Have exhaustion and demotivation become near-constants in your life? If yes, you are not alone.
A March 2021 study conducted by Microsoft on employees worldwide showed that 54% of the survey respondents felt overworked while 39% reported feeling exhausted. A similar 2022 study showed that 63% of young Indian women aged 18 to 25 are experiencing burnout at work.
Extended periods of stress cause intense exhaustion at the physical, mental, and emotional levels, or a combination thereof. This is when burnout happens. Since Covid-19 broke down, an overwhelming percentage of the population are feeling exhausted at the workplace.
Following are some signs to know if you are experiencing burnout.
- Difficulty in concentration
- Fatigue
- Brash behavior with colleagues
- Cynicism towards work
- Absenteeism due to poor health
- Declined work performance
- Feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness
- Demotivation
What does an exhausted soul need?
Only if it were a good night’s sleep or a cup of hot chocolate that could fix a burnout, life would have been simpler. Chances are that after that one night of rest, the patterns of demotivation and exhaustion will return.
When famous YouTuber Lily Singh aka Superwoman, found herself on the brink of exhaustion, she announced, “I am mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. There is a lot that I need to address and I am unable to when constantly pumping out content.” Lily took a break for one month after that.
Yet, most of us don’t have the liberty to take extended periods of break at the onset of burnout. Even structuring your time during a break can be quite a task. How do you know if you won’t spend time indulging in the past instead of relaxing? What is the ideal way to relax and recuperate anyway?
Silence for the exhausted soul
My neighbor, a middle-aged woman with two teenage daughters, has an interesting ritual. After the day gets over, she says, “I just sit in silence. Without any responsibilities, without having to tend to the needs of my family, I just be in that solitude.” For her, this small ritual saves her from the cacophony and demands of being a mother and homemaker.
Similarly, there are numerous stories on the internet about people finding themselves amidst a period of burnout and demotivation in silence retreats, meditation courses, and the solitude of the Himalayas.
After all, dreams, responsibilities, social engagements, past, future - everything can be put on hold when you really need to revive your body, mind, and soul. And to be able to leave everything, even for some time, is possible in silence.
Research on the power of silence
Silence has been an important element in many religious and spiritual traditions. Numerous studies today show the healing effect of silence on the mind, body, and emotions. It relieves stress and enhances cognitive function. Here are some of the most astounding findings of recent studies.
- Two minutes of silence is more relaxing than two minutes of relaxing music.
- Seven and a half minutes of silence can alter the perception of time and enhance one’s focus on the present moment.
- Two hours of silence facilitates the generation of new cells in the hippocampus of mice, the brain region linked with memory, emotion, and learning.
- Advanced Meditation Program (AMP), a three to four days of silence brings a significant difference in heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels.
Heal with silence in an Advanced Meditation Program
For most of us, taking out three to five days of breaks is more realistic than taking extended periods of breaks. The Advanced Meditation Program is one way to use a short break to rejuvenate. The program is structured with deeply rejuvenating and powerful guided meditations and processes that strengthen the healing power of silence.
In the words of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the designer of the program, “We are using our mind, our intellect, and our memory so much that it needs overhauling. It needs servicing. Our body needs servicing, our mind needs servicing, and the Advanced Meditation Program gives us that much-needed servicing.”
Experience the power of silence. Join an Advanced Meditation Program.
Yes, it is a silence program with different meditations and processes.
Anyone who is 18 or above and has learned the Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique in an entry-level program of The Art of Living can join in.
There will be sessions in the Advanced Meditation Program where you will be required to practice the Sudarshan Kriya.
Sudarshan Kriya is a rhythmic breathing technique taught in the Online Breath and Meditation Workshop. You can also choose to learn it in an offline Happiness program.
Yes, Sudarshan Kriya spontaneously leads one into meditation. Sudarshan Kriya is a rhythmic breathing technique that quietens the chattering mind and helps you slip into a meditative state with ease.
The practice of Sudarshan Kriya takes about 45 minutes. You can practice it at any time of the day, preferably in the morning before breakfast. Avoid doing it immediately after having a meal. After 2-3 hours of a meal, you can practice it.
