In late October, after an extended period of high levels of stress, the issue causing the stress was suddenly and somewhat unexpectedly resolved. Within days of this welcome change of fortune, I was struck down with a severe upper respiratory infection and crushing fatigue – a typical “letdown effect” response. But as the acute symptoms of the virus subsided, something else became apparent: this wasn’t just about the letdown effect.
Weeks after my initial illness, I was still far from recovered. I was weak, with constant headaches and fatigue, as well as intense carbohydrate cravings. My concentration shot, my motivation and overall mojo had vanished, and simple work-related tasks left me feeling drained.
Diagnosing the Problem
My ever-wise mother helped me understand that there was more going on than I had first thought. Through online research and some really useful brainstorming sessions with AI (apparently, I’m not the only one doing this!), I began to realise that I wasn’t just experiencing a post-stress or post-viral crash, but the combined effects of both the letdown effect and burnout. My doctor confirmed this diagnosis.
I could not find much discussion on the intersection of the letdown effect and burnout in medical literature. However, the more I read of each condition, the more the connection became clear. Long periods of stress can lead to burnout. If those long periods of stress are alleviated relatively quickly they can cause the letdown effect. While the letdown effect is typically acute – a sudden illness or fatigue when stress resolves – burnout is a slower, deeper depletion that can take months to develop and recover from. When they coincide, the recovery process becomes more complex.
Having arrived at a diagnosis didn’t automatically mean that I understood its implications. After weeks of feeling less than myself, I was impatient for a return to normal. I felt self-conscious about my constant need to rest. I felt lazy.
What Not to Do
When some of my energy returned, I considered myself recovered and set out to build up my fitness and address the weight gain from being sedentary. However, a week of increased exercise and calorie reduction resulted in a swift relapse. I felt unwell and exhausted and had to accept that recovery was going to take longer than I’d hoped. Recovery became my priority, and I had to surrender to its timeline.
Now, instead of fighting these symptoms, I’m learning to work with them. I am:
- Respecting the mid-day energy dip with rest periods
- Trying not to give in to carbohydrate cravings but not beating myself up if I do
- Slowing my exercise pace rather than seeking to increase it
- Only doing work that is necessary or time-sensitive
- Prioritising tasks for my best energy hours – usually in the morning – or staggering them throughout the day.
Recovery from burnout isn’t linear. Like all medium-term conditions, some days bring more energy and clarity, while others should be more about rest. The key seems to be looking for gradual trends: more stable energy through the day, reduced cravings, natural interest in activity returning, and improved stress tolerance for daily challenges.
I have now internalised that taking life quietly isn’t being lazy – it’s strategic. When I accept my need for rest instead of pushing myself, I am rewarded with days in which I feel a little stronger.
Slowly Rebuilding
My path to recovery includes:
- Resting during the day. Not necessarily sleeping—though some days I needed to—but sitting or lying down for extended periods. I watched television, listened to podcasts or audiobooks, and when my mind allowed, read physical books and magazines instead of electronic media.
- Taking slower, shorter walks, despite my preference for brisk, heart-rate lifting sessions.
- Stop stressing about weight gain and carb cravings. The time will come when I can address that issue.
- Going into nature more. Even brief moments outdoors can be transformative. The air in the back garden, the green canopy of parks, the smell of the sea – these aren’t just pleasant sensations, they’re medicine for a depleted system.
- Avoiding alcohol entirely, as even one or two drinks can impact a recuperating system.
I am fortunate that I have been able to slow down and rest, primarily due to the arrival of the summer holiday season. For the most part, I have been doing little beyond the essential (even this blog piece has taken three weeks to write).
What I Have Learned
No lifestyle change could have helped me avoid this health condition. It arose from the realities of building a new business and endeavours like this often come with stress. It is regrettable to be unwell, but I don’t regret our decision to build a new business. These past couple of years have been incredibly challenging but they have provided me with huge learning curves – and I am wiser as a result. And, hopefully, the business will continue to grow and prosper as we emerge from these early years of trial, error … and achievement.
My goal now isn’t to try to bounce back immediately. Instead, I want to rebuild my reserves sustainably, to be smart and patient and allow myself the time to recuperate properly. And perhaps I will learn lessons from these slow days of restoration that will help me prevent future health crashes.
Lessons on the Letdown Effect
In recognition of the inevitability that life brings moments of great stress and struggle, I hope to remember some of the sage advice I have learned from others about what to do to avoid the letdown effect. My two big takeaways are:
- Transition out of stress gradually. Avoid seeking immediate relief; instead, unwind slowly. I learned this the hard way when I tried to force relaxation through alcohol – a serious mistake that likely triggered my symptoms.
- Avoid alcohol entirely during periods of stress resolution. Two days after my ill-advised “unwind” drinking session, my symptoms began, evolving into a significant upper respiratory infection that left me sick for a fortnight.
Lessons Regarding Burnout
The medical advice for preventing burnout is straightforward:
- Exercise
- Eat a balanced diet
- Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs
- Sleep well
- Maintain strong and supportive social connections.
I would have thought this is what we should be doing at all times, but it is easier to lose sight of this when we are under pressure so it is good to be reminded.
I’m not sure there is much that people under constant and high-level stress can do to avoid burnout other than to remove the stress from their lives before it affects them too significantly. Speaking to my doctor, I got the impression that burnout is not only common but is becoming more pervasive as the demands of our information-saturated, never-turning-off lives increase. I was fortunate: my letdown effect illness revealed my burnout before it was particularly advanced – and that letdown condition arose because my stress was alleviated. Had this not been the case, I might have continued until I was completely unable to function, as happens to some. They go on until even getting out of bed becomes too hard.
Of course, wherever we can, it is good to remove stressors from our lives. But for many people, it’s not possible. I see numerous references to burnout affecting those caring for a sick family member, and I feel tremendous sympathy for anyone in this situation. And for people like me starting a new business, the stress of the early days is common. Just recently, I heard a podcast discussing how Elon Musk regularly woke from nightmares screaming as he built Space X and Tesla. I’m not comparing myself to Musk – nor, thankfully, did I share this experience – but it’s good to know that others have walked similar paths and have gone through to the other side.
It’s Going to Take a While
It’s been two and a half months since I first became ill. I’m still far from back to normal, with good days followed by days of needed rest. It’s both disappointing and dispiriting, but I am trying to accept my reality. There’s no stumbling through it all right now.
I’m recording this experience so that I don’t forget – and I’m sharing it in case it helps someone else who is trying to work out why they are not bouncing back. Sometimes the only way to heal is to slow down, be patient, and allow the process of restoration to take its gentle path.
Feel better.