Happy & Healthy

BEING YOUNG WITH A BURNOUT, WHAT TO DO

About eight years ago, I suddenly crashed. BAM! From one moment to the next, I could no longer sleep, no longer function, and could only sit, stare ahead, and cry. Man, oh man, that was a situation, I can tell you, what a shock. I was still young and I wanted something, right? I looked fit and healthy, didn't I? I was actually doing quite well? But no, none of that: I was – without seeing it coming – completely burned out. The years of hard work and nodding along, never giving up and always pushing through had ultimately been killing. I was exhausted from all the musts, from all the running, from juggling, from all the struggling. That's what I say: OPPERDEPOP was Renske.

READ HERE: 9 quick ways to de-stress 

I recovered after a while (lots of talking, exercising, meditating, sleeping, especially doing a lot of nothing), but in the period after that time, I made a common mistake. I used meditation, exercise, and super healthy eating to be able to keep performing. I secretly used it a bit as a band-aid, as a way to still be able to participate just as hard and maybe even more effectively than before in this performance society. Then I felt a bit crappy, but gosh, I still had so much to do, and I quickly did a guided meditation – the shortened version – to then rush through again. This pitfall is also described by Bregje Hofstede in the amazing January issue of ELLE, where she sharply points out employers who do exactly the same towards their employees. Then a masseur is hired or a mindfulness course is organized – nice gesture, great idea – but hey: is it really such a nice gesture if those are just band-aids to ensure that everyone can keep overworking a little longer?

It is so important that you – besides yoga, meditation, exercise, healthy eating – really experience what is too much in your life. It is so important that you truly connect with your body, with your mind, that you dare to make choices. That you actually give back that extra task, that you really turn off that phone in the evening, that you decide to work four days instead of five. It is also important that you keep a sharp eye on yourself (without, of course, stopping living; it’s about balance). Learn to pick up certain signals from yourself, signals that tell you that you are heading towards the danger zone. In my case, I absolutely need to take a step back when I start sleeping poorly again. Something definitely needs to come off my plate, and immediately.

That's what I say: let it be a lesson. Take advantage of it. And don't forget to send me a Gucci belt as a thank you.

Want to read more? You can, because Bregje Hofstede wrote a book about her burnout: ‘The Rediscovery of the Body. About the Burnout’ (publisher Cossee). Maybe just order it.