My wake-up call moment: The day I realized burnout wasn’t just 'stress'
Ever feel like your body is trying to tell you something, but you ignore it and power through anyway?
That was me, 100%...until 6 years ago, when the weight of burnout finally broke me.
(It's story time)
I can remember it like it was yesterday. There was a thunderstorm raging outside, it was 10 pm, and I was still wearing my blue scrubs from clinic that day. I had cooked dinner for the family, tucked the kids in bed, and just finished cleaning up the kitchen. All I wanted to do was take a shower and crash.
But as I was slowly walking up the stairs, my husband stopped me and simply asked if I was "OK". Although my default response would usually be "I'm fine, just tired", something so heavy completely broke inside of me that night, and I dropped to the ground and began sobbing uncontrollably. The thing was, I couldn't exactly tell him what was 'wrong', but what I did know, was that I just didn't feel 'right'.
It was in that moment, I realized that I had been pushing my body and mind to keep going no matter what, and that I had completely forgotten what it was like to feel good.
What I didn’t know at the time was that high cortisol (your stress hormone) plays a huge role in so many different body functions, and when it is 'off', it can wreck digestion, sleep, and your brain’s ability to think clearly.
When your nervous system is constantly in “go mode,” your gut literally stops moving, your bloat worsens, your sleep suffers, and your energy tanks. Healing from this isn’t about working harder or drinking more coffee—it’s about learning to listen and regulate your system.
If you’ve been stuck in this cycle, know this: Your symptoms are simply messages from your body, not malfunctions. And they can change.
The absolute first step is to take inventory of your symptoms, and see if any are consistent with symptoms of stress and burnout. This can look like:
- difficulty falling (or staying) asleep;
- constant gut symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, or heartburn;
- trouble concentrating or focusing;
- feeling tired all day;
- and even having trouble losing belly fat.
Last month, I dove into this topic with Melissa Armstrong on her podcast Holistic Health with Melissa Armstrong, Click the link to listen about how stress and nervous system dysregulation can drastically affect several functions of the body, leading to chronic bloating, brain fog, fatigue, and anxiety.
If this feels like your story too, the 14-Day Burnout Bloat Fix is a gentle place to start.
Warmly,
Krissy đź’›
(Your holistic health hype woman + gut-brain BFF)
This month Meal ideas
Summer is HERE, and with that comes less schedules and more chaos. I'm sharing an easy to follow 7 day meal plan that takes the guess work out of your weekly meals, so you can have more fun doing the things you love.
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