Self-care (allostatic load)

Introduction

“…Genuine self-care is less about indulgence and more about restoration: practices that help the body and mind recover so we can meet tomorrow's load with steadier resources. This distinction matters because comfort and care may feel familiar at the moment, yet they diverge in their effects. Comfort often removes us for discomfort; care renews our ability to face it…”

Michelle Gibbings, 2025k

Self-care is about restoration, ie psychological and physiological.

“… On a chronic low, the body stress system remained ‘on’, degrading attention, memory and decision-making quality - a phenomenon known as allostatic load…”

Michelle Gibbings, 2025k

Allostatic load is a concept from neuroscience and stress physiology that describes the cumulative wear and tear on the body and brain resulting from chronic exposure to stress. It explains how repeated or prolonged activation of the body’s stress response systems, especially the HPA axis (hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal) and sympathetic nervous system, can move from being adaptive (helpful in short bursts) to maladaptive (damaging over time).

1. Core Concept of Allostatic Load

• Allostasis = “stability through change.”
  It’s the process by which the body maintains internal balance (homeostasis) in response to stress by releasing stress hormones (like cortisol and adrenaline), increasing heart rate or focusing attention.
• Allostatic load = the cost of this adaptive process.
  When stress is frequent, unpredictable or prolonged, the stress response doesn’t fully shut off. This can lead to:
• Elevated blood pressure or cortisol levels
• Impaired memory and decision-making
• Burnout and emotional exhaustion
• Reduced capacity for learning, creativity, and empathy

In short: Allostatic load = the price of chronic adaptation to stress.

2. Psychological and Organisational Implications

In the context of organisational change, employees often experience continuous uncertainty, workload increases, shifting expectations or identity threat, etc. These conditions can accumulate stress over time, raising allostatic load.

Signs of high allostatic load in a workplace:

• Declining morale and engagement
• Reduced problem-solving and innovation
• Defensive or resistant behaviour
• Increased absenteeism and turnover
• Burnout or emotional detachment

3. Application to Change Management

Change initiatives, especially poorly managed ones, can heighten allostatic load. Understanding and managing it helps leaders design more human-centred and sustainable change processes.

3.1 Anticipate Stress Responses

Change managers should recognise that resistance often reflects stress overload, not opposition. For instance:

• Unclear roles can be perceived as threat, and result in release of stress hormones
• Loss of control can trigger the amygdala, ie fight, flight or freeze response

Action: Communicate early, clearly and consistently to reduce uncertainty and perceived threat.

3.2. Build Psychological Safety

Leaders can buffer allostatic load by fostering environments of trust, fairness and inclusion. When people feel safe:

• Cortisol levels drop
• Prefrontal cortex (thinking brain) re-engages
• Learning and collaboration improve

Action: Encourage open dialogue, empathy and supportive feedback.

3.3 Support Recovery and Resilience

Allostatic load lessens when recovery opportunities are built in.
Examples:

• Flexible work arrangements during transition
• Mindfulness, wellbeing, or coaching programs
• Celebrating progress and milestones

Action: Balance challenge with rest and recognition.

3.4 Empower Agency

Perceived control reduces stress.
When employees have a sense of choice or influence, the stress response diminishes.

Action: Involve teams in decision-making, co-design processes, and problem-solving.

3.5  Monitor Organisational “Stress Biomarkers”

Just as doctors measure cortisol or blood pressure, organisations can monitor:

• Staff engagement and turnover rates
• Absenteeism and sick leave
• Pulse surveys on stress and workload

Action: Treat these as early warning signs of systemic stress.

 Linking to Change Frameworks

(for more detail, see elsewhere in the Knowledge Base)

Some Concrete Interventions

1.      Enforce an after-hours boundary policy eg limit non-critical emails and meetings outside core hours during implementation phases (supports detachment & relaxation).

Sample rule: “No routine change-status emails between 7pm–7am unless marked urgent.”

2.      Use the Manager toolkit: ‘recovery conversations’ (train managers to ask 2 recovery questions, eg “What helps you switch off after work?” and “What would help you feel more in control of your time this week?” (targets detachment & control).

3.      Allocate time for mastery (offer short staff development or micro-learning sessions unrelated to immediate change tasks (30–60 min weekly); this gives mastery experiences and improves learning transfer later.)

4.      Facilitate micro-breaks & ergonomic rituals, (encourage 10–15 minute breaks after focused on change-related tasks; provide quiet spaces or guided relaxation audio; supports relaxation).

5.      Ensure pulsed sequencing of change work (where possible, alternate high-intensity change tasks with phases that allow recovery, eg., 3 weeks of roll-out, 1 week of stabilization with reduced additional requests; this reduces accumulation of stressors.)

6.      Protect vacations & weekends (explicitly schedule “no rollout tasks” windows and communicate them clearly so staff feel safe to detach; evidence shows vacations and real time off aid restoration.)

Summary

• Allostatic load is the biological footprint of sustained change stress.
• Effective change management reduces cumulative stress by enhancing predictability, control, safety and recovery.
• Leaders who understand allostatic load can design change processes that protect cognitive function, engagement and wellbeing.

NB When these recovery experiences are repeatedly achieved, your physiological arousal and “allostatic load” reduce, reducing chronic strain and protecting cognitive functioning and decision quality. Several empirical studies and meta-analyses show recovery experiences predict better well-being, less exhaustion, and better job performance.

(main source: Michelle Gibbings, 2025k)