How You Can Beat Burnout

At 19, Poppy Jamie was ITN’s youngest entertainment correspondent. By 28 she was suffering from burnout and decided to go in search of answers, interviewing dozens of experts. Here, Poppy, 32, shares the lifestyle changes that best helped her recovery

- Sally Mclean

ARE you constantly tired? Suffering from a low mood? Overly emotional? Or perhaps you just don’t care any more?

I experienced all of the above and convinced myself I was depressed. Doctors told me I wasn’t – I was burnt out.

It was 2018 when I was diagnosed with burnout and chronic exhaustion. The pressure of building a new business and trying to keep too many plates spinning had become overwhelming, so my body broke down.

Burnout symptoms vary but, for me, my digestion was the first thing to become troublesome. I was constantly bloated and constipated, looked like I was four months pregnant and I suffered lower back ache.

I ignored my growing tiredness, told myself to “push through” and catch up on sleep at the weekend.

My chronic fatigue and digestion issues quickly led to low mood, irritability and increased anxiety. After months feeling this way, a doctor explained that feeling happy required energy and because I was chronically exhausted, my body was refusing to operate properly.

Adrenal burnout is thought to be caused when we live constantly in fight or flight mode, when our adrenal glands are overworked by stress and become unable to produce the hormones our bodies require to perform many important functions, from metabolism to immune responses.

I began to research how mental and physical health are a reflection of each other and was inspired to start my podcast, Unwind with Poppy Jamie. I’ve interviewed over 150 world-class experts for their tips on recovering from burnout.