How Yoga Helped Me Recover From Burnout

Hey, I’m Eliza, a yoga teacher and recovering workaholic. In this blog, I share my burnout story and how yoga helped me recover after a health scare.

I’m writing the article I wish I’d seen when I needed it most. I hope this helps you recognise the symptoms of burnout so you can take action before it affects your wellbeing.

What is Burnout?

According to buffalo.edu, there are 3 stages of burnout:

1.     Stress Arousal Some of the symptoms of this stage include irritability, anxiety, insomnia, and forgetfulness, to name a few. You may also have heart palpitations, problems concentrating, and acute gastrointestinal symptoms.

If you have at least 2 of these symptoms persistently, you may be in stage 1.

2.     Energy Conservation At this stage, your body and mind try to compensate for stress. If they are unsuccessful you may experience procrastination, persistent tiredness, social withdrawal from friends and family, increased substance use, and need excessive time off from work.

If you have at least 2 of these symptoms persistently, you might be in stage 2.

3.     Exhaustion

It’s at this stage that most people realise that something is wrong. Symptoms include chronic sadness or depression, chronic stomach issues, chronic mental and physical fatigue, and social isolation.

Once again, if you have at least 2 of these symptoms persistently, you might be in stage 3.

They state that “these stages usually occur sequentially from Stage 1 to Stage 3, although the process can be stopped at any point”.

As you read my burnout story you will recognise these stages, how subtly they show up and how easily they can be missed when you don’t give yourself time to slow down.

My Burnout Story

I earned my first money at 12 years old and I got my first paying job at 15. I worked double shifts on weekends and attended school from Monday to Friday. When I graduated high school, I moved to London, my birthplace. I worked in pubs for the first year and eventually got a job in a law firm. At the firm, I went from receptionist to legal secretary in 6 months. I was 19, and there were many jobs to follow this one, I won’t go into the details, but let’s just say I worked hard at every single one.

Fast forward to my late 20s, I was back in South Africa and working as a fashion accessories buyer for an independent boutique. A job I thrived in.

One day I got an email from a recruiter, they'd found my CV and 'had the perfect job for me'. Even though I was happy in my existing job, this one peeked my interest. After looking at the job description I declined the role, but they wouldn’t take no for an answer. This was the first red flag.

I declined the job a second time. They persisted and asked me a third time. I finally agreed to go for an interview. This should have been my first sign; that this company did not respect my boundaries or decisions. Something was telling me I shouldn’t take this job. My intuition was sounding alarm bells, but I wasn’t listening. The job sounded like a great experience. Overseas and local travel, working with one of the biggest retailers in the country and having the freedom to be a bit creative too.

I accepted the job offer. At this time, I wasn’t experiencing any symptoms of burnout. The training period was 3 months, I felt ready to hit the ground running after one. The over-achiever in me was always doing more than was expected. After a few months, I was running 3 departments with the supervision of my mentor. It felt so great to be trusted with all this responsibility.

Stage 1 – Stress Arousal

I was working 10-hour days and taking my laptop home on the weekends. I was wearing busyness like a big proud badge of honour. This job helped me buy my first home in my late 20’s, something I’d been working towards for 4 or 5 years. I thought I was in such a happy place. It was during this time that some signs of burnout started.

It began with mild heart palpitations, which I put down to anxiety. Eventually, the heart palpitations turned into breathlessness that sometimes stopped me in my tracks for a few seconds. I kept pushing forward. These symptoms didn’t seem severe.

Each week the job demanded more from me. I remember sitting in my boss’s office one morning and being shouted at, yes actually shouted at, for not performing. His words still ring in my ears sometimes…” you’re not doing enough” he said to me, I retaliated with, “I’m working 10-hour days for you and taking my laptop home on weekends, what more would you like me to do?”, he responded, “more!”.

Stage 2 – Energy Conservation

After this encounter, I dreaded going to work. I was almost always late and felt myself procrastinating and finding it hard to concentrate. I felt like a failure. This slowly crept into other areas of my life; my relationships, and my family life. The only thing I had headspace for was work. It’s all I thought about. I had also signed a very tightly bound employment contract that required me to pay my travel back if I left before a certain amount of time. I had mortgage payments. I felt trapped.

Then came my first trip to China, regardless of the pressure from work I was excited for this new experience. It was a 14-hour flight from South Africa to Hong Kong, then a train and taxi to the hotel. I don’t remember how long the journey took, but I remember feeling exhausted when we arrived. I thought we’d have time to shower and rest before we went to the trade fair. I was mistaken. We checked in, dropped our luggage, and went straight to work.

On the first day I walked around feeling like the ground was moving below me, a symptom I later realised was jet lag, but I pushed through. One of the girls was throwing up in the bathroom and in between she was meeting with her clients and visiting vendors. It was ruthless.

During this trip, we walked for 8 hours a day and spent our evenings uploading all our work for the team back at head office. Some nights we went out for dinner or did a bit of shopping.

Even though I was exhausted I enjoyed the trip. It was nice to experience another country and culture. After my second trip, however, things took a turn. A year had passed and the work was taking its toll on my body.

The heart palpitations continued and the apathy for everything else in my life increased by the day. I felt detached from everything.

Stage 3 - Exhaustion

In December 2014 we attended a client’s Christmas party. We flew into a local city and had a lovely time, the company put us up in a beautiful guest house. Our accommodation was always beautiful, as if it would make up for what the job demanded of us.

The next morning, we all had breakfast and headed to the airport. I was in the car with 4 colleagues. I was sitting at the back, in the middle when the heart palpitations started again. This time I couldn’t hide it or ignore it. I swapped seats with my colleague and opened the window for fresh air. It got progressively worse.

By the time we arrived at the airport, I was hyperventilating. I couldn’t lift my limbs, and couldn’t see anything (I think my eyes were rolling). I remember flashes of the event. I lay down in the car with everyone talking to me. I remember being carried through the airport to a medical center. I was offered medication, but I refused it. The medic told me I'd be on a no-fly list until I could function again.

Eventually, I took the medication and I woke up on a gurney hours later. A colleague stayed with me. The medics checked me over and finally let us fly back home. My parents were waiting on the other side, and they took me straight to the hospital. I was admitted for observations and testing.

My memory of this time is a bit fuzzy. What I do remember is asking for my laptop at the hospital because I was getting calls and messages from work asking when I would be back. The anxiety was building.

After all the tests, the doctors diagnosed me with severe exhaustion and panic attacks. I returned to work shortly after being discharged. Management showed little concern for my well-being. Even though was constantly breathless as I walked the corridors and climbed the stairs.

I constantly felt sad and didn’t want to speak to anyone about the situation. I thought it was easier to keep things to myself.

The Turning Point

After this, I found the courage to resign. I took a step down in my career. I returned to fashion retail, where I was comfortable and confident.

When I started my new job, I began to feel like myself again, I was getting some of my fire back. I instinctively started a morning yoga practice again. Starting slow, with gentle 20-minute sessions at home before work.

I also started meditating. I listened to recordings at night to help me sleep and when I did I woke up refreshed.

This was the beginning of a long journey of recovery. I was still having weekly panic attacks. Thankfully, not as severe as the airport episode. I was still experiencing feelings of depression and apathy.

I continued at-home yoga sessions, where I was most comfortable, without the judgment or gaze of other people. I could move in a way that felt comfortable, rest when I wanted, and release anything I needed to.

I attended many yoga classes in the past, but at this time I was not ready to be around other people. I felt vulnerable. I continued with evening meditations too.

After a few months of home practice, I joined a Hatha yoga studio. Every class was the same sequence, and my teacher was a lovely man named Siva. He was very rigid in his teachings but had such a calm presence about him and I always felt safe in his classes.

I could feel my body getting stronger, and something was happening internally that I couldn’t pinpoint yet. After a few months of attending Siva’s classes, I approached him about teaching me what he knows, sadly he declined my request.

My Yoga Teaching Journey

This led me to dig up yoga teacher training research I started 2 years prior. I went on a deep dive to find a school. But, I wasn’t ready to take the plunge just yet. I continued to attend classes with Siva, my work-life balance got a bit better, and even though my panic attacks were getting less frequent they were still happening. Something was still missing.

There was a day I left work feeling low, something had happened that upset me and I asked myself the question, “Why am I allowing this to happen?”. It triggered bad memories from my previous job. It was the shift I needed.

That day was the day I decided I was leaving South Africa. I was returning to London and becoming a yoga teacher. I sold my home and possessions and I set off for a fresh start.

This move might have seemed drastic, but I knew that it was the right thing for me. I couldn’t pinpoint the why, I just knew.

After arriving in London, I flew to Italy. I did an immersive month-long 200-hour Vinyasa Yoga teacher training in Cesenatico with 15 amazing souls. This was the best and toughest month of my life up to that point. I was learning so much about this ancient practice that I'd been part of for years. I was also processing and healing.

The training was incredible. 6 days a week of yoga for 4 hours a day, meditation every Tuesday evening, and vegetarian food with no stimulants (coffee) on site. It was the body and mind detox I needed. I soaked it all up. I intuitively took to everything I learned and all I kept thinking was, I can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner.

When I returned to London I continued to practice and applied what I'd learned as much as possible. I kept learning, reading, and applying. I did this on repeat and still do this today.

I had my last panic attack in January 2018, and have not had any signs or symptoms of one since.

I have been teaching yoga since 2017. I’ve trained in Vinyasa, Yin, Accessible Yoga, Restorative, Yoga Nidra, and Gong sound healing. I use everything you have read here to help people feel more at ease in their daily lives.

Am I Burnt Out Or Just Tired?

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms or stages of burnout please read the points below, even if you can only apply 1 practice, it will help to alleviate your symptoms:

5 Symptoms of Burnout:

A sense of helplessness

Cynicism

Sense of failure or self-doubt

Decreased ambition

Feeling detached from your personal life and job

Loss of motivation or decline in performance

Pay attention and recognise these symptoms. One thing I wish I'd done was to notice the signals earlier and do something about it sooner.

How Yoga Helped Me Recover From Burnout?

After years of practice and teaching, I found these practices to be the most effective in alleviating burnout symptoms:

1.     Pranayama (breath extension or control) Breathing is linked to every aspect of the human experience. Conscious breath is one of the most fundamental parts of a yoga practice.  The breath is the anchor to the present and the propeller for movement and energy. It's also a great way to build self-awareness.

There are many Pranayama practices to choose from, the one that helped me the most with an overactive mind and anxiety was full yogic breathing and Ujjayi breath (aka victorious breath) for when I needed a boost of energy or focus.

Here is how to practice these pranayama techniques:

Ujjayi breath – Victorious breath

• Find a comfortable seat.

• Take a deep inhale and exhale by nose.

• Again deep inhale by nose and this time exhale by mouth as if you want to fog up a mirror, notice the activation in your throat as you exhale.

• Inhale by nose again and this time close your mouth and exhale by nose as if you want to fog up a mirror.

• Keep your throat active with no force and continue breathing through your nose, with your mouth closed.

• Take long slow breaths.

• Repeat 4 or 5 more times and then resume your natural breathing.

• Pause and notice how you feel.

Full Yogic Breath

• Lay on your back in a comfortable space. You can bend your knees and rest your feet on the surface below you or extend your legs.

• Breathe naturally and take a moment to pay attention to your breath.

• Place your hands on your lower belly, around your belly button. Notice how your inhale makes your hands rise and your exhale makes your hands fall.

• Slowly start to deepen your breath into your lower belly. Focus on sending your breath there so only your belly rises and falls. If you’re doing this for the first time it’s natural for it to be challenging.

• Take 3 more full breaths.

• Now rest your hands on your ribs, and notice how your inhale expands your ribcage outward and your exhale contracts your ribcage inward.

• Take 3 more full breaths.

• Now rest your hands on your chest, your fingertips rest lightly on your collarbones. If your arms aren’t comfortable here, rest them anywhere and focus your attention on your chest. Notice how your inhale makes your chest rise and your exhale makes it fall.

• Take 3 more breaths into your chest.

• Finally, rest your arms anywhere they're comfortable and thread all 3 breaths together. Inhale belly rises, ribcage expands, chest rises, and exhale, belly falls, ribcage contracts, chest falls. This is full yogic breath, or 3 part yogic breathing.

• Take 3 more full breaths and let your natural breath flow.

• Pause and notice how you feel.

2.     Meditative movement

All yoga can be meditative movement, but if you have ever attended a dynamic yoga class, you might have noticed that you barely have time to breathe properly, never mind focus on the movement. I have referenced meditative movement specifically because I this helped to bring my body and mind back in sync.

Movements like sun salutations, where you repeat the same movements help you feel grounded and present as you build contentment in knowing what to expect next.

Sun Salutation A

3.     Gentle yoga

I fell in love with yin yoga from my first class, it made me feel so calm and nourished. This coincided with listening to regular yoga Nidra recordings.

Combining these 2 practices has been the most powerful part of my recovery.

Here are some simple yin yoga poses that are great for relieving burnout symptoms:

Legs up the wall

Stay for 5 - 10 minutes to decompress.

Childs pose

Use the support of cushions under your belly for a comforting sensation.

4. Yoga Nidra

If there are times when I feel myself getting overwhelmed with life, I listen to a yoga nidra and the stillness of the practice settles my body and mind.

Try this Calming Yoga Nidra.

Now I have the tools I need to navigate life. Granted there are times when I don’t take my advice and need a gentle reminder of what works for me, but this is a part of being human. I will forever be a yoga student and work towards being kind to myself.

4 Lessons I Learned From Burnout

1.     Pay attention to the symptoms

If I could go back I would pay more attention to the signals my body and mind were giving me. I would seek out help or speak to someone about what I was going through.

2.     Don’t wait until it’s too late

Once I noticed any symptoms, I would actively seek out practices or techniques to help me reduce their effects. For example, when I had heart palpitations I would feel very hot. I know now that laying on a cold floor helps calm my nervous system and allows me to take slow deep breaths.

3.     Don’t allow uncertainty to get in the way of your wellbeing

There are so many online resources nowadays. I would have tried online meditation sooner. I would have given myself permission Rest.

4.     Set boundaries and know your value

This is something that has taken me a long time to learn. Setting boundaries was such a big step. When I started doing it, it made me feel uneasy, I was worried people would think I wasn’t a nice person. The resulting long-term feeling however outweighed this temporary uncertainty.

If you have recognised parts of yourself in this blog, please seek resources to help you. I have a range of free resources on my website that you can access here.

This story is the reason Rest Yoga exists. I want others to have a space where they can Rest, slow down, and feel safe to do so.

If what I share can help even 1 person avoid getting to the point that I got to, then the purpose of Rest Yoga is fulfilled.

Restfully,

Eliza

xxxx