How can naturopathy help you through burn-out? According to the WHO, burn-out is not really considered a disease, but rather a syndrome of professional exhaustion. This makes it difficult for sufferers to be recognized as suffering from an occupational disease.

Characteristics of burn-out

Burn-out is characterized by exhaustion, a lack of interest in your work, total disengagement or even disgust with it: you act like a robot, chaining one task after another without really being there.
Burn-out should not be confused with depression, which are two very different states of mind. Burn-out is restricted to the professional sphere, whereas depression is an illness that affects all areas of your life. However, in the long term, burn-out can lead to depression...

Naturopathy to reduce stress

• Breathing

In naturopathy, the first thing we do is to manage stress by bringing about relaxation through breathing exercises (cardiac coherence, pranayama), meditation, etc. By practicing deep breathing, you lower your heart rate and blood pressure, and act directly on the vagus nerve, also known as the pneumogastric nerve, which connects the nervous system to the heart. digestif and lungs to the brain. 

• Herbal medicine

Phytotherapy can help by acting on the nervous system . In the evening, it's a good idea to calm the body to help you fall asleep and get a good night's sleep. Fig bud is ideal for this purpose. In fact, it acts on the nervous system, regulating it and promoting relaxation. 

Passionflower, lemon balm, lime blossom, valerian and verbena are all calming and sedative plants. They should be adapted to your specific needs, in order to reap their full benefits.

Naturopathy to boost the adrenals

The adrenal glands were over-solicited throughout the stress phase.

The idea is to reactivate the adrenal glands, which have been exhausted after months of secreting cortisol, known as thestress hormone .

Normally, in the event of danger, your adrenals will secrete adrenaline to "fight or flight". After a short time, physiological functions return to normal. Only in the case of chronic stress, stress hormones are secreted continuously until these glands are exhausted. The result is general fatigue , with you feeling completely drained, both physically and psychologically. Burn-out is just around the corner...

To boost adrenal activity, ginseng, ginger and blackcurrant bud should be taken in the morning to start the day. 

En phytotherapyIn addition, various adaptogenic plants such as Rhodiola are useful for regulating stress levels. 

The role of microbiota

Numerous studies demonstrate the link between the state of the microbiota and "psy" illnesses. As burn-out is a syndrome of exhaustion (and not an illness), it can lead to poor dietary hygiene. In order to limit the damage and encourage the self-healing process, a course of probiotics and a particular focus on food quality (high-fiber, low-sugar, hypotoxic, lacto-fermented, etc.) may be in order. 

Essential psychological work

It's important to understand the real cause of burn-out. Psychological work is therefore necessary, and must be carried out by a professional (psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, therapist specializing in burn-out, etc.), because burn-out is a cry of alarm about a state of psychological malaise. You've let yourself be overwhelmed by your own demands and professional commitment, while taking on untimely demands from your hierarchy or professional environment.

Burn-out mainly concerns people who don't know how to say no, who have a professional conscience beyond what is really expected of them, who are "to the point", and who sometimes have a problem with organization or prioritization. As a result, they feel overwhelmed and beholden, and gradually allow themselves to be "nibbled away" by the demands of others (hierarchy, colleagues, etc.). It is therefore necessary to work on emotional and stress management, to learn to stand back, not to let oneself be overwhelmed, and to review one's own requirements.

Naturopathy as a complementary approach

Naturopathy is ideal as a complement to psychoanalytical therapy, for example. Naturopathy acts on the different levels of our being, which are :  

• the physical 
• psycho-emotional
• the spiritual. 

When I use the word "spiritual", I mean "a way of looking at life", "a way of being connected to one's true nature". 

Naturopathy is a complementary technique that will take care of you holistically. It will accompany you in your own self-discovery, while encouraging your self-healing process. Resilience is a long and sometimes tortuous road, but not an impossible one.