Feeling burned out? Do what doctors do!

With all the demands of modern life and the tug between work and home life, it’s no wonder many of us get to the point where we feel like we can’t do it anymore. Burnout is not just psychologically debilitating; if it isn’t addressed, it can lead to serious physical complaints.

But what if — like most of us — you can’t just drop everything and take a vacation when the stress load gets too high?

Here’s what an increasing number of healthcare professionals are doing to keep themselves healthy. They call for a “Code Lavender.”

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As related in the Huffington Post, Code Lavender is a “holistic care rapid response” for doctors, nurses and hospital staff. A team of Reiki practitioners, massage therapists and other holistic practitioners is dispatched to help soothe, support and restore them when they’ve been facing exhausting or daunting circumstances.

For doctors, that may be when they’ve had a particularly grueling stint in the ER. Your causes for stress burnout may seem less dramatic, but the impact on your body, mind and spirit is just as serious. Here’s just a partial list of burnout symptoms:

• insomnia – you’re too keyed up to get to sleep or stay asleep
• heartburn and indigestion – you may be eating too fast, too much, or too irregularly
• irritability – your mood depends so much on how you sleep and what and how you eat

As one Code Lavender practitioner explained it, “You have to take care of your own physical and emotional needs so when you arrive at work, you have something to give. And when you come home, you have something left to give your loved ones.”

Left unaddressed, your stress level builds, and you risk serious physical complications. Your body will find a way to make you stop and pay attention.

Before you get to that point, initiate your own Code Lavender program. Make time for de-stressing, and make it a part of your regular schedule — daily, weekly, monthly, however it works best for you. Here are some tried-and-true holistic methods to relax deeply, lower your cortisol levels and restore your spirit:

• Reiki and Jin Shin Jyutsu
• Reflexology
• QiGong and Tai Chi
• Yoga
• Therapeutic Massage
• Chiropractic
• Mindfulness Meditation

I can help you with the first three methods, and refer you to highly recommended practitioners for the rest. Please get in touch with me at 404-406-5204 or by email to begin your own customized Code Lavender program.