ER Doctor Teaches How to Overcome Burnout from a Body-Based Perspective w Dr. Laura Hays, MD

I've heard the saying, "Construct a life you don't need a vacation from." Sometimes I think that seems out of touch, like life should be luxurious and lovely all of the time. But I think it might mean that we need to redesign life a little so that it's not so high strung and needing to be escaped from. Plenty of breaks and quiet time rather than margaritas on a beach.

My burnout was very physical to where I basically had to spend weeks in bed, had widespread pain, chronic dizziness , all sorts of things, because I was under chronic stress for so long and I had no self awareness to recognise this. Still working on it.

Components of burnout: 1 emotional exhaustion 2 depersonalization 3 decreased personal accomplishment

37:25 Exactly! I try to say all the time, "If you think you don't have 5 minutes to relax, you should probably take 10 minutes to relax."

The doctor is a gifted communicator. I like how she inserted herself into the narrative, showing that she too is human and prone to burnout. Too many other medical professionals would try to distance themselves personally and stick to presenting the 'objective data'. I got a lot out of this conversation, thanks.

At about 33min into this, The doctor is talking about how she has conditioned herself to control her stress response. A person is able to do this but not forever. Overtime controlling or conditioning a stress response will eventually wear on the person. This doctor is young, and I know that over time, no human could keep up that pace. I personally believe every job, especially a high stress demanding one, has a life expectancy. I found this video Very educational and I appreciate all of your hard work in making these videos. Thank you so much.

I can really relate to this conversation. I worked as a surgical nurse in a level one trauma center. I’ve seen numerous times the worst it can get. After 18 months of retirement I’m still trying to find joy in my life again. I always assume the bad things will happen. I saw them on a weekly if not daily basis. I never used my sick days enough.

I also like the fact that Emma is admitting she is also affected by some of these issues. YouTube at its best.

I would say that the body is responding to “what’s wrong” in the world. It’s not supposed to be this way. Our government can and should fix it. They are overloading workers with responsibilities while cutting back on staff! It’s wrong! Take your sick days without hesitation. You only have one body.. love it and treat it with respect. Take your vacation days too.

Last year, burnout, anxiety and depression hit me like a semi truck. I'm happy to say that after a year of work, EMDR and regular therapy. I am doing much better. This channel also had a big part in helping. Thank you.

I have this. I kept saying “I’m done” “I’m out” and my biggest one is “I just don’t care anymore”. Forcing myself to work and the best decision was to say I’m taking a break. The issue is I’ve not yet seen anyone talking about self employed people. All seems to be focused around workers rather than business owners. Just started my journey though so I hope I’ll find more info :)

What a great video, as a person with ADHD burnout is quite common. I've also felt a feeling called Anedonia where you are so overworked and stressed that you feel like just pulling the pin and not continuing. I think it's so important to take a step back and observe whats going on and considering your options to give yourself a bit of breathing room.

Unsolvable problems, keep scaring you, causing chronic stress, causing you to snap in your brain, causing the burn out....this is so helpfull👍

This video explains so much of what happened to me this year. A couple of stressful losses and a whole lot of effort not leading to results.

I just discovered something new if someone wants to try it…I’ve been dealing with some trauma responses and got back in to journaling by doing “rage journaling.” So what I did was write it all out scratch it all out on the paper…instead of lashing out I wrote it and let it all out so I can let it all go!! Doing this is helping me to start journaling again! I seriously felt better after!! I haven’t been able to do anything today bc I’m sick so having this as another outlet is so great! Definitely underestimated tool to add to your toolbox!!

Thanks for this video. I had every symptom you talk about at the beginning of 2023. I found your YouTube channel and your video about scheduling worry time everyday. This was a game changer for me in finding a sustainable way to manage chronic stress. I started off with a list of 30 things I was worried about but after 4 days the worry list was down to 10 items and within a week it reduced to 4. This improved my sleep massively. By 2023 I’d changed my job, lost 35 pounds and could recognise when I felt stressed and had the mechanisms to cope with my feelings of stress.

The more I learn about overcoming burnout, the more I feel I’m never going to recover. I’ve tried it all, I’m trapped in hell.

I recently took some vacation time to help with my burnout (I’m in the social work/disability services field), and it was miserable. The only good that came of it was the realization that I was trying to run away from my stress and stressors, and all I did was pack it up and bring it with me. Which led to guilt over being stressed while on leave, and so on… such a terrible and isolating loop to be stuck in.

Timestamps - [00:00]🎶 Introduction of Dr. Laura Hayes, an ER physician and yoga teacher, discussing burnout management. - Introduction of the guest and the topic. - Dr. Laura Hayes' background in emergency medicine and yoga. - [01:25] 📚 Dr. Hayes' personal and professional journey in understanding burnout. - Dr. Hayes' exploration of burnout from her experiences in the ER. - Leadership roles influencing her understanding of team burnout. - [02:49] 🧠 Definition and evolution of the concept of burnout. - WHO's definition of burnout. - The expansion of burnout research beyond the workplace. - [03:42]😔 Discussion on the components of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. - Emotional symptoms of burnout like feeling 'soul-sucked'. - Impact of burnout on personal and professional engagement. - [07:23] 💡 The connection between chronic stress and psychological state. - The mind-body relationship in stress. - The physiological process of stress response. - [11:47] 🍷 Real-life manifestations of burnout and chronic stress. - Changes in mood and behavior as indicators of burnout. - The development of unhealthy coping strategies. - [14:01] 🌗 The effect of irregular schedules on stress and health. - Impact of night shifts and disrupted sleep on stress response. - The correlation between stress, eating habits, and health issues. - [17:35] 🧘 Techniques for managing chronic stress. - Importance of completing the stress cycle. - Mindfulness and physical activity as tools for stress management. - [20:18] 🏖 The misconception of vacations as a solution to chronic stress. - Vacations as temporary relief, not a solution to chronic stress. - The need for sustainable stress management practices. - [24:21] 🔄 Strategies for responding to stress in the moment. - Techniques for immediate stress management. - The practice of mindfulness and self-regulation in stressful situations. - [27:55]🤲 The importance of emotional and social connections in managing stress. - The role of physical and emotional connections in stress relief. - Simple practices like hugging and socializing to activate the parasympathetic system. - [32:25]🔁 The evolution of stress response with practice and experience. - Development of self-regulation techniques over time. - Differentiating between white-knuckling and regulating stress responses. - [34:14]📝 Practical steps for managing chronic stress. - Awareness, mindfulness, and presence as key factors. - Long-term strategies for sustainable stress management. - [38:24] 🚽 Utilizing everyday moments for mindfulness and stress management. - The opportunity to practice mindfulness in daily routines. - Importance of taking brief pauses throughout the day for self-assessment. - [41:09]🎤 Dr. Laura Hayes' concluding thoughts and resources. - Summary of Dr. Hayes' insights on managing stress and burnout. - Information on her podcast and well

I am reading the bible now, just like McAdam to wind down and relax in the evening. Quiting social media also reduced my stress and anxiety. I'm trying to be a bit more 'little house on the prairy. It works. Thank you so much.👍