Many people assume burnout happens because they are doing too much.
But in reality,
Burnout is often less about workload and more about capacity.
Capacity refers to how much pressure your nervous system can handle while still feeling steady and regulated.
For many high-performing women,
The issue is not laziness,
Lack of discipline,
Or poor time management.
In fact,
Most people experience burnout are extremely responsible and productive.
They try to solve exhaustion by reorganizing their schedules,
Improving productivity systems,
Or planning better rest.
Yet the fatigue often stays.
That is because there is a difference between being busy and being internally activated.
When your nervous system is in a constant odd state,
Your body stays in a mild stress response.
Your brain releases stress hormones that help you focus,
Push through problems,
And make quick decisions.
In the short term,
This can feel energizing and productive.
But the body is not designed to stay in that state all the time.
Over time,
Constant activation starts to show up in subtle ways.
You might notice tight shoulders or a clenched jaw.
Your breathing may stay shallow.
You may struggle to fully relax at night even when the day is over.
This state becomes so normal that many people assume it is simply the price of being responsible or successful.
But when the nervous system stays activated,
Without enough recovery,
The body becomes more sensitive to stress.
Smaller challenges can start to feel overwhelming.
Even when you are performing well externally,
You may feel increasingly depleted internally.
Burnout is often the result of this ongoing strain.
It is not always about doing too much.
Often it is about your system carrying pressure without enough return to balance.
I would like to introduce you to a burnout buster practice.
We'll start by sitting on the floor with your legs crossed or in a chair with your feet on the floor.
Either way,
Your spine should be lengthened.
You may have your eyes open or closed.
If you are leaving your eyes open,
Softly gaze at an object.
If closed,
Very lightly press the eyelids together.
The breath for this practice is in and out through the nose,
Keeping your lips lightly pressed together,
And your jaw,
Throat,
And tongue relaxed.
Allow your shoulders,
Upper back,
And arms to soften.
You can rest your hands comfortably in your lap,
Palms up or down.
Creating awareness around the breath brings greater awareness,
Not just to the breath,
But to the body,
And it suddenly quiets the mind.
Breath awareness is often used to center oneself at the beginning of a meditation or yoga practice.
So for those of you who do practice,
This may seem familiar.
So let's begin by bringing your awareness to your breath.
Breathing in through the nose,
Feel the coolness as you inhale,
And the warmth on your exhale.
You may feel your belly rise as you breathe in,
And the belly relax as you breathe out.
So together we will practice this breath awareness for about one minute.
Breathing in,
And out.
Feeling the coolness,
Belly rises or expands,
And breathing out,
Feeling the warmth,
And the belly falls.
Continue at your own pace,
Breathing in,
And the belly rises,
Breathing out,
The belly falls.
Now we'll move into the burnout buster.
This technique restores balance to the nervous system,
Creating calmness.
This is a great go-to practice anytime you need a quick rebalance.
We will inhale to a count of six,
Hold for a count of two,
Exhale to a count of six,
And hold that exhalation for a count of two.
We will practice this for about two minutes.
With your next inhalation,
Breathing in through the nose,
Hold,
Exhale,
Again inhale to a count of six,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Hold,
One,
Two,
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Hold,
One,
Two,
Again inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Hold,
One,
Two,
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Hold,
One,
Two,
Continue,
Inhale for six,
Hold for two,
Exhale six,
Hold for two,
And you can return your breath back to normal.
It's always important to allow your breath to normalize,
Coming into a comfortable,
Natural breathing rhythm.
When you are ready,
You can wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle your toes,
And gently open your eyes.
I recommend practicing this technique two to three times per day for 30 days to achieve the best results.
Once you're comfortable with two minutes,
You can add additional time in 30 second increments.
And remember,
Inconsistent practice will not yield optimal results.
Thank you,
Many blessings,
With love,
Light,
And gratitude.
