From Fuel to Burnout: When Grit Goes Wrong

Grit has been found to be the magic ingredient for success. It’s the determination that keeps us going when the going gets tough, and the perseverance that fuels long-term goals.

But what happens when grit goes wrong? When the very quality we cherish begins to work against us?

Too much grit, without perspective and strong self awareness, can lead to burnout, well-being neglect, and a narrow, blinding focus to necessary change.

As an exercise physiologist, I've seen countless individuals push themselves past healthy limits – ignoring their bodies' signals in the name of perseverance. This isn't sustainable, and it can be detrimental to both mental and physical health.

Understanding How You Operate: The Physiology of Your Story

To harness grit effectively, it’s crucial to understand how your body and mind operate. This involves tuning into your body’s signals—recognising DI-stress, fatigue, and the need for recovery. 

It’s about examining the origins of your stories and triggers and how they align with your physiological state. Unchecked, these triggers and stories can be the overreactions, unworkable behaviours and stressors that run rampant, pulling you away from authenticity. 

Consider these coaching questions to gain clarity:

1. What are the warning signs your body gives you when you’re pushing too hard?
   How can you integrate regular check-ins to assess your mental and physical well-being?

2. Are you pursuing goals that truly align with your passions and values, or are you driven by external pressures?
   How can you reconnect with what genuinely inspires and sustains you?
   

3. In what ways can you incorporate self-compassion into your daily routine, ensuring that your grit is balanced with care for yourself?
   How can you rewrite your story to reflect this balance?

Rewriting Your Story: Bottom-Up and Top-Down Approaches

Bottom-Up: Conditioning Your Body

First up, stress is good. In fact our genome expects and needs it. How we rise to it and long we carry it becomes the distinct we need to make. Understanding and conditioning your body’s signals is essential. This involves breathwork, movement, and mindfulness practices that help you stay grounded and responsive to your needs.

By regularly engaging in activities that promote the ability to rise to eu-stress (consciously trained stress) and then return to a relaxed and recovered state, you can build resilience and maintain your energy levels. Here are some strategies to promote this

- Breathwork: Practise expansive breathing exercises to calm your nervous system and reduce stress. Try 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out the nose for 1-2 mins as a daily ritual.

- Movement: Engage in regular physical activity that suits your stress needs, and slowly builds your capacity. If you are burnt out or in a work sprint period. This is not the time for HIIT training.

- Mindfulness: Incorporate mindfulness practices to stay present and aware of your body’s needs.

Top-Down: Rewriting Your Mental Narratives

Rewriting your story from a top-down involves examining and reshaping the mental narratives that drive your behaviour. This means practising self-compassion, setting realistic goals, and maintaining a clear vision of where you want to be and how you want to present yourself to the world. 

Here’s how to get started rewriting your mental narrative

- Self-Compassion: Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding you would offer a friend. Blame, shame, and wrongness do not belong in an optimising practice, but understanding why you react this way is valuable.

- Clarity on Goals: Regularly revisit your goals and ensure they reflect your true aspirations and values. Adjust them as needed to stay aligned with your evolving vision.

- Workable Narratives: Replace the self-talk that keeps you stuck with empowering narratives. Envisage what you are saying, doing and thinking when you are aligned with your values.

By integrating these approaches, you can transform grit from a potentially harmful trait into a balanced and powerful tool for achieving your goals while still maintaining your well-being. Remember, true resilience is not about pushing yourself to the brink, but about knowing when to push and when to pause.