Burnout is physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion - and it can cause insomnia. 

Watch this video and read this blog post as Martha interviews Mindset and Strategy Coach Julie Lamb who specializes in helping executives and entrepreneurs with burnout. 

In this interview, Julie explains how burnout feels more overwhelming than stress. She says you may even feel like getting out of bed in the morning is too challenging. 

Julie also explains the difference between burnout and depression, because externally they can look the same way in your daily life. For example, with burnout you will feel a lack of empathy or caring for your work and other people, and with depression it’s more like feeling unloved and uncared for.

When you have an endless to-do list, and you try to keep up with it, sleep is often the first thing you “give up” to try to maintain your responsibilities…and that can lead to burnout at an even faster pace. 

Burnout leads to insomnia because when your body is constantly making cortisol from too much stress, it makes it hard for you to relax at night and sleep well.

Burnout recovery is a 3-5 year process, which is why prevention is so important. 

How do you prevent burnout? 

Here’s a few things you can do to get started today:

  • Take a look at how you’re prioritizing your time. 
  • Reprioritize how you are spending your time. 
  • Give yourself lunch breaks and regular breaks. 
  • Make sure you do things that you enjoy.
  • Spend quality time with your family. 
  • Set realistic goals. 
  • Be kind to yourself. 
  • Allow yourself to feel your emotions.
  • Rest when you need to. 

Sleep affects your productivity, so you don’t want to reduce your sleep in order to get work done. 

The corporate environment can make it difficult for you to prevent or recover from burnout, but having a conversation with your boss or manager may become necessary. You can’t control how they will respond, but you also cannot continue feeling the way you’re feeling. You have to take care of yourself, which might mean finding alternative employment. 

Many people who are on their way to burnout or experiencing it now will also have insomnia and sleep issues. That’s why it’s important to deal with the burnout at its core in order to get better and sleep well permanently. 

In addition to the functional lab tests we do inside The Complete Sleep Solution program, we also provide you with the mindset tools you need to manage your daily stress and prevent burnout. 

Want to find out how we can help you so you can sleep well? 

If you’re dealing with burnout, Julie can help you! 

Learn more about Julie Lamb: