From the lighting in our offices, our homes, the underground gyms, the billboards in tube stations, our phones and laptops - it’s everywhere. This causes a sensory overload and our brains are screaming for a break. Seek daylight as often as possible - it’s proven to be good for your mental health.
Choose your movement: If you already live with a high level of stress, you do not need a lot of high-intensity training, but rather more long and slow zone 2 type training. This type of training provides a much more balanced approach and doesn’t overwork or stress your nervous system which may already be in a heightened state. Talking to a Personal Trainer about your lifestyle will enable them to programme something that lowers your stress, rather than adding to it.
Do a hormone test: These can be incredibly insightful, especially if you are a woman. Marjolein Dutry van Haeften, Nutritional Therapist & Founder of Hormoniously, recommends them to her clients to get a physical representation on paper of what is going on. ‘What I see with my clients is that they often begin implementing lifestyle changes, and as soon as they start to feel better, they straight away slam their foot back on the accelerator to their previous habits and go right back into feeling burnt out.’
However ‘if we do a hormone test, you can see your cortisol rhythm on paper and whether your stress response is impacting your sex hormones. For most people, that can be incredibly convincing to maintain the change - or start making one if there’s been hesitation - and understand that we need to reset your physiology together.’
In terms of what hormone test to take, Marjolein says: ‘I love using the DUTCH test (dried urine test for complete hormones) - it helps us to understand your stress response over 24 hours, your oestrogen, testosterone, progesterone and their metabolites, as well as your antioxidant status and some nutrient indicators.’
A cycle of work and rest
The longer and more intensely you work, the longer and more serious a break you need. Humans are cyclical beings and we function on a cycle of work and rest. Do you have planned breaks in the calendar and if so what do you do with them, how do you choose to spend them?
Once a day x 6 days a week: A few hours off
Take a few hours of a true break in the evening, away from your laptop and phones. We often fool ourselves that working late at night will result in more productivity in the long run, but in reality it leaves us less productive the next day.
Once a week x 3 weeks a month: A full day off
Plan a day that’s outside of your day-to-day environment. The physical change of scenery will do wonders for your mind.
Once a month x 2 months a quarter: A weekend off
Look to take a weekend away or a day trip outside of the city or town where you live. It doesn’t have to be overseas, it doesn’t even have to be too far from home. But change up the scenery, and ideally go somewhere where you can spend time in nature. Our monthly Adventure Club sessions are a great example of days out in nature if you happen to live in London, and a format you could replicate anywhere you live.
Once a quarter x 3 times per year: 4-7 days off
If your work affords you to take a a few more days off every quarter, do it. It’s what annual leave is for. Maybe that looks like a few days in nature with all work notifications disabled. Or maybe it looks like a week overseas at a retreat to relax and recharge.
Once a year: A longer break
Ten days, maybe even longer if you can, depending on your situation. If you have a full-on work life, the chances are it may take you the first week to switch off all the thoughts about work. Taking a longer break really allows that all-important time to fully disconnect.
The good news is, I may be able to help you with some of this routine through my business. As someone prone to regular burnout, I have been looking for ways to feel restored since I started working. Having a long work week meant that I had little time to research where to go and what to do, and find friends to go with. However, the desire to look for something active to do each time, with new people, in new places, got me thinking that there may be a market of people like me looking for similar opportunities to escape the city. In the end, I created More Life Adventures to help busy people take healthy breaks, and for them to know that every single thing has been thought of with their wellness in mind.
We need healthy breaks in different lengths and for different budgets. That’s why we now have a regular Adventure Club with activities such as hiking Box Hill or wild swimming at Hampstead Heath. It’s why we have short getaways close to home, such as hiking trips in Wales. And it’s why we plan fitness retreats to Crete and Madeira, which are a perfect blend of activity, rest and connection.
Protecting your rest time is so important. The pervasive nature of social media and other dopamine-spiking distractions can easily seep into our downtime when you’re meant to be letting your brain regenerate. So protect your time and think about the steps you can take today to give yourself the abundant life you deserve.
I’m always keen to learn about your experiences of burnout of any type, as it helps me shape the retreats we put on at More Life Adventures. So, if any of this resonates with you and if you would be willing to share your experience, I would be grateful to hear it. It will be kept completely confidential. You can email me at stella@morelifeadventures.com or send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram.