Burnout

Heavy workloads and persistent stress at work and in the family can lead to exhaustion and even burnout. Emotionally and mentally exhausted people who are “burnt out” suffer not only psychologically, but also have physical symptoms. More and more psychologists and psychiatrists are therefore working together with Shiatsu therapists in an interdisciplinary way to treat burnout. Shiatsu can complement psychotherapy and support burnout sufferers in their recovery process.

Case study 1

A 38-year-old single head of department has been feeling exhausted for some time. She can no longer get excited about anything and would prefer to sleep all the time. However, when she lies down in the evening, she finds it difficult to fall asleep and often wakes up during the night. In addition, she is plagued by constant restlessness and pain throughout her body, which cannot be explained medically. When the pressure of suffering becomes too great, she turns to a psychologist who diagnoses burnout. He advises her to undergo outpatient treatment. Because of her severe physical discomfort and sleep disorders, the burnout specialist also recommends Shiatsu therapy.

In the first sessions, the client speaks very little. With targeted questions, the Shiatsu therapist succeeds in guiding the very head-heavy professional woman into her body sensations during the treatment. The client begins to perceive and formulate emerging feelings and needs. In the process, the therapist learns that the 38-year-old very much likes to go to the mountains, but can no longer muster the energy for it. She encourages the client to take short walks every day in addition to the Shiatsu treatments and the sessions with the psychologist. She also shows her some simple physical exercises that have an invigorating and calming effect and that she can do both outside and at home.

Already after a short time, the client’s sleep quality improves noticeably. She wakes up much less often during the night and can thus recover better. The physical pain decreases noticeably after each Shiatsu treatment, but it always comes back when the stress at work increases. The Shiatsu therapist gives the client simple mindfulness exercises and shows her how she can stay calm in hectic and overwhelming moments by breathing deeply. As a result, the client increasingly succeeds in maintaining the sense of well-being she feels immediately after a treatment for several days.

Accompanying conversation

In the reflection before and after a Shiatsu treatment, it is very helpful for the client to name and classify the needs perceived during the treatment. In these discussions, the head of department becomes aware of how long she has ignored her inner voice and the deep desires associated with it in favour of other people and work. This topic is then explored further with the psychologist in charge.

As the client’s physical condition stabilises, the Shiatsu therapist, in consultation with the psychologist, begins to incorporate the theme of self-confidence and strengthening the centre into the treatment. During the bodywork, the client is shown an image of a strong woman from her past whom she greatly admired. With the emergence of this inner image, her own body feeling changes. The head of department perceives feelings of strength and self-esteem within herself. The image of the self-confident woman is taken up again and again in the following sessions. It becomes a symbol of self-confidence for the client. After a few months of interdisciplinary interaction between psychotherapy and Shiatsu, the client feels much better. Thanks to the newly gained self-confidence, she manages to tackle professional challenges with more calm, to pause in hectic moments, to pay more attention to herself and to move in nature again. With all the measures taken, especially thanks to better self-care, her sleep has also improved and her pain has decreased significantly.

Case study 2

A 53-year-old primary school teacher suffers from dizziness and frequent headaches. She feels exhausted, no longer trusts her body and is afraid to go out of the house. For this reason, she increasingly avoids social contacts and often stays at home alone, especially at weekends. This makes her feel lonely very often. She also has a tendency to be very strict and disciplined with herself. Because of her physical symptoms, she visits her family doctor. However, he does not find any medical causes for her condition and refers her to a psychiatrist who diagnoses burnout with anxiety disorder. Because of the strong physical symptoms and because the patient no longer trusts her own body, the psychiatrist recommends Shiatsu in addition to her treatment with the aim of strengthening body awareness and trust in the body again.

Be able to breathe deeply

At the first encounter, the client’s tension is clearly visible. Her facial expression is stern, the whole body seems stiff, the shoulders are hunched and breathing is irregular. With gentle touches and movements, the Shiatsu therapist begins to treat the strongly perceptible physical tensions so that the client can relax. By means of targeted questions, the therapist guides her into the perception of her body. After the first treatments, the client notices that there are now better and worse days. The therapist encourages her to pay attention to how her body feels every day. As a result, the client observes that on worse days she feels a great tension in her upper body, often pulls up her shoulders and breathes superficially. Based on this observation, the therapist practices relaxation and breathing techniques with her, which she can also use at home. She learns to breathe relaxed into her abdomen and chest and notices how the recurring feeling of dizziness subsequently decreases.

An integral part of every Shiatsu therapy is the accompanying conversation. In the case of this client, the therapist recognises that it is supportive to approach her with humour and a certain lightness. This makes it easier for her to accept the instructions during the treatment. The client receives further support for improved body awareness, which she can integrate into her everyday life. The regular exchange about her experiences gives her security and support, so that she can visibly trust her body more again. During these discussions, her fears and their triggers are also discussed. It becomes clear that the lack of trust in her own body has contributed decisively to her withdrawal from social life. This topic is explored in depth in psychotherapy.

Through improved body awareness, the client visibly succeeds in finding her own centre in the following sessions. Targeted meridian treatments support her in recognising and expressing her needs. She mentions neglected hobbies, such as gardening and extensive walks in the forest. The primary teacher recognises what nourished her soul in the past and what is missing in her life today. In both psychotherapy and shiatsu, strategies for a return to beloved activities and social life are discussed with the client. The client is encouraged to meet friends and acquaintances again, especially on Sundays which are so lonely for her. She puts this into practice and also finds the courage to go for a walk in the forest again. Thanks to the interdisciplinary cooperation between the psychiatrist and the Shiatsu therapist, the client feels well looked after, comprehensively cared for and taken seriously, and step by step finds her way back to a fulfilled life.