If you reach a point where you feel you can't take it anymore, you've arrived-at a point of overwhelm that pop psychology refers to as "burnout." It is a point of emotional exhaustion, mental confusion, and even physical fatigue.
The word itself originated from a description of a busted light bulb.
However, while you can't do anything about a light bulb that won't work anymore, there is plenty that you can do with psychological overwhelm. You might even say that unlike a light bulb, a human being is a self-renewing system.
Here are seven simple remedies to renew your mind, body, and soul.
One. Step out into nature. Go to the mountains, the forest, or the ocean. And if you're really strapped for natural resources, go to a local park. I'm not sure how this works, but when you spend a sufficient amount of time in nature, you feel rejuvenated and your mind comes up with fresh ideas on how to cope with your pressing situation.
Two. Reframe. If you feel stressed because you are doing a task that you dislike, use your imagination to make it more enjoyable. For example, if you're raking leaves, and you just hate gardening, then imagine that you're raking in money, and that each leaf represents a hundred dollar bill. This will actually spark creative ideas in your mind on how you can improve your income.
Three. Energize. Go to a health-food store and get an energy supplement. Vitamins, minerals, and herbs can help your metabolism recuperate from the stress. Most health-food stores have someone to assist you, as well as reference books and videos on what to take for your particular condition.
Four. Introspect. In a notebook, write down everything that bothers you until you can come up with a way that you can change the situation. Start with a question. "What can I do about...?" Then keep writing until you come up with an answer. I once did this for two hours and came up with a new model on how I could radically improve every aspect of my life.
Five. Try music. Listen to beautiful, serene, uplifting music. Don't do anything else as you listen to the music-or you'll simply find a way to tune it out. Listen to every note, every word sung, and every interval of silence in the music. It's amazing how this will transform you. Music has been said to tame a wild beast. It will do the same for the wild beast of your major upset.
Six. Relax deeply. Massages, hot baths, and stretching exercises can all be used to unknot your muscles. It's impossible to be unhappy when your body is completely relaxed. The rise of stress hormones in your body, create a fight-or-flight response in your nervous system. Systematic physical relaxation reverses this condition.
Seven. Talk to an expert. Visit someone who can help you or read a book or hear an audio program by a stress reduction expert. As you open your mind to new information, you shift your stuck thinking and find new ways of dealing with the troubling situation.
Using any of these simple remedies or a combination for burnout will help you get your perspective back.
Saleem Rana is a psychotherapist in Denver, Colorado. If you're interested in finding out about software that will reprogram your mind for total success, replacing burn-out situations with a fresh, empowering alternative, then go to http://theempoweredsoul.com/softwareletter.html
