Inge Wolsink

  • 0
    • HomeBurnoutAboutMy Method
    Solutions 

    • Stress in the Body

      Stress isn’t just in your head - it’s a full-body experience, rooted in your nervous system

      Short bursts of stress can help you rise to a challenge. We experience stress when there is a gap between what we are expected to do, and what we are able to do. Stress gathers resources in your body. You will think faster, run faster, and do more. Stress helps bridge the gap between expectation and ability. Its useful. In the short term.

      Expectations > Stress > Ability

      Time is a key factor in whether or not stress helps or hurts. When demands keep piling up without enough recovery, your nervous system gets overwhelmed.

    • Burnout

      "Burnout is the final depletion of energy as a result of deeply caring way too much for way too long without any indication of progress"

      -Emily & Amelia Nagoski-

      In: Burnout

      When we look at stress as a gap between expectations and ability, burnout happens when that gap is chronic, AND you have lost hope of ever bridging the gap. The combination of ongoing overwhelm without the feeling of progress, leads to a system shutdown.

      While it is hard to estimate worldwide numbers, experts agree that the rates of burnout are rising globally. Stressors come at you every minute of every day, and our bodies are in a state of non-stop hypervigilance. Several reports have suggested percentages ranging from 28% to 50% of people feeling symptoms early of burnout.

    • "Burnout isn't just in your head, its in your body too"

      A Whole Body Picture of Burnout

      The World Health Organization defines burnout as a psychological phenomenon caused by chronic workplace stress. Clinical burnout is officially defined as:

      A syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress (Maslach & Jackson, 1981) that has not been successfully managed.

      But biologically, burnout is much more than that. In my view, clinical burnout is your body pulling the emergency brake. The accumulated stress has become so severe that, in a final attempt to protect you, your autonomic nervous system shuts your system down.

      This is physiological at its very core, and it often has to do with a variety of stressors that come at you from multiple angles (not just work).

    • How to get help:

      Chronic Stress is a Whole Body Problem, If you want to learn how to deal with stress, you need a Whole Body Solution.

      broken image

      Mind

      A big part of stress starts in the mind. What we believe (stress is bad for me, or: if I don't do this perfectly everything falls apart), fuels our stress levels. How we percieve reality is 100% created by our minds, and this has a huge effect on how stressed we are.

      To manage mind created, mental stress, we need to make sense of our thoughts and investigate our beliefs. Which restrictions and expectations are we putting on ourselves, that create stress just through our own thoughts?

      But addresisng thoughts is not the full picture. Mental stress is closely linked to physical and emotional stress. That’s why we need to include the body in the conversation.

      ↡

      broken image

      Body

      How well do you understand your body? Can you feel your body, listen to it, trust it?

      Western societies often prioritize being ‘rational’ and ‘logical' over 'emotional', or 'physical'. We pride ourselves in letting our mind rule our body. I used to think like that when I was pursuing my career in psychological science. "Mind over matter" was my mantra. And when I am stressed, my mind still defaults to this deeply ingrained strategy.

      But this "mind over matter" mindset is a big reason burnout is common in western cultures. While a rational approach has and essential place (understanding the mind is paramount in overcoming mental stress), ignoring or overriding the body is a fast track to burnout.

      ↡

      broken image

      Connection

      I approach stress from a (western) psychological science perspective, as well as a (eastern) philosophy and practice perspective.

      To give you more insight into what your whole body (including your mind) needs to thrive, we look at your sleep, nutrition, movement, and social support (including your work envitonment), all of which are fundamental pillars of physical, emotional, and mental health.

      To learn how to feel your body, I incorporate breathwork, meditation, and yoga into my approach. These practices help you reconnect to the sensations in your body, feel where emotions show up in your body, regulate physical and emotional stress, and re-establish the inuitive guidance your body can bring to your life, sparking your energy, purpose, and focus.

      To learn how to put everything in perspective, I include meditation, mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, habit formation, and Internal Family Systems therapy in coaching you towards better health.

    • Big Dreams, Tiny Steps

      Start Getting Better Step by Step

      Approaching your stress from all these angles may sound like a lot. But I ensure you, recovery is a process you can address one step at a time, and I have designed tools to make this easy for you. Step by step, you will learn to better deal with mental, emotional, and physical stress. And eventually, you will learn how to connect mind and body, and feel like a more integrated person as a result.

      There are several ways to do this:

      Start with one of my online courses. They are divided in sub-parts, dealing with mental, physical, and emotional stress. Tackle them one by one, in the comfort of your own home.

      Set up a one-time coaching meeting with me. With one session, I can personalize a plan for getting you back upon your feet.

    Cookie Use
    We use cookies to ensure a smooth browsing experience. By continuing we assume you accept the use of cookies.
    Learn More