Shira talks about burnout affecting not only health care professions, but also teachers, single parents, traders, managers, bankers and entrepreneurs. Knowing it as adrenal fatigue opens up a treasure chest of tools and tips.

We finish with an excerpt from Diana Tokaji's book Six Women in a Cell, and Katherine May's book Wintering; a journey into the season of burnout.

DHEA, produced by our ovaries and adrenals, is a hormone that improves stress recovery, energy, mood, sleep, immunity and libido. During perimenopause our ovaries stop producing most hormones and adrenals and pituitary take over this function.

So what happens when our adrenals are fatigued? You guessed it...

Trauma, small and big, also negatively affects our adrenals and therefore increases our likelyhood of burnout.

Overcoming Burnout Tools and tips

1. Get tests done- at a functional medical doctor see what causes imbalance, adrenal fatigue tests, microbiome and methylation labs
2. Minimise stress- which areas causes stress- work, family, home, personal. Create a schedule to minimize stress and more rest. REST REST REST. Meditation, Sama-vritti; breathing in and out same ratio of 5 counts 2-5 mins a few times a day.
3. Decrease Inflammation- curcuma, bitter and astringent foods bring down the acidity, caused by excess sweet, sour and salty foods. Leafy greens for HPA.
4. Eat Protein rich foods- adrenals need protein to convert into hormones and healthy endocrine function, relieving anxiety, insomnia and mental fatigue.
5. Healthy Fats- olive oil, coconut oil, ghee and avocados
6. Supplements & Herbs- Zinc, vit D, C, chamomile, ashwagandha, radhiola, liqourice