Setting limits can protect your body from physical burnout

CUSTER, S.D. (KOTA) - Stress and adrenaline can be useful in certain circumstances, but too much can cause burnout, and take a physical toll on your body.

Dr. Lisa Brown, with Monument Health, says an increase in stress can be good for the body when it’s appropriate, such as a car crash, she added, people need that adrenaline to be able to respond to those high-intensity situations.

“Internally made steroids that can amp up systems that are appropriate for the moment, for an acute crisis, you want to be able to respond to that. But you don’t want to live there all the time. And allowing time so you can reset, resettle so that you’re not under that constant stress,” said Brown.

Brown says high-stress levels can create unwanted health issues, such as a higher risk of stroke or heart attack. But personal resiliency also comes into play.

“But this really is an individual resiliency conversation and the question is how do we help people make good personal choices, and view things from a resiliency standpoint? What that means to me is that you have to use the word no, you have to put timelines on things, and say I can accomplish it I can’t accomplish it,” continued Brown.

Listening to your body, and knowing when it’s time to stop or slow down, is important to both mental and physical health.

“You need to just get transparent and be authentic and be like, ‘I need help’,” said Brown.

Brown says the best time to take care of burnout, is when it happens, instead of performing intense healthcare near the end of life.

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