Breaking the Burnout Cycle: A Pathway to Renewal and Vitality

During the expert session, Mark Rowe engages the audience through a mix of interactive exercises and Q&A using the Mentimeter app. 

• Prioritizing Self-Care for Burnout Prevention: Acknowledging the impact of chronic stress on mental and emotional health, focusing on personal well-being is vital in preventing and treating burnout. This may include practicing gratitude, engaging in enjoyable activities, seeking professional help like therapy or counseling, and creating a more sustainable work-life balance.
• Strategies for Improving Sleep Quality: Understanding the importance of sleep in overall health, addressing contributing factors like mobile phone usage, caffeine intake, and bedtime routines can significantly improve sleep quality. 
• Coping with Negative Thoughts and Self-Sabotaging Behaviors: Confronting self-sabotaging behaviors requires awareness, daily gratitude practice, practicing kindness towards oneself, and seeking professional help like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

In this expert session, Dr. Rowe sheds light on the complex nature of burnout and its impact on our psychological and emotional wellbeing. Unlike medication that primarily addresses the symptoms, he emphasizes the importance of addressing the root causes to effectively treat and prevent burnout. Dr. Rowe begins by explaining how chronic stress and emotional exhaustion are at the core of burnout. He goes on to discuss how factors such as the pandemic, heightened awareness, faster-paced world, and constant connectivity through mobile phones have contributed to a significant increase in burnout cases in recent years.

Regarding mobile phones, Dr. Rowe underlines their role in exacerbating burnout. He advises against bringing work devices and emails to bed due to the negative impact on sleep quality. To support healthy sleep patterns, he recommends listening to his podcast episode on sleep, which offers 15 strategies for improving sleep hygiene.  Dr. Rowe also emphasizes the importance of valuing sleep and understanding that it's not just about the hours spent in bed but rather a process that starts around 90 minutes before bedtime.

When addressing persistent sleeping problems, Dr. Rowe offers suggestions such as getting off mobile technology two hours before bed, creating a relaxing wind-down routine, and limiting caffeine intake due to its long half-life. He also highlights the significance of morning exposure to natural light for activating the circadian rhythm and recommends spending 30 minutes outdoors in the mornings when blue light is most intense.

Furthermore, Dr. Rowe shares insights on various aspects of self-care and recovery from burnout. He encourages individuals to examine habits that affect sleep quality and quantity during the second part of the day. His recommendations include considering exercise routines, ensuring bedrooms are cool and dark, and experimenting with relaxation techniques such as warm baths or magnesium supplements.

Dr. Rowe also addresses self-sabotaging behaviors, suggesting starting with awareness and practicing gratitude daily through journaling. He encourages being kinder to oneself in terms of thoughts and habits, fueling the body with nutritious foods, and changing the relationship with mobile phones. For those dealing with anxious negative thoughts, he advises seeking professional help from a trained therapist, specifically Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

Throughout the session, Dr. Rowe emphasizes that burnout is not fatal or final. He encourages individuals to become aware of their feelings, seek help and support, commit to taking better care of themselves daily, and live with more vitality. With his holistic approach, Dr. Rowe offers valuable insights on managing burnout through lifestyle choices and self-care practices.

Changing the Face of Men’s Health in Your Organisation

November has become synonymous with ‘Movember’, an annual reminder of the importance of men's health issues. Statistics show the ‘average’ man spends many years of his life living with a chronic health condition and may die several earlier than women. In other words, a reduced health span in addition to reduced life span for men. Mark is asking you to not only think and talk about mens health but to take positive action. Encourage someone that matters to you - a family member, work colleague or friend - to take that first step and see their GP or Counsellor. Move from talking the talk to walking the walk. Actions do speak louder than words.