Everyone experiences situations that cause a surge of adrenaline in a short time. Stress can be a positive way to help us achieve our goals. However, stress becomes detrimental when our nervous system is constantly stimulated by constant pressure, keeping us in fight-or-flight mode.
Symptoms of stress
The most common symptoms of stress are constant tension and exhaustion. It can begin as soon as you wake up. With a lack of energy, you immediately dive back into personal and professional performance. This can lead to irregularities in your diet and lifestyle: binge eating or skipping meals, a lack of concentration, and mood swings, all of which can lead to an inability to fully recover. The first signs are mental and physical exhaustion. These signals are more or less systematically ignored by most of those affected. The body continues to work until all its energy reserves are depleted. Neglecting or ignoring these signals ultimately damages the body's immune and vascular systems. Despite a temporary respite, someone will sometimes continue to feel weak, irritable, confused, and listless. When someone is exposed to stress for extended periods and ultimately fails to recover their energy, burnout can result.
Ayurvedic view on stress/burnout
According to Ayurveda, the digestive fire (Agni) is the component that energizes the body. "Burnout," or stress, is a condition in which agni gradually fades, ultimately resulting in a lack of energy in the body and mind, causing symptoms such as fatigue. Although stress and burnout are modern concepts, ancient Ayurveda has described this phenomenon very well.
Symptoms of stress/burnout are:
- Nervousness
- Weakness
- Dryness and roughness of the tissues
- Difficulty breathing
- Heart palpitations
- Pressure or pain in the chest
- Excessive sweating
- To vibrate
- Chills
- Sensitivity to sound
- Fatigue
- Lack of interest
- Depression
Treatment of stress/burnout in Ayurveda
Ayurveda describes treatments and tips for naturally addressing stress symptoms. Ayurvedic treatments are tailored to the unique individual. They are therefore adapted based on the individual's thinking, health, lifestyle, and symptoms. The treatments have no side effects and are completely natural.
- Massages Special herbal oils, performed by a professional practitioner, help relax muscles and joints. A head shower with herbal oil (shirodhara) is an important tool.
- Individual lifestyle and nutritional advice Provided by a practitioner or Ayurvedic doctor, these treatments help build physical strength. The specific herbs are determined based on the patient's physical and mental state. The holistic approach considers the patient, not only treating symptoms but also finding sustainable solutions for stress. This also means incorporating more structure into the patient's lifestyle.
- Mental health careYoga and meditation are prescribed to heal the patient on both a mental and spiritual level. Integrating yoga and meditation into a daily routine helps you better cope with high pressure and stress. It thus increases both your physical and mental vitality and resilience.
Ayurveda doesn't offer a passive healing process where a pill or massage will cure all your problems. It operates on the principle of growth in personal awareness, where we must work on our own to know who we are. Stress is primarily caused by wanting to meet the needs and expectations of others instead of satisfying ourselves. We allow others to dictate our lives and escape into perfectionistic behavior.
Effective physical and mental therapies within Ayurveda help both the body and mind flow freely again, allowing people to reconnect with themselves. They contribute to the ultimate solution by reconnecting with your true self, enabling you to move in a new and healthy direction.
Franca Ficchi (Ayurvedic Practitioner®)