FRIED. The Burnout Podcast

Are you spiritually bypassing your own emotions? It’s one thing when other people force toxic positivity on us, but another thing entirely when we do it to ourselves. Trying to only focus on your own mindset and ignoring the external negative factors impacting you is a form of false positivity.  Burnout requires more than just a change in mindset. Instead, you also need to be honest with yourself about what external factors need to change in order to reduce your stress. You can’t “gratitude” your way out of burnout while doing nothing to change the situation that is causing the burnout in the first place.  Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about the negative effects of our own attempts to positive think our way out of burnout. Learn how to begin being more honest with yourself about your needs and take one small step toward changing some of the external factors contributing to your burnout.    Quotes • “When you’re using spiritual ideas or positive thinking to avoid facing your shit, emotional or otherwise, you’re not in the long run doing yourself any favors.” (02:31-02:42)  • “We all know that when other people spread this sort of false positivity or spiritual bypassing on us, it can be really hurtful. For instance, when you’re told that your loved one is ‘in a better place’ just after they’ve died, it is another person’s way of spiritually bypassing your emotions. They are spiritually bypassing your emotions because your emotions are making them uncomfortable…Here’s the kicker. As much as we are bothered by people doing this to us, we do it to ourselves.” (02:56-03:47) • “So often in the burnout world, people tell me that they just need to change their mindsets and then their jobs won’t be so bad. Meanwhile they’re being exploited, bullied, and emotionally abused. Thinking that you can only work on the internal stuff and avoid working on the external stuff is spiritually bypassing at its finest. Thinking that you can gratitude your way out of burnout in a job that is killing you is false positivity. Thinking that you can just really focus on the good parts of your relationship with a narcissist isn’t actually going to make that relationship any better or safer for you.” (03:56-04:35)  • “Burnout recovery requires a level of honesty that a lot of us avoid and will also likely require as many external changes as internal shifts…truth, honesty, candor, frankness. These will help you build a life where positivity is more natural, is actually a part of things in your life without you having to force it, to search for it constantly, and to fake it when you don’t feel like it because somebody else says that you’re supposed to.” (05:59-06:48)   Links  https://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast   XOXO, C   If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Part of love and care is knowing when you need to bring in help. Even if you’re not providing the direct care, by getting appropriate care, adequate care, supervised care, you are providing care,” emphasizes Michelle Melendez, a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience. Michelle’s caregiving journey began 13 years ago when her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. At her private practice, she now specializes in supporting clients as they work through burnout and caregiver stress to discover true self-care. In the midst of caring for her mother, Michelle began forgetting to take care of herself. This experience taught her that seeking out help is not a sign of failure, but rather a crucial component of caring for the ones you love. While caregivers often feel a sense of guilt when they delegate some of their responsibilities, failing to do so leaves the door wide open for burnout. By carving out time for self-care and realizing she didn’t have to do everything alone, Michelle was able to break out of her burnout and become an even better caregiver to her mother.  Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Michelle Melendez about self-care, guilt and caregiving. Hear tips that Michelle has learned through caring for her mother and how she was able to overcome her burnout.    Quotes • “This is a personal decision that you have to make. It’s not about what other people tell you to do, because you’re the one who has to live with this. This is not easy. It’s going to change your life… in every way. You don’t have to do this… You may not be the best candidate for the job, even if you have a good relationship. You don’t have to provide the care. Part of caregiving isn’t always providing the care directly…also care is, I can’t do those things but I’m going to help you get services or someone who can help you.” (11:47-12:37)  • “The idea of ‘well no one could do it as good as me.’..If you keep holding onto that idea that only you could do it right, nobody else can, then that’s just going to lead to your demise.” (25:53-26:15) • “Part of love and care is knowing when you need to bring in help. Even if you’re not providing the direct care, by getting appropriate care, adequate care, supervised care, you are providing care. Many people think, ‘If I’m not completely immersed in it 24/7 then I’m not being a good caregiver.’ No. That’s not even a realistic expectation.” (27:00-27:30) • “I’ve been saying goodbye for 13 years. Mom is here, but not really? So dealing with that is such a complicated experience and one in which again, it’s only over time that you can kind of adapt to it. I think for me, one of the hardest things…my mom was not only my mother, she was also like my best friend…When Alzheimer’s came, I lost all these roles in my mother. I lost mom, I lost my good friend, I lost a mentor…I got to a place in my experience and said to myself, ‘Michelle you didn’t lose your relationship with your mom. It’s just redefined now. It’s different.’ We still have that relationship, but it’s just different now… In terms of grieving that, there is no formula…It hurts…For me accepting that sure, things have changed. But it’s just different now. She still is my mom. She still is my best friend. She still is that person in my life that I look up to the most.” (34:07-36:29) • “Self-care is a safety measure because it gives you the tolerance to deal with those difficult moments.” (44:24-44:35)   Links Michelle's Email: selfcaresolutionsnow@gmail.com  Alzheimer's Association: https://www.alz.org/  National Alliance for Caregiving: https://www.caregiving.org/   XOXO, C If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you fed up with all of the positivity memes on your Instagram feed? Do your friends tell you that you would feel better if you just changed your outlook on life? If so, you are likely a victim of toxic positivity. While positivity may sound good in theory and in many cases can be helpful, to the burnt-out brain positivity is not likely to fix anything.   Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about the damage positivity can have on an already burnt-out brain. Learn validating phrases to use in place of toxic positivity and small ways you can make progress toward getting back on track from your burnout.    Quotes • “Here is the thing. The burnt-out mindset isn’t a negative one. The burnt-out mindset is an issue of the communication between parts of the brain that aren’t functioning as they should. When the danger alarm part of the brain is hyperactive and the reasonable adult part of the brain is napping, positive thoughts just don’t hit the same way. Mindset isn’t just about your thoughts, but about how your brain is functioning and how your neural networks are talking to one another.” (02:09-02:49) • “When you are absolutely in burn out phase, your brain is hyper-focused on letting you know when you are unsafe, because it knows that you’re close to the edge all the time. So, it keeps the danger alarm part of your brain on Code Red all the time.” (03:03-03:22) • “Increasing feelings of safety is paramount in burnout recovery.” (04:01-04:07)  • “Gratitude is incredibly powerful when you’re mostly balanced and your brain is online. But in the burnt out state it barely touches you.” (05:52-06:00) • “Please stop trying to positive think your way out of burnout. And if you’re a friend to the burnt out amongst us, stop trying to use positivity to cheer up the burnt out people in your life. I understand that your intentions are good, but I promise you, it won’t work. And it might actually cause them harm.” (07:01-07:21) • “Burnout is a bitch. I know it can be hard for you to know exactly what you need, but if you have any clarity and there is something I can help with, I’m here.” (08:57-09:05) • “Resentment is a superpower… The more you use resentment well, the better your boundaries will be and the more you’ll be able to refuel and recharge and get yourself back.” (09:46-09:59) • “Positivity can be toxic. Positivity can lead to spiritual bypassing where you’re just ignoring all the things that are wrong in your life because you’re looking for the silver linings all the time. And positive thinking when you’re burnt out, in the burnt out brain it just doesn’t hit those neural networks the same way.” (11:15-11:35)   Links  https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Positivity-Keeping-World-Obsessed-ebook/dp/B094VCFSZW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1641994250&sr=8-1   https://psu.summon.serialssolutions.com/#!/search?bookMark=eNpdkUuLFDEUhYM0OD2jG3-ABNyIUGNSqcrDXTM4D2lx065DOnUznbE6afMQ-t-bptUBk0UgfOdw7zmXaBFiAITeUHJNCRMfbaykHUrEC7Skiqmup1wu0JKQvu8I5eICXeb81JCBSfUSXfR8FCMb5BJ92exM-OHqjF1MuOwAr30pM-DNzofH_Amv8FcoplsFMx-zzzg6fJdM8aVOgB9CgfQLQvEx5FdoUVKF1-fnCn2__by5ue_W3-4eblbrzgxElg4o48YyCYQL45QQA2NguBPAe7dl1hFlpkmOaivlyNWWjNaOYJWRzvUDlewKvT_7HlL8WSEXvffZwjybALFmTQUnUvCRqIa--w99ijW1RU4UY4oNhNFGXZ-pRzOD9sHFkoxtd4K9ty1p59v_ahhbmmIgQxN8OAtsijkncPqQ_N6ko6ZEnwrRz4U0-O2fGep2D9M_9G8Dz27mYPQhH61JxdsZsq0ptWRPZpozTXVP2G9UCpVd   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYRXZC9/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1    https://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast    XOXO, C   If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“That was a really, really low point for someone who should’ve known better. I was a hormone expert, and I completely destroyed my hormones,” shares Dr. Brooke Kalanick, licensed naturopathic doctor, author, and host of popular podcast, The Dr. Brooke Show. As someone who suffers from PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) herself, Brooke specializes in helping women identify the root cause of their hormone imbalances and get back to feeling better with targeted diet and lifestyle changes. On today’s episode, Brooke discusses her personal burnout story and how it continues to inform her day-to-day life.   Several factors contributed to the height of Brooke’s burnout. On the one hand, she was co-authoring a book about fat loss, which prompted her to enter into a damaging and dysfunctional diet and exercise cycle. Combined with a jarring personal attack in an Amazon review and an untimely injury, Brooke suddenly found herself losing the sense of balance she had worked so hard to build. Today, Brooke explains to listeners how she overcame her burnout and gained a newfound sense of authenticity and self-awareness in the process.   Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Dr. Brooke Kalanick about the impacts of stress, particularly on women’s hormones, and how hormone disturbances can lead to significant health issues in all areas of the body. Hear Dr. Brooke’s story of facing her greatest fear head on and coming out on the other side better for it.    Quotes • “That was a really really low point for someone who should’ve known better. Right? I was a hormone expert and I completely destroyed my hormones.” (06:10-06:16) • “I think with the wellness world, and the sound bytes on social media, and the way functional medicine is talked about, we're always after the root cause. Which in theory is great. But if you’re in a place where you’re burnt out, you’ve gone through all this stuff, time has gone on, you’ve ignored symptoms for a long time. You don’t have one root cause. ” (11:45-12:15)  • “There’s some real value in facing your biggest fear and then having to look at like why on earth was that my biggest fear?” (17:48-17:54) • “For me, I had certain values going into that first experience and they were more recognition, more money, more success, all of these things. I very much have different goals now. Obviously being a mother was something that changed…there was I think a place for me to rein myself in better.” (26:19-26:46) • “I think I learned the hard way that it's better to just share my pain and my experience and hope that less people will think I'm perfect and more people will feel like, ‘Oh, she understands me.’” (27:37-27:47) • “Things are stressful, because you care about them. For better or for worse, whether it's being driven by an insecurity or you actually love your child or your husband or your family, you wouldn't be stressed out if you didn't care. So, I think the first thing to recognize is that it's okay that you're stressed….Now are you going to deal with it?” (29:11-29:30)   Links www.betterbydrbrooke.com  www.instagram.com/betterbydrbrooke  https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookekalanick/  https://betterbydrbrooke.com/5-pillars-opt-in/    https://caitdonovan.com/freebie-values    XOXO, C   If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The most compassionate people are the most boundaried,” says Sarah Vosen, FRIED’s newest burnout coach. As an HSP and an empath, Sarah is deeply tuned into the emotional experiences of the people around her. We are thrilled to welcome her to the FRIED team, where she will be offering coaching sessions alongside Cait. On today’s episode, Sarah and Cait discuss Sarah’s personal burnout story as well as the new perspectives and approach she will bring to our burnout community.   Cait has known Sarah for over twenty years, and Cait’s own mother once described Sarah as “love personified.” However, when Sarah was deep in her burnout, she lost the ability to hold the loving space for her clients that Cait’s mom and so many others had experienced. Sarah tells listeners that she found herself in a constant tired but wired state: she felt low, but she was also running on pure adrenaline. Now, Sarah is working with both a burnout coach and a functional medicine specialist to identify and address the emotional and physical contributors to her burnout. While her burnout story is ongoing, Sarah tells listeners that she is finally beginning to find love again.   Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Sarah Vosen about empathy, burnout recovery and feeling love again. Be sure to listen to the full episode for a short #straightfromcait segment about honoring yourself, even when your burnout recovery may feel sucky. And if you are interested in working with Sarah, book a FREE connection call using the link below!   Quotes • “I feel like my burnout story starts at birth….I have an anxious attachment style, and that has certainly been a filter that has influenced my life and every single decision I’ve ever made.” (02:44-03:21) • “I was receiving treatment – chiropractic, acupuncture, and some massage – and I started noticing that they weren’t working.” (05:25-05:34) • “My biggest issues have been with my gut, which in Chinese medicine is spleen and stomach and all about nurturing and nourishment, whether that’s coming from food or an emotional source….And I have had difficulty receiving my whole life.” (26:46-27:19) • “All of the emotional things have manifested physically, or all the physical things have manifested emotionally, and I see how my physical body shifts as I work and process through the emotional things.” (28:30-28:48) • “Empathy with boundaries equals compassion and is the only way to make being empathetic sustainable.” (43:16-43:25) • “I didn’t know I was a sensitive person. I didn’t know. I thought everybody was like me. Turns out that’s not true. So, in taking the quiz and finding this out…it was so enlightening and so validating.” (48:20-48:40) • “All mammals – animals and humans – have 20% of their species that are highly sensitive, and this is meant to be important and evolutionary for the group.” (49:43-50:00) • “If you allow it, your burnout recovery journey could be the most interesting, introspective journey you take in your entire life. Burnout recovery is an absolute chance to know yourself intimately, to rebuild trust in your ability to communicate between your mind and your body and to figure out how you can show up on a day-to-day basis that honors who you are, what you came here for and what kind of energy you have to do all of that today.” (1:00:46-1:01:15 | Cait)   Links https://www.sarahpeutics.org/about-us#vosen https://www.instagram.com/sarah.vosen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahvosenlac/ QUIZ - Which Burnout Coach is Best For You? https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/61d4455460a67b0018a4c902 https://hsperson.com   Schedule a free connect call with Sarah here: https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah    XOXO, C   If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“That fear of burning out again – of course it’s driving me because I don’t want other moms to feel this way,” says Dr. Jacqueline Kerr, Behavioral Scientist. “But the reality is, we are going to experience this, and it’s about how we grow.” Jacqueline realized she was burning out when she started routinely crying on both her way to work and on her way home. At her lowest point, she experienced suicidal ideation, panic attacks, high cortisol levels, and loss of purpose. However, while Jacqueline still falls into the patterns of burnout at times, she tells listeners that she now knows the warning signs and possesses the arsenal of tools she needs to pull herself up more effectively.    At the time of her peak burnout, Jacqueline was a professor at a school of medicine, supporting a group of over 40 staff and students, doing her own research, teaching, mentoring and heavily involved in community support. On top of her work responsibilities, she was also a wife and mom. Jacqueline tells listeners that she started feeling inadequate both at home and at work; she simply couldn’t balance between supporting all of the people in her life and maintaining her personal health. Now, Jacqueline specializes in helping women and organizations understand the multi-level solutions to working mom burnout.   Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Dr. Jacqueline Kerr about the systems that keep you stuck. Learn more about Jacqueline’s emotional burnout story, the importance of implementation intentions and accountability partners, and why change is a ripple process.    Quotes • “I realized I was burning out when I literally would be going to work and crying on the way to work and coming home and crying on the way home because both places were making me feel so inadequate.” (03:52-04:11)  • “That fear of burning out again – of course it’s driving me because I don’t want other moms to feel this thing. I’m so afraid that anyone feels pain or suffering. But the reality is, we are going to experience this and it’s about how we grow.” (13:15-13:35) • “An idea from behavior science is called implementation intentions. Unless you actually sit down and say, ‘What am I going to do? When am I going to do it? Where am I going to do it?’ then you don’t really have a plan.” (17:14-17:28) • “There are definitely things you can do to help yourself [through burnout]. I think your mindset is so important, having a growth and curious open mindset, valuing yourself, trying to help yourself with some of your limiting self-beliefs. I think there’s so much you can do to think about your own outlook.” (28:50-29:08) • “The social norms around [mothering] just become exhausting because you feel like whatever you do, it’s never good enough. That social expectation, the research has shown, can really affect burnout as well.” (33:56-33:14) • “I totally understand when you’re exhausted, and you’re the victim of this system, you don’t necessarily want to be doing anything extra. But actually, that sense of fulfillment that you can get belonging to a group of people who have a purpose is part of your recovery….These social situations where you’re working as a group towards a positive goal that you care about can be so helpful for that process.” (46:43-47:21)   Links www.DrJacquelineKerr.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jacqueline-kerr-a62581173/   XOXO, C   If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever feel like there are so many things to get done that relaxing is downright impossible? Are your body and brain so busy that sitting still just doesn’t feel like rest? If you are feeling this way, you are far from alone. The art of resting and sitting with your emotions takes patience and practice; it is something I have been working on for years and have yet to perfect.   The most important thing to realize is that rest looks different for everyone. Whether it is watching a lighthearted movie or TV show, reading a good book, or simply slowing down your pace, relaxation is ultimately whatever you need it to be. While it may seem like the more you get done now, the more you can rest later, this usually is not the case. Instead, by learning how to sit still and just be, you will ultimately save yourself time and energy in the long run.   Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about what to do when you suck at relaxing. Learn about when I first began my practice of sitting, how to become the observer of your emotions and how to reduce your speed to get more done.    Quotes • “It was that day that my practice of relaxation and resting and sitting began nearly sixteen years ago, in a tiny hostel in Buenos Aires.” (03:50-04:00) • “I have this internal belief that if I do more now, I can rest more later.” (04:35-04:45) • “If I just stop once in a while and allow myself to rest in whatever way I feel, I end up still getting all the things done that actually need to get done.” (06:24-06:36) • “Allowing myself to deep dive into fiction is what moves my business forward because that’s where my ideas come from, that’s where my brain has time to exercise itself and come up with ideas.” (10:57-11:07) • “My best advice is to reduce your speed of doing things by 10-20%. Feel free to keep yourself moving and, at the same time, just make an attempt to be more present, more focused and move a little more slowly.” (12:38-12:55) • “Relaxation and resting in a world that tells us we’re not supposed to is a rebellious act and it is a practice....If you start practicing rest today, you might feel lazy, guilty, non-productive and all of those things for at least the first few weeks, if not longer. It takes practice also to move through those emotions.” (13:51-14:18)   Links  https://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast  https://instagram.com/friedtheburnoutpodcast    XOXO, C   If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“What does this have to do with what I came to the world to be?” This is the one-question reset that Dr. Sandra Lewis poses to herself each time she encounters an obstacle in her life. No matter what problem she might be facing, this question helps Sandra ground herself, return to her inner purpose, and make a conscious decision about whether the issue at hand aligns with her personal goals.    A Clinical Psychologist and Personal Energy Strategist, Dr. Sandra has a unique ability to blend evidence-based research and ancient wisdom science into practical strategies for well-being. She explains that her career path as an energy strategist was largely inspired by her own burnout, during which she utterly lost her own voice. After taking an extended leave from work and reconnecting with her core self, Sandra found a passion for helping other heart-led, high-achieving women transform burnout into sustainable, purpose-driven success and fulfillment.     Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Dr. Sandra Lewis about committing to being yourself in the world. Learn about the versatility of boundaries, the magic of Qigong practice, and how to fall in love with the brilliance you offer the world.      Quotes • “What I discovered in these 12 weeks of giving myself this time to reconnect with me is...I’d actually lost touch with my own voice. I was so involved in trying to get something done for an organization that I forgot what I meant to the organization and what the organization meant to me.” (05:41-06:00) • “The question I ask myself when I get really stressed out is, ‘What does this have to do with what I came to the world to be?’” (07:44-07:50) • “When you start to lose it, you need something to ground. So, strategy for me is about ground, just ground. Feel yourself on the earth, feel yourself settled, and then move.” (17:58-18:10) • “So this ability to get inside is absolutely important because we are fragmented. And in order to help us start to come back together, it's necessary to see: where are the breaks? What breaks me? And how do I heal? How do I see how to fuse things back together?” (22:27-22:47) • “What I love about Qigong practice is really literally being able to connect to sort of an infinite source of energy, and to recognize that I can reset myself and that I can do it simply and easily with a practice.” (28:53-29:13) • “Burnout is not just the function of who we are as individuals. We live in and work in families, we work in organizations, there are things outside of us that also impinge upon us, and we react to those things. So, if systems don't change, we will still just keep having to deal with the same challenges.” (46:44-47:04)   Links https://www.tcmworld.org/shop/energy-everybody-everyday-video/  https://www.lifein4partharmony.com  https://www.instagram.com/thelivingsource/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandraylewis/  https://tinyurl.com/energizeher   XOXO, C   If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What strategies can I use to make my transition back to work during/after burnout recovery as smooth as possible? This question was recently posed in our FRIED Facebook Group, and the conversation that ensued was incredibly powerful. I decided to follow up on our discussion with a #straightfromcait episode that addresses some of the most helpful suggestions.   While this list is certainly not exhaustive, here are seven tips for returning to work during/after your burnout recovery: • Watch out for feelings of resentment in order to set internal and external boundaries • Be as honest as you feel safe being with your colleagues • Spend a few minutes before you start working and after you finish doing some breathing exercises to set the pace for your day and for your time at home • Take breaks during the day to protect your nervous system • Pay attention to any of the symptoms you are feeling at peak burnout • Build white space into your calendar • Turn off all non-crucial notifications   To see the suggestions that others had in response to this question, join our FRIED. The Burnout Facebook group, linked below!    Quotes • “Resentment is such an amazingly powerful tool when you are coming through burnout recovery. I want you to watch for feelings of resentment and notice that they’re a good thing, that you noticed them, and that that’s amazing because now you have some information that lets you know that a boundary needs to be put into place.” (03:02-03:22) • “If you don’t know where the boundaries need to be, it’s impossible to put them into place and it’s impossible to reinforce them.” (03:23-03:29) • “Our attitudes change when we know each other’s stories, and you never know who you might help by sharing yours. You can absolutely choose to protect parts of your story, but having a version of it that you can share will go a long way when it comes to asking for accommodations and creating new boundaries.” (04:40-05:00) • “Give people the opportunity to see you, give you grace, and meet you where you are. They can’t do that if they don’t have your story.” (05:28-05:37) • “Giving yourself mini breaks and times away from your desk and your phone will go a massively long way in keeping you safe. Remember that a huge part of burnout recovery is creating feelings of safety, so that your nervous system doesn’t have to stay on alert all the time.” (08:04-08:22) • “Everything that you don’t need to hear, everything that doesn’t need to pop up on your screen and interrupt you, shut it down. This will also help you create some white space because you’ll be able to focus easier and therefore get things done faster. And when things are done faster, you have more white space!” (10:44-11:04)   Links https://caitdonovan.com/resentment-journal  https://m.facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast https://heartmath.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happy-brain/id1377502232   XOXO, C   If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“My life looked great, my Instagram looked great, my CV looked great, but behind the scenes of that, I was burning out in a big way,” says Maggie Supernova, Burnout Prevention and Recovery Coach. In a former life, Maggie worked for 12 years as a marketing executive in the live entertainment industry, a career that took her from the West End of London to Broadway and beyond. While teenage Maggie would have been thrilled by this career path, which had been a lifelong dream, grownup Maggie did not like the person she had become. Her job had become her entire life, and her sense of self, calm and balance were crushed underneath it.   After quite literally collapsing on the floor of her workplace after a two-week vacation, Maggie realized that her body was screaming at her to get out. She quit her job and moved back in with her parents just months before the pandemic hit. Maggie explains that the pandemic was in many ways a blessing in disguise for her, as it forced her to slow down and truly embody the practices she needed to implement to overcome her burnout. Not only did Maggie apply those lessons to her own life, but she is now using them to support others in her work as a yoga instructor and burnout coach as well.   Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a moving conversation with Maggie about the supernova moment that transformed her life. Learn more about the dangers of an all or nothing mentality, the importance of continued practice even when you don’t feel its benefits, and the magic of yin yoga to restore balance to your body and brain.    Quotes • “My life looked great, my Instagram looked great, my CV looked great, but behind the scenes of that, I was burning out in a big way.” (05:07-05:20) • “I can see now how completely unhealthy my life was. I was obsessed with my work, and it was the thing that completely defined me because it wasn’t just work. It was my social life, it was my friends, it was my passion.” (09:58-10:14)  • “[I’m now] figuring out who I am, who I’ve always been away from the person that I’ve spent all this time convincing myself that I had to be.” (17:02-17:10) • “Hang on – if I’m doing all of this, if I’m putting myself through hell, if I’m putting everyone around me through hell, if my body is exhausted, my brain is broken, my heart and soul...I don’t know where they’ve gone, then what is the point?” (24:13-24:31) • “[The key] is practicing when you don’t need to practice, practicing when you don’t necessarily immediately feel the benefits of the practice, and just keeping going because keeping going is when the magic happens.” (28:34-28:48) • "[Yin Yoga] is a very slow and meditative form of yoga….It’s all down at the level of the mat. It’s very slow and the principles of Yin are that you create the shape, you hold the shape, you find your edge in that shape...and then you stay there, and you stay there in stillness.” (36:54-37:48) • “When we are burnt out, we feel like we can’t relax, we can’t let go. All we need is to be held and supported for a moment, and we don’t trust ourselves, we don’t trust people around us, we are battered and bruised and broken. And something as simple as a cushion or a wall or a yoga block can be that support for you in that pose and you can completely let go of what you’re holding onto.” (41:36-42:09)   Links https://linktr.ee/maggiesupernova  https://maggiesupernova.com/fried  https://www.maggiesupernova.com/my-burnout-story https://instagram.com/maggiesupernovacoach XOXO, C   If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices