During your burnout recovery, you will likely still not be at your original energy level for a while. It takes a different amount of time for everyone, but in Cait’s experience the average time frame has been around 18 months.  In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan, host and burnout speaker, shares 8 tips for helping to get your energy back during recovery.   Doing too much all at once can cause you to do more harm than good for your recovery. Start with choosing one thing to work on, and then once it becomes a habit you can move on to the next. A good place to start is seeing your doctor for blood work, or if you can afford it going to a functional medicine practitioner. If you have an underlying medical issue like anemia or low Vitamin D, you will not be able to feel energized regardless of how much mindset work you do. Another simple tip to improve your energy is to drink more water. Just adding one additional glass of water each day is a great way to keep yourself from becoming dehydrated, especially if you add in some electrolytes.    Overdoing it is part of what causes burnout in the first place, so be patient with yourself during recovery. Be honest and take a step back if you find yourself doing too much. Start with small actionable steps like drinking more water or improving your posture and slowly work up to doing more as your energy returns.   Quotes • “If your vitamin D or B12 are low, or if you’re anemic or your thyroid is off, you're not going to feel rested and or energized no matter how much mindset work you do.” (2:02-2:14 | Cait) • “You can't have energy without water. If you aren't drinking enough, and you know who you are out there, add one more glass a day.” (3:44-3:52 | Cait)  • “Check in and be honest about whether or not you're overdoing it, please. Because when you start to feel better, you might be inclined to work like you used to. And you might just not be able to do that yet. If you're overworking, you'll need to take a step back somehow. Learning how to rebalance your life is part of recovery, and it's impossible to feel rested when you're always overworked.” (5:14-5:36 | Cait)  • “Did you know that when you're sitting in a crappy position all day and you don't breathe fully and therefore you don't use energy well, you're basically creating an inefficient machine?” (5:40-5:50 | Cait) • “If you aren't moving because exercise still feels like it's too much, you might need to shift your mindset around what exercise means.” (6:29-6:37 | Cait) • “Be patient with yourself, please. The desire to push yourself beyond your energetic means is a piece of what drew you to burnout in the first place.” (7:43-7:52 | Cait)   Links  https://instagram.com/carolynbrownie https://instagram.com/isabelsmithnutrition https://instagram.com/themetabolismmakeover https://instagram.com/lalunehealing https://www.youtube.com/@SpringForestQigongYouTube https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/riley-jarvis-the-big-secrets-of-exceptional-sleep-with-the-sleep-consultant https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/carolyn-brown-love-where-you-live-beautify-your-home-and-drink-your-damn-water https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/isabel-smith https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/elizabeth-collins-the-burnout-witch-talks-leaky-gut-tarot-and-optimal-blood-work https://drinklmnt.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3eGfBhCeARIsACpJNU9X5rms3Ys7g762nRUemppIJhQg3yl1Uiv6-UzrHte5xRkyD_4ZjwAaAuY7EALw_wcB   Want to book Cait as a speaker? https://caitdonovan.as.me/inquiry 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   https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm  

Ewa Błaszczak is a mentor for leaders and teams, an author, professional speaker, and coaching mentor to host Cait Donovan. Recently she wrote a book in Polish that began as a TED talk about the toxicity of sarcasm and developed into a deep dive on how to detoxify communication.    Communication toxins are a natural defense mechanism that developed in response to our reptilian brain’s need for psychological safety and early humans’ reliance on one another to survive. When you are in a toxic environment, you are likely to fight others through your communication choices, whether by using sarcasm, ignoring people, or being overly critical. These dangerously toxic communication mechanisms reduce the psychological safety of not only yourself, but also those around you and can lead to burnout. It is impossible for trust to thrive in a toxic environment, so removing those toxins is pivotal for healthy relationships to grow.   Pay close attention to the language you use with yourself. When you improve the way you communicate with yourself, it will have a positive impact on how you communicate with others. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Ewa Błaszczak about how to heal burnout by detoxing your communication.    Quotes • “There's a specific thing that makes our relationships crumble, that makes our lives literally miserable, and these are communication toxins.” (18:38-18:47 | Ewa) • “We lack psychological safety. We are warring with ourselves and others constantly.” (19:09-19:16 | Ewa)  • “If you are subject to sarcasm on a daily basis, your immune system gets compromised for the next four years and it causes all those autoimmune diseases.” (23:20-23:33 | Ewa) • “We have to pay close attention to how we treat ourselves on a daily basis.” (36:39-36:45 | Ewa) • “Start with yourself and start with monitoring your own inner communication, because once you change the way you communicate with yourself, there will be less pain and you'll be less vulnerable.” (38:37-38:49 | Ewa) • “We are all wounded and toxicity is a natural defense mechanism not to feel our own pain.” (41:46-41:56 | Ewa) • “There's no trust in a toxic environment. There's no possibility that the trust is going to thrive.” (48:17-48:23 | Ewa)   Links Connect with Ewa Błaszczak: https://ewablaszczak.com https://www.akashicreadings.eu/ https://gottman.com  https://www.ted.com/talks/ewa_blaszczak_let_s_put_an_end_to_sarcasm   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   https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm  

The steps for healing from burnout are different from what is required to prevent burnout. When you are burnt out and experiencing chronic stress, the part of your brain responsible for executive functioning actually loses neurons. This means that you may struggle more with memory loss and keeping up with all of the day to day responsibilities that come with adulting. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan, host and burnout speaker, shares her tips for healing a burnt out brain.   In order to heal your brain and regain executive functioning skills, you should aim to make progress slowly. You cannot undo 20 years of chronic stress in three weeks and expect your brain to function like new. It takes time to heal and it is best to start small. No one can completely focus and be productive when they are hungry, thirsty, tired, or need to use the bathroom. Even just fixing things like your sleep patterns, making it a habit to eat regularly, and letting yourself pee when you need to are huge for building a healthy foundation.   Chronic stress often leads to burnout, and burnout actively shrinks the part of your brain that handles executive functioning. Healing your brain will take time and intentionality. Start small with activities like brain games on your phone to help improve memory and devoting time to foundational self-care.    Quotes • “The steps that are required to heal from burnout are different than those that are needed to prevent burnout.” (1:46-1:52 | Cait) • “The part of your brain that is responsible for executive functioning loses neurons with chronic stress.” (3:21-3:26 | Cait) • “You're gonna make the most progress with your burnout recovery when you are aiming for things that are just slightly out of your current ability. What I see happening all the time in burnout recovery is that people want to rewind 20 years of stress and damage in three weeks and get back functions that are too many steps ahead of where they are.” (5:31-5:53 | Cait)  • “If you do everything for children, then that interferes with their executive functioning development because they're not being asked to task their brain to learn a new thing.” (8:46-8:56 | Cait) • “Executive functioning skills are at their best when we are at our best.” (9:23-9:28 | Cait)  • “We never expect a young child or a student to be able to grow and learn when they're tired and hungry. Why are you expecting yourself to?” (10:13-10:22 | Cait)   Links    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKGrmY8OSHM (Non Sleep Deep Rest) https://insighttimer.com https://instagram.com/themetabolismmakeover 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   https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm  

Recovering from burnout requires you to be okay with being uncomfortable. Rest is actually incredibly productive, and even though you might feel restless or guilty about sitting still it is vital for recovery. In today’s #straightfromcaitandsarah episode, Cait Donovan, host and burnout speaker, and Sarah Vosen, FRIED burnout coach, answer your most common burnout questions from the FRIED Facebook group.   If you are expending too much time and energy and not receiving enough resources back, this will contribute to burnout. You can’t go into burnout recovery the same way as you tackle other issues, because it requires an entirely different approach. When your resources are depleted, you need to rest in order to refill those resources. Your body is likely to start sending signals in the form of various ailments and symptoms if you ignore the signs for too long and refuse to rest.    When you are experiencing signs of burnout, it is time to stop and take a break. Allow your body to rest and check in on your routine to see where you may be able to change things. Often you will find yourself running on autopilot and doing things a certain way when there may be a simpler way to do them that enables you to expend less resources.   Quotes • “Recovery requires a different way of being, a different way of doing, a different mode of operation.” (3:35-3:40 | Sarah) • “A lot of burnout recovery happens in these spaces where you learn to sit with feeling uncomfortable.” (6:59-7:07 | Cait) • “When you are faced with the choice of guilt or resentment, choose guilt every time; because resentment eats at you.” (8:09-8:21 | Cait) • “The guilt isn't the problem. The avoidance of the guilt is the problem.” (10:09-10:12 | Cait) • “When we're burnt out, we have depleted our resources oftentimes, especially time and  energy, and we're giving too much. And we're giving too much out to things that aren't refueling our resources. So pausing for a second and a break is a good time to do this, to take an inventory of what am I spending my time, money, and resources, energy on? And what can I stop giving to?” (16:09-16:40 | Sarah)  • “Rest is receiving resources.” (17:52-17:55 | Cait)  • “Any symptom from head to toe can be part of a burnout scenario.” (30:52-30:56 | Cait)   Links    https://bearaby.com https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah  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   https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm  

In this episode, Kute Blackson discusses the power of surrender in overcoming burnout, emphasizing the importance of fully accepting and grieving before moving forward. He shares personal experiences of surrendering to life's challenges and highlights the transformative potential of embracing authenticity and releasing toxic patterns.

Hi All! Last minute episode to be sure that you know what's possible and what you'll get when you decide to join FRIED's group coaching program! You can find the full details on this PDF handout If you're ready to sign up, you can do that HERE. If you'd like to chat with Sarah this week to be sure you're a good fit - feel free to book that call HERE.   Questions? Come hang in the FB group and post your questions on the LIVE version of this podcast that aired on Valentines Day! :)

There are two major theories when it comes to burnout. The first is that it is entirely preventable through a simple shift in workplace culture. The second is that burnout is not always avoidable but can be eliminated through self-care, establishing boundaries, and self-advocacy. According to Cait, the truth is somewhere in the middle. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait, host and burnout speaker, talks about the workplace as a trauma recycling center and what that means for burnout.   A toxic workplace often is the result of people recycling their own traumas back onto their peers. Everyone in your workplace, even the people you dislike, has their own trauma that they are bringing to work with them. Our society is not equal and there are many social determinants of health that impact a person’s susceptibility to burnout. Also, since everyone comes from different life experiences, your idea of workplace trauma might be very different from your coworker’s.    By working with a trauma informed therapist and making time for self-care and self-advocacy, you can work to heal from trauma so that you bring less of it with you to your job. Give yourself grace and compassion above all else, and then find compassion for others as well.    Quotes • “After interviewing more than 100 people for this podcast and working with countless others, I have yet to meet a person who recovered from burnout without engaging in some form of self care.” (2:24-2:35 | Cait) • “The workplace is a trauma recycling center. Workplace culture can be toxic, and we like to blame that on the system. Listen up everybody. I've said this before I'm gonna say it again. We are the system. The people making decisions at the top have just as much trauma as the people burning out along the path. Do you think that the bullies are people who have worked through their own sh*t? Hell no. Do you think that bosses who demand nonstop working and don't understand that you don't want to slash can't actually work 27 hours a day have been through successful therapy or trauma healing? Hell to the no.” (3:23-4:08 | Cait)  • “Until we have created a culture where there aren't large percentages of people who are neglected, abused and traumatized, burnout is always going to end up being one of the results.” (4:28-4:39 | Cait)  • “A psychologically safe workplace for you is not a psychologically safe workplace for someone else.” (6:42-6:47 | Cait) • “When you respond with harshness, even internally, what you're doing is recycling your own trauma in your own body every day. Freeing yourself from that is a powerful step towards reclaiming power over your life and healing from burnout.” (11:48-12:05 | Cait)   Links    https://bearaby.com   Erica Cuni - https://www.ericacuni.com/ Nidha Tewari - https://www.wellbeingspeaker.com/ Holly Doll - https://www.hollyangeladoll.com/ Kari Zee - https://www.karizeecoaching.com/ 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   https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn how Nina Blackshear overcame imposter syndrome after experiencing burnout in her high-powered career. Discover the impact of childhood trauma on seeking validation, societal influences on imposter syndrome, and the importance of personal integrity in facing feelings of inadequacy.

SPONSORS: Cuely - the AI + you tool to help you get those health habits in place - in a way that really works for your calendar! https://cuely.ai/FRIED Bearaby - the antianxiety weighted blanket that Cait swears by! https://bearaby.com   Susie Moore is a world renowned life coach, author of Let It Be Easy: Simple Ways to Stop Stressing and Start Living, as well as the host of the Let It Be Easy podcast. Susie’s life growing up was anything but easy. She grew up on welfare, moving frequently between domestic violence shelters, and her main hope for her future was to have stability and financial independence. However, once Susie was out of that situation and married in her own place, she realized that she was still unhappy. It wasn’t until she did a lot of inner work with consistency and intentionality that she was able to change her thought patterns and her life.   The first step toward an easier life is taking responsibility for your emotions. The way you feel inspires your actions, so by controlling your emotions you can change how you show up in the world. Next, be selective about who has access to your time and energy. If you are always hanging around people who are negative, it will be that much more difficult to remain positive and handle stressful situations. The more you fill your days with hobbies, carefully curated friends, and rich life experiences, the more you will be able to stay calm when something does not go your way.    You don’t have to live your life on hard mode. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Susie Moore about how to let life be easy, take control of your emotions, get out of your own way, and surround yourself with the right people.    Quotes • “Being very selective about who has access to you, and your energy, and your time and attention is critical.” (9:37-9:44 | Susie)  • “Sometimes we tell ourselves a story that well, this is it, there's nowhere else and it might not always be true.” (13:46-13:52 | Susie) • “Just taking responsibility for my emotions is the number one thing in my life, because we act based on how we feel.” (16:28-16:35 | Susie) • “If I have a rich life, if I have hobbies, if I have friends, if I have experiences, I'm going to be just naturally more soothed because I'm less attached to any one thing going my way.” (34:34-34:43 | Susie) • “The reason that I think some people can create and move forward and have momentum is not because they're talented, or special, or unique or different. They just don't have sloppy thinking. Right? It's like, wait, let me rethink this. Do I sound like an idiot? Wait, oh, no, I'm not good enough, actually not ready for that, she's gonna reject me. I am not playing that game with myself. Like, I'm simply not. And if I'm with my heart creating something that I feel is of use or is beautiful or is interesting, that's enough. And if there are errors, or typos, or I missed the mark, that's also okay.” (55:41-56:16 | Susie)   Links https://cuely.ai/FRIED https://bearaby.com Connect with Susie Moore: Website: https://susie-moore.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susie.moore/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susiemoore/ Workshop: http://becomeyourownlifecoach.com/   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   https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

SPONSORS: Cuely - the AI + you tool to help you get those health habits in place - in a way that really works for your calendar! https://cuely.ai/FRIED Bearaby - the antianxiety weighted blanket that Cait swears by! https://bearaby.com   Have you been feeling numb and mentally disconnected from your life? This is a very normal way to feel when you are experiencing burnout. There is a natural overlap that occurs between symptoms of burnout and symptoms of depression and anxiety. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait, host and burnout speaker, talks about the debate on whether to use mental health medications to treat the depression and anxiety symptoms that can occur with burnout.    Sometimes people worry that it would be cheating to use medications to treat their burnout. They think they should be able to do it all on their own and may feel uncomfortable about the concept of trying mental health medications. However, you are serving no one by refusing to utilize all the resources at your disposal. Sure, exercise and eating right and building a support system will all help you improve, but when you’re burnt out it is extremely difficult to engage with your life in that way. So if you have access to a therapist or a psychiatrist and are diagnosed with a mental health condition and your doctor wishes to prescribe medication for you, you should try it! It is not unfair to anyone for you to use the privileges that you have available to you in order for you to recover.    This is your permission to use any advantage and resource you have access to. Go see that therapist, get that prescription your insurance covers, do whatever you need to do in order to get yourself back on track. The more you heal from burnout the more you will be able to use that energy to give back and help others who are struggling. The more people collectively heal from burnout the more we can work together to end burnout culture.    Quotes • “In the working definition of burnout as it currently exists, which I personally find to be incomplete, it tells us that mental distance is about work. What I've found is that that sense of disconnectedness, that separation from life, occurs across the entire life spectrum.” (2:50-3:09 | Cait) • “This distance, this numbness, this inability to feel close or connected to people is often in a strange overlap place with depression.” (4:26-4:37 | Cait) • “I got caught up in this idea that most medication can be avoided, and a lot of people I know in the Chinese medicine world are pretty anti-prescription overall. Over time, I've learned to realize that this is not really my stance. I know the research that says that exercise, good food, proper rest and building a support community are just as good for depression as medication if not better, in some cases. But I also think that it is absolutely bonkers that we would ask someone who was depressed to try and do those things. You don't have the wherewithal when you're burnt out or depressed to engage in your life in that way. So if you need medication to be able to do the things that you need to do to improve your situation, and you've been diagnosed, and you've been offered a prescription, you should at least try it.” (5:47-6:40 | Cait)  • “Do not try to hero your way through burnout by being tough and not relying on options that could make it easier for you.” (6:54-7:01 | Cait) • “The more that I use my privileges to my advantage, the more I can serve the people I'm here to serve, the better I feel, and the better my life becomes.” (10:30-10:42 | Cait) • “If you have access to making something better for yourself take it, use it, get your energy back, spend that money honey and get that prescription that's covered by your insurance. Take every single advantage that you have and then when you're feeling strong enough and fulfilled enough and happy enough, spread that sh*t around like wildfire.” (14:34-14:52 | Cait) • “We don't end burnout culture by making a massive culture shift. We end burnout culture by not participating in it anymore. We don't participate in it anymore when we heal. So use your advantages, every single one you've got, so that you can reach behind you and pull the next person up in any way that you can.” (17:09-17:32 | Cait)   Links  https://cuely.ai/FRIED https://bearaby.com 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   https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm