How to Treat Burnout with Traditional Chinese Medicine
If you are constantly stressed, delusional, and feeling helpless, you might be experiencing early signs of burnout. This condition causes emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion because of excessive stress. Burnout causes you to feel overwhelmed, unable to meet demands and emotionally drained.
It is caused by chronic workplace stress that is not managed. As this stress continues, you are less motivated and interested in a few things. Burnout drains your energy and reduces productivity, which makes you feel hopeless, helpless, resentful, and cynical. Eventually, you end up feeling worthless. The effects of burnout can be felt at work, social life, and home. Burnout affects your body, making you more prone to illnesses like flu and colds. It is necessary to deal with burnout when you notice the symptoms by seeking Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners in the UAE.
Signs of Burnout
When you experience burnout, you cannot function effectively at work or social gatherings. However, you ought to understand that burnout does not happen abruptly. It develops over time, which makes it hard to recognize. However, your body will give warnings, and if you know what to watch out for, you can seek help before it’s too late.
Signs of burnout include chronic fatigue; this happens in the early stages, where you feel tired and lack energy. This further escalates to emotional and physical exhaustion. You also experience insomnia in the early stages. You might have difficulties sleeping several days a week, but in the later stages, this might persist.
Lack of attention and forgetfulness are also symptoms of burnout. Mild forgetfulness and impaired concentration are early signs. However, this might escalate to the point where you can’t accomplish your tasks. You might also experience chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness, headaches, and even fainting.
Treating Burnout with TCM
Traditional Chinese Medicine deals with balancing energy in our bodies. Traditional Chinese Medicine provides various methods of dealing with burnout. According to TCM, burnout happens when there is an imbalance, but this treatment treats the underlying problem to restore balance. Below are TCM approaches used to treat burnout;
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a well-known procedure for treating burnout in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The practitioner inserts acupuncture needles in your skin at specific points to manipulate qi energy. The needles are inserted in acupoints that run throughout your body. Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dubai uses acupuncture to eliminate blockage in the meridians.
When the meridians/pathways are congested, energy cannot pass through. However, when the pathways are clear, qi flows freely. Every meridian is connected to an organ, and each organ is associated with certain emotions. For instance, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver is associated with anger. When qi is blocked, it can result in liver stagnation, therefore, causing anger. The purpose of using acupuncture is to manipulate specific meridians to promote the smooth flow of Qi.
Chinese Herbs
A practitioner can reduce burnout by utilizing Traditional Chinese Medicine herbal supplements. One of these herbs is ginseng, which helps to normalize the body when you are stressed. It also helps to boost vital energy, strengthen the immune system, and improve physical and mental capacity for work.
Another powerful herb is Eleuthero, which is an adaptogen. This means it has revitalizing properties. This herb works effectively for people with high-stress jobs, have erratic schedules, or work long hours. It strengths your immune system and promotes better sleep. Xiao Yao San is one of the most used herbs in TCM. This is because it soothes the liver, which is associated with anger, which is one of the symptoms of burnout.
Diet
Traditional Chinese Medicine involves not only the use of acupuncture and herbs, but also advice on the appropriate diet to consume. Diet plays a significant role in Traditional Chinese Medicine, specifically in balancing yin and yang.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the stomach is the center of Qi energy, and whatever you consume can affect this energy. TCM concept of a nutritious diet to deal with burnout focuses not only on healthy food choices but also on how various ingredients interact.
In Western medicine, we describe foods as proteins, fats, and carbs; however, in TCM, food is classified as hot or cold. This does not signify the temperature of these foods but the impacts they have on our internal organs. Adopting a healthy diet counteracts the effects of burnout by stabilizing your mood, reducing blood pressure, and strengthening your immune system.
Qigong Practices
Qigong is a Traditional Chinese Medicine strategy for reducing the effects of burnout. The 3 principles of Qigong are mind, body, and breath. When your body relaxes, your breathing slows down. When your breath is slow, you are more peaceful and in touch with yourself.
One of the symptoms of burnout is stress, which leads to the blockage of Qi. Qigong restores balance by opening the pathways to promote the flow of qi. Qigong practices help to eliminate burnout by promoting physical and mental calmness. This shows that your Qi is balanced, which allows your body to function effectively without stress.
Cupping
There are 2 types of cupping, dry and wet. Wet cupping involves making superficial cuts on the skin, then placing suction cups to draw out small amounts of blood. According to TCM, this practice sucks out congested, stagnant blood, vital force, and other morbid tumors. Dry cupping, on the other hand, involves suction only.
Cupping therapy helps to balance yin and yang energies in your body. Cupping promotes blood circulation, eases muscle tension, and creates calmness. During cupping, the practitioner places a cup heated with herbs, paper, or fire on your skin. However, before placing the cups on your skin, the fire source is removed. When the hot cup is placed on your skin, a vacuum is placed as the air inside it cools.
Traditional Chinese Medicine aims to treat the underlying cause of burnout and not just its symptoms. Approaches like acupuncture, cupping, adopting a healthy diet, and using Traditional Chinese Medicine herb supplement, help to combat burnout.