Improve Health Outcomes - Individuals Experiencing Chronic Stress and Job Burnout

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion caused by chronic stress (prolonged and excessive stress).

 Causes of chronic stress: heavy workload, long work hours, unemployment, high fat diet, sleep problems, rumination and worry, early life trauma including physical and sexual abuse and genetic factors.

Health Outcomes

The most common symptoms of chronic stress are heightened anxiety, irritability, mood swings, digestive problems, difficulty sleeping, muscle aches, and difficulty concentrating.

• Stress impairs cognitive function, including decision-making, concentration, and the ability to learn.

• Chronic stress can cause chronic fatigue and depression, insomnia/sleep problems, muscle pain, headaches.  

• Chronic stress weakens the immune system and increases the likelihood of infection.

• Chronic stress can change your gut microbiome, increase anxiety symptoms and cause digestive problems such as constipation and bloating.

• Chronic stress increases the risk of stroke and heart attack, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and exacerbates existing illnesses.

Who is most likely to develop chronic stress? Adults with adverse childhood experiences, victims of domestic violence, people experiencing financial difficulties.

Following are some activities that may provide temporary relief from stress and allow you to regain a sense of calm.

• Listen to music, sing a song, or dance to gently shift your focus.

• Look at an image of a tranquil place or a photo of loved ones.

• Take a moment to speak kind and encouraging words to yourself.

• Pause regularly and take a few deep breaths.

• Maintain a regular sleep schedule and take regular breaks

You get better results (feel better and more energetic, better sleep over time) if you consistently eat a balanced diet, engage in self-reflection, and  participate in physical exercises (e.g. relaxation and aerobics exercises).

Invest in your well-being. Join our 7-day challenge, Reignite Your Spark: Overcome Burnout, and learn practical tools to reduce stress and improve health outcomes.

What is included? Inside the Program, You will Get:

• Guided reflection questions- identify the stressors, habits holding you back and learn how to change them.

• Foods that support your body system - learn what to eat to improve digestion, immunity and brain health.

• Breathing and stretching exercises to reduce tension, calm your nervous system and increase mobility

• Planning templates: Create a realistic, sustainable plan to continue improving your physical and mental health long after the program ends.

  Who this is for? This program is ideal if you:

• Feel overwhelmed by chronic stress or work-related pressure

• Feel mentally or physically drained

• Want natural ways to improve energy and focus

• Are looking for sustainable ways to restore energy and well-being

  Time commitment: Approximately 30 minutes per day

All materials are self-paced, so you can move through the program at your own speed.

References

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2. Edú-Valsania, S., Laguía, A., & Moriano, J. A. (2022). Burnout: A review of theory and measurement. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(3), 1780.

3. Libovner Y, Fariborzi M, Tabba D, Ozgur A, Jafar T, Lur G. Repeated Exposure to Multiple Concurrent Stresses Induce Circuit Specific Loss of Inputs to the Posterior Parietal Cortex. J Neurosci. 2020 Feb 26;40(9):1849-1861. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1838-19.2020. Epub 2020 Jan 16. PMID: 31949108; PMCID: PMC7046453.

4. Steptoe A., Kivimäki M. (2012). Stress and cardiovascular disease. Nature Reviews Cardiology. 9 (6), 360–370. doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2012.45

5. Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World psychiatry, 15(2), 103-111.

6. Shchaslyvyi, A. Y., Antonenko, S. V., & Telegeev, G. D. (2024). Comprehensive review of chronic stress pathways and the efficacy of behavioral stress reduction programs (BSRPs) in managing diseases. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(8), 1077.

7. Slavich, G. M. (2020). Social safety theory: A biologically based evolutionary perspective on life stress, health, and behavior. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 16(1), 265–295. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045159

8. Wallensten, J., Åsberg, M., Wiklander, M., & Nager, A. (2019). Role of rehabilitation in chronic stress-induced exhaustion disorder: a narrative review. Journal of rehabilitation medicine, 51(5), 331-342.

9. Widiger, T. A., & Oltmanns, J. R. (2017). Neuroticism is a fundamental domain of personality with enormous public health implications. World psychiatry, 16(2), 144.

10. Wong M.-L., Inserra A., Lewis M. D., Mastronardi C. A., Leong L., Choo J., et al.. (2016). Inflammasome signaling affects anxiety- and depressive-like behavior and gut microbiome composition. Mol. Psychiatry 21, 797–805.