Whilst June 30 marks the middle of the year, the most common reminder about entering the end of the year is the arrival of mid-year burnout.

It’s the constant fatigue you think might get better if you tackle that to-do list so you can finally catch your breath and rest.

And whilst that to-do list and calendar seem to continue to fill up constantly, we may find ourselves adding that extra shot of coffee in the morning and pouring ourselves an extra glass of wine at night to unwind from the day and from it all.

Mid-year burnout is simply that feeling of being wired and tired… at the same time.

If this seems like you, don’t fret!

The good news is, is whilst mid-year burnout seems to feel inevitable, it is reversible, and it doesn’t have to involve a 3-day expensive retreat or a whole week away from your obligations (although that would be nice).

By the end of this post, you’ll know how to quickly recognise mid-year burnout and know precisely what to do if you need some extra help!

What is mid-year burnout?

With a combination of physical and emotional symptoms, mid-year burnout often looks like this:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Intestinal upset – think reflux, sore or sensitive stomach, butterflies
• Frequent cold, flus, allergies and sinus infections that don’t seem to budge
• Flare-ups of pre-existing conditions
• Weight gain or loss

Combined with:

• Low motivation
• Inability to perform everyday tasks
• Frequent anxious and/or depressive episodes
• Outbursts and a low tolerance for other people, including family and friends
• Withdrawal and isolation from friend groups

What causes mid-year burnout?

Stress and we tend to deal with stress in three distinct phases:

Phase 1 – Alarm stage

We’re ready to go and attack the day! That high adrenaline kicks in, and we tick those to-do boxes and meet those deadlines like a superhero. All that adrenaline might cause us to lose our appetites. Our guts may start to feel ‘off’ with that discomfort and bloating after meals, and we may feel extra sensitive to certain foods.

Phase 2 – Resistance stage

In phase 2 of the stress response, our cortisol increases, and this steroid can weaken the immune system meaning those winter colds and flu hit hard, or you may feel like you can’t seem to shake them and get back to health.

High cortisol can increase our cravings for high-calorie foods due to the increased energy demand and false hunger signals that cortisol creates.

Phase 3 – Exhaustion stage

Hello mid-year burnout!

This is where the previous two stages catch up with us, and we’ve exhausted our body’s reserves to the point of struggling to make it through the week and keep on top of things that were easy at the start of the year.

In phase three, we have all the previous symptoms of the earlier stages with the addition of having no extra fuel in the tank, so we tend to feel incredibly low both physically and emotionally. 

Now that you understand the signs and causes of mid-year burnout, the next step is to recover and prevent it from happening in the first place. To address the root cause of burnout, stay tuned for our upcoming blog on our simple 2-step daily practice by clicking.

If you wanted to kick start your health journey, we offer a FREE 15-mininute phone chat.  Where you’ll speak with a qualified practitioner who’ll provide you with personalised advice and a supplement prescription that can be arranged to be posted to your door.

Of course, sometimes things are a little more complex. So, if you’re looking at seeing on our expert practitioners appointments can be booked by contacting our lovely care assistants on 02 4961 4075 during business hours or online at any time.