Balm For Women In Burnout

A simple slow practise inviting breathe and body awareness for women who are carrying too much stress or concerned about burnout.

Witnessing the breath and present moment awareness in the body this practise invites a gentle leaning in to what is here, resting in non judgemental, compassionate awareness.

We know that women experience stress and burnout differently. We carry a different mental load. We are culturally conditioned to put our own self care needs to the back of the line and often are not even aware of our own depletion until we are quite stressed. Not our fault or indeed anyone else's. No moral judgement. But we can build up compassion for ourselves as we continue to be a compassionate presence in the world. The route is through real self care. An important step is understanding what to do with the residual guilt as we give ourselves some care.

In our over-stressed world, many women supporting others professionally or caring within families are suffering from slow yet painful burnout.

This Loving Kindness practice is an invitation to slow down, rest and recover. Let the words wash over you, and participate in the practice in whatever way your body, mind, and spirit would like to. No should be, no striving, no ' have to's here. Just rest in a compassionate and supportive space.

The practice of yoga nidra is a helpful tool in anyone's self-care toolbox, but it can be particularly supportive for those caring for others professionally or personally. Those of us who support others are often exposed to not only the stress of our own lives, but the stress of lives of those we support and care for. This practise of deep self care can protect us from exposure to vicarious trauma and can lead to compassion fatigue or burnout.

The benefits of allowing yourself to relax and embrace laziness are clear. This can be difficult to do since we live in a world that’s designed to keep us busy and distracted. Twenty-first-century living can lead to chronic stress and burnout, and strange as it might sound the more stressed we are the more we 'drive ' ourselves, pushing harder and doing more.

Taking a fresh look at laziness allows us to remember that It’s okay to need breaks; to allow ourselves the time that we need to relax, to breathe, and to simply 'be'. Focus on hard work, and productivity are good, but not when it comes at the expense of the rest and play that allows us to live as human beings, not just human 'doings'.