Aword we have come to know in recent years is undoubtedly “burnout.” Of American origin, it first appeared in the 1970s and can be effectively translated as “exhaustion.” Used mainly in professional and occupational settings, it refers to the feeling of de-motivation and chronic fatigue that can result in depression. The area, as mentioned, is work-related and the causes can be many: stress, overwork, frustrations.
Running-very often understood as a solution to burnout because of its ability to occupy the mind in other things, as well as providing a purpose and goal for those who practice it-is not exempt from burnout phenomena.
Those who are affected
Generally, individuals who practice it with high frequency but also those who can no longer grasp the meaning of this activity, such as those who prepare for a long time for races that are later cancelled or in which they cannot participate for various reasons, can suffer from running burnout. Thus, it can exhaust not only those who overtrain but also those who follow a program that is tailored to them and that on paper should ensure adequate preparation, which is then thwarted by events beyond the individual’s control. In short: we are all exposed to varying degrees of burnout! In milder cases they manifest as a lack of motivation, and in more severe cases with a distinct refusal to continue training.
Therefore, those who are extremely focused on a goal or those who do not have a particular goal but still train a lot can suffer.
How to recognize it
Therapist Victoria Sekely shared on Instagram her list of 6 symptoms to look out for to see if you are suffering from running burnout. Here they are:
- Constant fatigue
- Feeling hungry in isolated cases, not always
- Sleeping more than usual
- Being frequently injured
- Being very stressed about petty things
- Not wanting to run.
To this list we also feel like adding a warning/advice: never underestimate the signals our mind and body send us. Fatigue is a clear manifestation of discomfort and breathlessness, the causes of which may be related to the general state of health, not only physical but also mental, which should never be neglected, especially not by silencing it by thinking it is just a symptom of laziness. And we refer to the evil “Never give up” mentality that should always be limited by objective considerations. Dr. Sekely’s list may seem simple and even trivial to you, but it is precisely such signs-obvious and unmistakable-that are often downplayed and overlooked.
How to overcome burnout
Imagine that the body has an operating system (which, indeed, it does). Every operating system has a very simple and basic set of commands. No complex action can be accomplished apart from these basic commands: you could not walk if the body could not perform the action of moving one leg forward and then the other. Every operating system needs to be rebooted from time to time: in fact, in daily use it gets loaded with tasks that weigh it down, slowing it down. So imagine that every now and then your body and mind can get so overloaded with information and work that it is no longer fully functional.
Similarly, you need to reboot your “physical” operating system: turning it off and on again, that is, interrupting your workouts until you restore a healthy balance and, above all, until you regain not only your motivation but, more importantly, your desire to run.
In fact, as we often say, running is above all fun, and an obvious symptom of burnout is that it is no longer fun to practice it.
Think of it a bit like pizza: you really like it but eating it every day would make you hate it. With running it’s kind of like that: you have fun doing it but doing it too often can lead you to hate it. One way to come back to want her again is to … make yourself miss her. By doing so you will also rest the body, which, after not long, will be eager to resume having fun, running :)
(Main image credits: Peopleimages on DepositPhotos.com – via Stylist)