Honoring Your Burnout

Hello,

And welcome to this Insight Timer.

Talk and practice on honoring your burnout.

Today I will speak to this universal experience of burnout that we all have.

At various times in our life.

And you may be experiencing burnout from your work situation.

From caregiving,

From your own health challenges.

From the world at large trying to navigate bigger systems.

And burnout happens when.

Our interaction with the world.

Too much,

Too fast,

And it overwhelms our capacity to respond.

And these experiences tend to go on for a really long time,

Like there's no end in sight.

And some of the key symptoms of burnout as opposed to just stress.

It's a more chronic condition.

It's a longer term.

And these are things like constant fatigue,

Feeling exhausted even after quote unquote a good night of sleep.

You may feel like you're running on empty or that you're wired and tired.

Physical pain can increase migraines,

Headaches,

Muscle pain,

Joint pain.

Gastrointestinal issues are very,

Very common.

In this Exaggerated stress response of burnout.

Weakened immune system.

So our whole system is trying to hold us together.

And it's on overdrive.

And so we're often exhausted enough to the point that we can't fight off any of the viruses or bacteria that are around us.

And so there can be an experience of just getting more colds more often.

More stomach bugs,

That kind of thing.

And of course,

Sleep disturbances are so common in burnout.

Where you're really tired but you can't seem to get quality sleep.

Appetite changes happen in particular.

Cravings for foods that may not be the healthiest,

Such as caffeine or sugar.

Our body is seeking out some quick energy supply.

And often that comes.

In the form of food that is not so good for us.

Cardiovascular strain is very common,

Heart palpitations,

Increased blood pressure.

Jaw tension,

Body tension,

Along with the pain.

So our body takes the load of burnout.

As well as our emotions and our mind.

But these body symptoms.

Tell us that we are in overdrive and are in a persistent fight or flight response.

Which can create just long-term challenges physically in our body.

If we don't address them.

The challenge with burnout that I think is pretty rampant in our society is The general.

Wisdom that is,

You know,

Over the media or over your social if you do social media.

Is you have to do better self-care.

And that you have to take time out.

You have to rest more.

You have to stimulate your vagus so you can get into a parasympathetic response.

You need to change your diet.

You need to exercise more,

Exercise less.

It's endless.

And when our burnout doesn't resolve or when we don't feel better.

We feel like a failure.

So here's a really key piece.

Burnout is not caused by failing to manage our stress well enough.

It's caused by chronic exposure.

To unsustainable conditions.

Let me repeat that.

Burnout is caused by chronic exposure to unsustainable conditions.

So burnout,

While we feel it on an individual level,

It is much bigger than us.

It is.

A systemic problem in our society,

In our culture.

It's not just that you as an individual are doing something wrong.

So your body's response.

Is really normal.

Your body's response is telling you,

I have a constant threat in my life.

And I have to protect and defend all the time,

24-7.

So,

It's a rational and.

.

.

Biologically hardwired response to Conditions.

That are irrational,

Overwhelming,

Systemic and much bigger than our individual.

Experience.

Sometimes our burnout can't be fixed by individual action.

So,

In an ideal world that I'm putting this out there because I am creating an intention that hopefully we can all share and that Hopefully.

Many of you will be able to see in your lifetime.

Are these factors.

If we could create a society that has the following conditions,

Burnout,

Would not be such an issue.

Working fewer hours for livable wages.

Having access to affordable health care.

Living in communities with actual social support.

Working or living in environments without discrimination.

Having economic security and safety nets.

And working in environments that treat us with humanity,

With dignity,

And respect.

So this is a vision that I hold.

You know,

As a culture across the world.

We have a lot of work to do,

Right?

This requires community effort.

Myself as an individual,

I can't make these huge systemic changes.

But we have to.

Work together to eventually create this.

So you might think that,

Well,

If it's so big,

And requires so much social change.

Maybe I'll feel helpless with my burnout.

I want to challenge you on that belief.

If you Take your burnout not as an individual failing.

That you're not rising to the challenge,

That you can't cope.

And put it in a larger context.

That often relieves the burden and gives you some validation.

That You know,

It's not just a you problem.

It's a we challenge,

Right?

It's a universal challenge that we need to create.

Something different in our world.

To sustain ourselves.

So given that,

And given that we don't have these positive conditions right now in most work environments.

You know,

You can see what you can actually do,

Like maybe at work you can advocate for more respect or for more better boundaries or.

For time limits,

So you're not overworking or,

You know,

There may be some agency that you have in your,

In your world.

And so what can actually help with burnout?

Is actual rest.

So,

You know,

Not optimized rest or productive rest that you,

You know,

Try to do something formally,

Although if something like Yoga Nidra works for you,

Stay with it.

But just resting without guilt.

Just doing nothing.

It is a very powerful social statement to Take rest and not feel guilty about it.

Community and mutual aid,

So real support with real people sharing resources.

Know,

If you can do this in your world,

Whether it's with family,

With friends,

With work colleagues,

You know,

That can be helpful.

Although I know that many of you feel quite isolated with your overwhelm with all that you're carrying.

So it may seem like that is How do you get that right?

I don't have time.

I don't have enough energy to go out and find community or offer aid.

So that's okay,

Right?

Honor your burnout from where you're at.

And there may come a time when you have a little bit more energy.

Setting boundaries.

Right as.

An act of protection of your body,

Your heart,

Your soul,

Your mind.

To learn to say,

No,

I won't be attending this.

Yes,

I want to do that.

But no,

I don't want to do this.

Um Sometimes,

If you try to set boundaries,

That may affect your job.

So.

.

.

You.

That's the conundrum,

Right?

You're interacting with a larger system.

You may have no control over and you may need to keep your job or your health care.

So.

.

.

Acknowledging the structural problems is what we're doing here.

And.

.

.

When we can do this,

When you can name that you're exhausted because the system is extracting everything from you.

That's powerful,

Right?

It's not that you're failing.

So this shift in and of itself can be very powerful.

And it can give you some agency.

So as we come into practice today,

We're going to investigate Our burnout right when when you if you're feeling burnout now.

We're going to be curious about it.

We're going to hold our experience of burnout with kindness,

With curiosity.

We're going to do a little somatic practice so we can sense how our body is holding this right now.

And we're going to explore.

Agency.

What agency do I have?

Right now in spite of all the big structural.

Challenges that affect me so deeply.

So I'd like you to come into a posture where you can be kind and curious with your body.

It can be sitting,

Reclining.

And we're going to take a little bit more time today.

To arrive and settle.

The reason for this is that when our system is in our fight-flight sympathetic nervous system state.

So chronically.

It's takes a longer time for it to come down into some restfulness.

For many of you,

You have pedaled to the metal,

You're pushing,

Pushing,

And then you collapse on the weekend.

And then you go back to pedal to the metal,

Push,

Push.

And so we're going to try to.

Come more into a mid-range,

If possible,

Relaxing just a bit,

Softening just a bit.

In our arriving practice so that hopefully you can feel a bit of shift.

In your nervous system,

A shift in your body.

So some of you may find the breath is a powerful anchor.

For settling.

If the breath works for you.

And you need to slow down,

Make your exhales a bit longer.

If working with your breath is challenging,

Find another.

Sensory doorway.

Where you can Use one of your five senses.

To come into this present moment.

That might be noticing.

The sounds in your environment.

Or perhaps.

Being aware of color in your environment if you want to open your eyes.

Maybe an object that you can see is soothing and settling for you.

Touch can also be a very powerful tool.

Sensory doorway to come back to the present moment.

So just noticing your hands and your lap.

Or the support behind your back.

And if you want to.

Honor your process.

Some of you might find that just gently stroking down your cheeks.

Is a very tender.

Gentle.

Way to feel touch.

To tend to all the load that you're carrying.

All the work you're trying to do.

To See the tiredness.

Maybe a hand on your chest.

And as you settle,

Check in every once in a while with your body.

And just notice if there are.

.

.

Any shifts.

There could be.

Very subtle,

And that's okay.

Perhaps your shoulders are dropping just a bit.

Ah,

Perhaps you have a sigh.

Or maybe there's.

A warmth towards yourself as you Hold.

Your burnout with some tenderness.

Feeling gravity hold you onto this earth.

Knowing that you don't have to lift yourself up right now.

Let gravity hold you.

And now I'd like you to notice.

What part of your life holds the burnout?

So do you feel it mostly at your job,

Your work?

Or is it caregiving?

Or it could be health concerns for yourself or another.

Maybe grief.

Or it could be a whole combination,

Financial,

Work.

Health.

It could be everything all the time at once.

And then name this to yourself.

My burnout is coming from when we can name something.

Honestly to ourselves.

We have a bit of softening in our fear center,

The amygdala.

Of our midbrain.

There's a softening.

That comes with the naming.

And there's not quite as much activation that happens.

So naming is a profoundly powerful.

Practice.

This is my overwhelm.

This is my burnout.

It comes from these sources.

And then check in with your body.

And ask your body.

To show you the places where you're holding your burnout.

Right,

So ask your body,

Show me the places,

And then Pause and listen to your body.

It may take a few moments.

But what part of your body is holding the heavy burden?

Maybe it's.

.

.

Chest tightness.

Short breath.

Or maybe it's your gut.

Right,

That's.

.

.

Feels so dysregulated.

Maybe achy joints.

Extraordinary exhaustion.

So this is another naming practice.

I see you body I see the toll and where you're holding.

This exhaustion.

I see you.

Thank you,

Bodhi,

For continuing to work with us.

To keep me alive in spite of this load.

And then notice where in your emotional body Do you hold the burnout?

You know,

Are you holding a lot of anger?

Or resentment.

Or frustration.

Or a sense of hopelessness.

Do you wanna just disappear?

So that no one will find you to ask you to do anything.

Again,

Knowing and honoring that.

You're having a normal response to systemic challenges.

This is normal when we experience too much,

Too fast,

For too long,

For all the time,

From too many places.

You're not doing anything wrong.

You're not broken.

And then how does your body respond?

To this naming of your burnout this kindness that you're offering.

Saying,

Yeah,

You've been carrying a lot.

In your heart,

In your body,

In your mind.

Knowing that this is not just A U problem.

But it's a systemic problem.

You might be able to offer yourself some.

Deep care for Knowing that.

You can't fix this.

Where is this honoring of?

Your efforts.

No matter how hard you try,

There's still more and more coming.

So our next.

Point of awareness is.

Where do you have agency in your situation to support yourself?

Knowing that you're You know,

You probably can't change the systems that you are.

Struggling under.

But what agency do you still have?

So perhaps you can strengthen your boundaries about work hours or obligations.

Saying no to another demand.

Perhaps modulating how much screen time.

And news and.

All of that sensory information coming in from the world.

Giving yourself some quiet time.

Slow down.

To make your tea with respect.

To putter in your garden.

To hang your hummingbird feeder and.

Noticing the birds that come.

Can you.

.

.

Make some wise choices for your ingestion.

From screens and media to food and caffeine.

Often we use caffeine to keep ourselves going,

But it can have an impact on our adrenal glands.

And so what would that be like to soften the input of sugar or caffeine.

See what happens in your body.

And can you give yourself moments of neuromodulation.

Pauses where you take some breaths,

Where you sink into your chair,

Where you look out to the horizon.

For 10 or 15 seconds.

To shift yourself out of this.

You know,

Pedal to the metal process where you're not stopping to Take pause.

Take a short pause many times a day.

Without your screen.

If possible.

To feel your body to stretch,

To stand in the sunshine.

Our bodies register these inputs.

In a very deep way.

I'm hoping that as I've offered some suggestions that You also.

Are getting some inspiration of ways small ways that you can tend to your own system.

Knowing that this won't cure your burnout.

But that you can offer yourself some solace,

Some tending.

Some honoring of the load.

To say,

I'm going to take a pause and go outside for a few moments.

Let me lie on the grass.

Let me look at the sky.

And for the last few minutes of our practice together.

I'd like us all to.

Lean back.

The image that I often use when my mind is very busy.

Is I rest my brain,

I recline my brain to the back of my skull.

And I set my brain up on a beautiful lawn chair.

And just let it rest.

Leaning into the backside of your body.

Let's do that for a few moments together,

You and I.

Taking some rest together.

Honoring what you've been carrying.

And feel free to stay reclined while I Read a poem to close this practice.

This is a poem by David White entitled Intimate invitation.

You forget how,

Even when you are barely mobile.

Even when you feel bereft of any horizon.

And even when without faith you feel held back and afraid to move even a little.

You can still be like the beauty we see in winter ice,

Just beginning to break and flow.

You forget how you can still see so clearly the brave outline of a single leaf.

How the stream of clouds in the sky can run right through you.

And the sun on your skin seems to pass.

Right through to some inner complexion.

And because after all this time you live,

And have lived for so long.

Without faith in your own joys and your own grief.

You live daily saying love as if it were still far away.

But come here now into the arms of the waiting world.

Put down the heavy burden you have carried so long.

And rest.

From the hard everyday labor.

Of not hurting or not feeling.

Or not hearing or not saying or seeing.

Stop keeping the tears at bay.

Give it all up.

Just come home.

So thank you so much for practicing with me today.