Written by Martina Manulat

#MentalHealth Check: Are you feeling lethargic and tired? Don’t feel like lifting a finger or stepping out of bed? Run out of motivation lately? With the hustle culture prevalent in society today, we at Halia are here to tell you that you are not alone. We know that Burnout is REAL, and it could actually affect your cycle if not taken care of. Dealing with the physical manifestations of your menstrual cycle can be tough enough, so we’re here to explain the connections of periods and burnouts with you:

What It Means To Burn Out

The first step to combating burnout is to be aware of its signs and symptoms in your body. Like a candle flame that’s been blown out, burn out is the manifestation of exhaustion in one’s body due to overworking. So, if you’re feeling or seeing signs such as exhaustion, isolation, irritability, and lack of energy asides from physical symptoms like headaches or stomach aches it could mean your flame is about to blow out soon.

How It Affects Your Cycle

When we put our bodies under a lot of stress, our bodies’ response is to shut down. High levels of stress can interfere with the body’s hormone levels, as it begins to prioritize non-essential bodily functions, which can then interrupt or delay periods.  

From causing you to skip a period to doubling up on a period (two periods in one month – ew), burnout can affect how many times you have your period.  How is that possible, you may ask? Well, our body’s stress hormone, cortisol, actually has the ability to suppress reproductive hormones. Thus, when levels of estrogen and progesterone are abnormal, menstrual irregularities become a potential occurrence.

Combating Burnout: How To Alleviate Stress

• Establish Good Sleeping Habits: The simplicity of a good night’s sleep can do wonders for our bodies, mentally and physically. It is the best destressor, and accumulating sleep debt to finish that assignment or workload will not help you in the long run! Sleep helps our body recover from our day’s exhaustion and allows it to relax. So keep a good sleep habit, and catch those ZZZs.
• Breathe and Move: Release those happy hormones and regulate your bodily rhythm and blood flow with a good workout. As our body builds up tension due to stress, working out like yoga or cardio can help release those hard feelings, keeping your body flexible and well balanced.
• Learn to Say No: Establish the boundaries your body deserves. We know you’re capable and strong enough to do the most at work, but sometimes it’s best to let go for the sake of your mental and physical health. Split your workload and lessen your bodily burdens to avoid burning out.