Managing and Preventing Burnout: Completing the Stress Cycle

Burnout is becoming more common. Our busy lives don’t allow us the time to fully process the stress response by slowing down and recharging (also known as the stress cycle). But there are a few things we can do to manage and prevent burnout.

In “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle,” authors Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA offer ways to complete the stress cycle, including:

1. Move

   Get moving, any way you like. Just 20 minutes of activity can help.

2. Breathe

   Breathing deeply and slowly calms your nervous system down. Inhale while counting to four, hold while counting to four, and release while counting to eight. Repeat as many times as necessary.

3. Laugh

   Laughing is a great way to relieve stress and live in the present. Find something that makes you laugh.

4. Connect

   Talking to a trusted friend or family member can help you feel safe.

5. Hug

   Give a friend or loved one a hug. Just 20 seconds can lower stress hormones.

6. Cry

   Let it out. Sometimes our body just needs to release pent-up stress.

7. Create

   Creativity can help us process our emotions by expressing things that we can’t always put into words.

This is not a one-size-fits-all list. Choose the action or actions that feel right for you in the moment.

This post is adapted from “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle,” by

Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA.