Welcome to this burnout meditation,
A neurodivergent friendly meditation for burnout,
Honouring rest and the slow return to self with affirmations for recovery.
I am Amy Peters,
A neurodivergent therapist.
No need to lie down or close your eyes or sit in a particular position,
Just do whatever you need and if your thoughts start to drift away,
That's ok,
Just bring your focus gently back here whenever you can.
If you're here because you're burnt out,
Truly,
Deeply exhausted,
This space is for you.
This meditation won't ask you to try harder,
It won't tell you to push through,
It's here to remind you that burnout is real and valid and recovery doesn't have to look impressive or happen quickly,
You don't have to keep it all together.
Some things feel harder right now,
Even the basics might feel too much,
And that makes sense.
You've been holding so much for so long,
Giving,
Trying,
Masking,
Coping,
There's nothing wrong with you,
You're not lazy,
You're not failing,
This is a recalibration,
Your system is telling the truth,
You need rest.
This is what happens when you've been running on empty,
You don't need now to compare your struggle to anyone else's,
You don't need to justify your exhaustion,
It's enough that you feel it,
Right now it's ok to do less,
To go slower,
To rest more often.
Now,
Just notice your breath,
Don't try to change it,
Just notice,
If it feels ok,
Feel the coolness of your breath as you breathe in,
Now feel the warmth of your breath as you breathe out.
If it feels right for you,
See if you can stretch your breath a little now,
Breathe in a little deeper,
And then out a little slower,
And again,
Breathe in slowly,
Breathe out,
And as you do,
Let your shoulders drop,
And just try that again,
Breathe in from your belly,
And then breathe out and let it all go,
Unclench your jaw,
Remember,
You're allowed to prioritise your energy,
You're allowed to say no,
You're allowed to lower the bar,
Sometimes survival is the achievement,
Sometimes just getting out of bed is the win,
Or being able to listen to this meditation,
You're here,
You're doing something for you,
Sometimes just being is enough.
Take another breath in now,
And another long breath out,
Relaxing your muscles,
If it feels right,
You can try placing one hand on your chest,
Feel the warmth of your touch against the skin,
Now feel the support of the chair,
Or the bed,
Or the floor underneath you,
Burnout is not just being tired,
It's a deep depletion,
A full body,
Full heart signal that something hasn't been working,
It doesn't mean you're weak,
It means you've been strong for too long,
Without enough care,
Recovery is not linear,
There's no rush,
No fixed timeline,
You don't have to bounce back,
You just get to rebuild gently from the inside out,
Now repeat to yourself these affirmations,
I am allowed to rest,
I am safe,
I am not broken,
I don't need to prove my worth,
Burnout is real,
My experience matters,
It's ok to let things wait,
I am allowed to come back gently,
I am allowed to have needs,
I am allowed to stop,
As you sit or lie here,
You don't have to do anything,
You don't have to fix anything,
You can stay here as long as you need,
Your only job now is to rest,
To be,
Let recovery be slow,
Let it be kind.
