The Truth About Burnout

In this episode of "The Truth About Burnout," we delve deep into an inspiring personal transformation journey with our guest, Jeanne-Mari Retief. Jeanne shares her experience of being diagnosed with Panic Disorder, which compelled her to reevaluate her life path and challenge her perspectives on mental illness. We explore her struggles with shame, the impact of a high-achiever mindset, and the significance of establishing a strong support network. Jeanne candidly discusses the relapse she encountered and how she learned to embrace her panic disorder as an integral part of her healing and journey towards self-acceptance.

Jeanne-Mari Retief is the founder of Figgi, a skincare brand that provides a luxurious experience for sensitive souls. With a background in human rights and international criminal and human rights law, Jeanne's life took a significant turn when she turned 35. She underwent profound changes, contemplation, confusion, frustration, and moments of joy. Despite investing considerable energy in becoming an expert in her field, she realized that her career, built with single-minded focus, no longer brought fulfillment or inspiration. This realization was both bewildering and daunting.

Confronting a health and soul crisis, Jeanne made a courageous decision to initiate a profound change. She skillfully integrated her human rights background into FIGGI, allowing her to pursue serenity while still experiencing the exhilaration of creating something new. For Jeanne, FIGGI represents her Best Life – her FIGGI Life. It's a captivating journey of self-discovery and transformation that you won't want to miss.

Episode Outline:

[04:01] Welcoming Jeanne: Avery welcomes Jeanne to the podcast, and they discuss the importance of sharing burnout experiences and relapses.

[07:44] Jeanne's Background: Jeanne talks about her background in human rights and her journey to a new realization of herself as a high achiever.

[10:36] Pivotal Moment: Jeanne shares the pivotal moment when she realized she needed to make a change in her life and how her panic disorder diagnosis impacted her.

[14:58] Identity and Self-Acceptance: Avery and Jeanne discuss the challenges of wrapping up one's identity in their work and the importance of self-acceptance.

[18:09] Burnout Relapse: Jeanne talks about her recent burnout relapse and the role of her support network and self-care in preventing burnout.

[21:45] Self-Care and Relapses: Avery and Jeanne discuss the importance of recognizing when self-care starts to feel like work and learning from relapses.

[24:50] Closing: Avery thanks Jeanne for sharing her story and discusses where listeners can find more information about Jeanne's work and skincare products.

Noteworthy Podcast Episodes Jeanne Has Been A Guest On

Let's Talk Wellness Now with Dr. Debra Muth
https://letstalkwellnessnow.com/2023/01/09/episode-201-are-you-having-an-existential-crisis-with-dr-jeanne-mari-retief/
Health Yeah Life with Karin Banghart
https://www.healthyeahlife.info/podcasts/the-health-yeah-life-podcast/episodes/2147855591
Whispers and Bricks with Ari Schonbrun
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jeanne-mari-retief-a-place-with-no-judgment/id1553840938?i=1000593887673
ZFG Living Podcast with Melissa Trumble
https://zfgliving.com/episode-8-rage-and-caffeine/
My FIGGI Life with Jeanne
https://www.figgilife.com/podcast

Links Mentioned:

Figgi Skincare: www.figgi.eu

Figgi Life (Podcast, Blog, and Shop): www.figgilife.com

Instagram: @jeanne_figgilife

Promotion: Jeanne is offering the first 50 listeners of this episode a free FIGGI Skincare Sample Kit. DM her @jeanne_figglife with the podcast name “The Truth About Burnout”

In this revealing episode, Avery dives deep into the personal journey of Leanne Mercredi, the intuitive medium and owner of Spruce Energy Healing. Leanne shares her transformative path from overwhelmed motherhood to intuitive healing guide. With raw honesty, she reflects on the challenges of raising three sensitive souls amidst the complexities of ADHD, Tourette's syndrome, and autism. Leanne's story sheds light on the pressures of societal expectations and the toll they took on her mental and physical health, leading to burnout and autoimmune arthritis.

As the conversation unfolds, Leanne opens up about her healing journey, emphasizing the pivotal role of spirituality and energy healing. From reconnecting with her intuition to accessing the Akashic Records, she shares how embracing her soul's wisdom empowered her to reclaim her identity and release the burdens of perfectionism and overachievement. Leanne's insights into the importance of self-compassion, setting boundaries, and listening to one's inner voice offer invaluable guidance for those navigating their own burnout experiences.

With warmth and authenticity, Leanne invites listeners to explore the profound transformation that comes from honoring one's soul journey and stepping into personal authenticity. Her message resonates deeply with anyone seeking to break free from the cycle of burnout and embrace a path of self-discovery and healing.

Highlights:

Identity Loss in Parenthood: [02:16 - 10:45]

• Leanne shares her experience of profound identity loss after becoming a mother.
• Discussion on societal expectations of motherhood and the pressure to be a "super mom."
• Insights into the struggle of balancing personal identity with the demands of parenthood.

Navigating High Achievement: [10:46 - 18:30]

• Exploring the concept of high achievement and its impact on mental and physical well-being.
• Leanne reflects on her tendency to prioritize others' needs over her own and the toll it took on her health.
• Discussion on the importance of setting boundaries and practicing self-compassion.

Embarking on Spiritual Healing: [18:31 - 27:12]

• Leanne shares her journey of embracing spirituality as a tool for healing.
• Insights into practices such as Reiki and exploring the Akashic records to heal past traumas.
• Discussion on the transformative power of intuitive healing and reconnecting with the soul-self connection.

Listening to the Inner Voice: [27:13 - 34:50]

• Practical tips on tuning into one's intuition and listening to the body's signals to prevent burnout.
• Importance of self-awareness and energetic hygiene in maintaining well-being.
• Leanne offers guidance on navigating energy dynamics within relationships and fostering inner peace.

Guest Links:
Website: www.spruceenergyhealing.com
Instagram:@spruceenergyhealing
Facebook: Spruce Energy healing
Pinterest: Spruce Energy Healing
Youtube: Spruce Energy Healing
TikTok: @leannemercredi
Podcast: Life of a Lightworker

In this episode, Avery opens the door to a unique conversation with a guest who breaks the mold of traditional burnout narratives. Introducing Melissa Corley Carter, a remarkable rocket scientist.
The episode teases the intriguing circumstances of Avery and Melissa's initial meeting and introduces Melissa's awe-inspiring achievement of running marathons on every continent, including the challenging terrain of Antarctica.

As the host of a stress management podcast, Avery sets the tone by acknowledging the cliché phrase "it's not rocket science" and the irony of speaking to an actual rocket scientist. This introduction provides a glimpse into the unconventional perspective Melissa brings to the table.

Highlights:
Understanding Burnout (01:32 - 02:09)

Avery emphasizes the podcast's focus on addressing burnout beyond surface-level solutions like meditation, introducing the importance of uncovering the various factors contributing to burnout.

Melissa's Burnout Story (03:00 - 06:44)

Melissa shares her burnout story, starting with her high-achieving childhood and the dream of becoming an astronaut. The pivotal rejection from the astronaut program leads to a deep reflection on purpose and the realization that her life's goal transcended the superficial astronaut dream.

Understanding Burnout Types (06:44 - 07:48)

Avery introduces the concept of four burnout types, emphasizing the challenge high achievers face in recognizing fulfillment burnout.

Realizing the Need for Change (07:48 - 11:47)

Exploring Melissa's pivotal moment of realizing the need for change and the steps she took to rediscover purpose. The discussion touches on the challenges of identity and the importance of understanding the deeper goals behind external achievements.

Acceptance and Santosha (11:47 - 13:37)

The conversation delves into the concept of santosha (acceptance) and its relevance to high achievers. Melissa shares her shifted perspective on high achievement, focusing on fulfillment and conscious decision-making aligned with the soul.

Melissa's Current Work (13:37 - 17:50)

Melissa discusses her entrepreneurial journey, incorporating various modalities and energy leadership. Her recently released book and wisdom card deck are introduced as tools to guide individuals on their paths.

Rocket Science and Fulfillment (17:50 - 19:09)

The intersection of Melissa's space background and her current work is explored, emphasizing the enduring principles of rocket science in her life purpose. Listeners are encouraged to identify deeper goals behind external aspirations.

Closing Thoughts (20:42 - 21:13)

Melissa encourages listeners to relax and embrace their present positions, emphasizing that they are the gift. Avery adds a reminder to slow down and appreciate the present moment.

Guest links:
Melissa's Website: Epic Life Actually

Melissa on Instagram: Melissa Corley Carter

Melissa on Facebook: Melissa Corley Carter

Melissa on LinkedIn: Melissa Corley Carter

In the relentless pursuit of success and prosperity, the landscape of work has evolved significantly over the years. In the era of modern capitalism, the concept of a healthy work-life balance seems like an elusive dream for most people. The impacts of capitalism on burnout culture are profound, stretching back to the beginning of the industrial revolution and becoming this seemingly unstoppable freight train in the complex and demanding world we face today.

The Historical Unraveling of Work-Life Balance

The seeds of burnout culture were sown in the early days of capitalism, as industrialization swept across the world. The shift from agrarian economies to industrial societies really marked a turning point, where we slowly started to learn to ignore our needs because our life was increasingly dictated by the demands of the clock. Factories made productive machines out of humans and the boundaries between work and personal life blurred, laying the groundwork for the burnout culture we're faced with today.

The Rise of Modern Capitalism and its Toll

The true rise of modern capitalism, with its emphasis on profit maximization and constant growth, can be traced back to the mid-20th century. Post-World War II, economies were rebuilt, and a new era of consumerism emerged. Corporations, driven by the pursuit of profit, began to prioritize efficiency and productivity above all else because the more that they could produce, the more money that they could make. This shift had profound implications for the workforce, as the pressure to meet these ever-increasing demands continued to intensify.

This leaves us with a number of different factors that are driven by capitalism that can sabotage our stress management efforts if we’re not aware of them. Awareness is always the first step because it’s from a place of knowing what we’re dealing with that we have any chance of mitigating the impact these burnout-inducing aspects of capitalism have on our well being.

Factors Amplifying Stress in the Modern World

1. Technology and the 24/7 Work Cycle

We’re in a digital age, that’s just a fact, and technology has reshaped the way we live, blurring the lines between professional and personal life. Smartphones, laptops, and tablets started the journey towards being “always available” and the convenience of remote work has also increased the pressure to live up to the expectation to be available around the clock. Emails, messages, and virtual meetings throughout the day, and the constant reminder that work is literally available at our fingertips fosters the constant state of alertness that breeds burnout. Your ability to work whenever wherever leaves that part of your brain, your work brain, always on running in the background - which is especially true for entrepreneurs.

2. Intense Competition and Job Insecurity

Modern capitalism thrives on competition, and the pressure to outperform each other is trained into us in grade school and just strengthens overtime.You know that phrase “everyone’s replaceable”? It just feeds the feeling of job insecurity, forcing individuals to prove their worth continually. The fear of falling behind or losing one's job adds a layer of stress that spreads through every aspect of life, eroding the mental and emotional well-being of workers.No wonder you don’t believe yourself when you try saying positive affirmations like “I am enough” when you’re constantly being told you’re not.

3. Consumerist Culture and Material Expectations

The consumerist culture inherent in modern capitalism fuels a desire for material wealth and status. But the truth is, many are just struggling to survive in modern capitalism just to afford to live - let’s be real. Enough of us are struggling to balance a budget let alone save up for those luxuries that capitalism says we should want. Tied in with the idea of competition, as we strive to keep up with societal expectations and the pressure we and others put on ourselves, the pursuit of success becomes an all-encompassing focus. This unrelenting drive for more not only contributes to burnout but also fosters a sense of emptiness when material gains fail to bring the expected fulfillment.

4. Lack of Social Safety Nets

One of the most impactful things on the chronic stress levels of individuals is the fact that modern capitalism often neglects the importance of robust social safety nets. The absence of comprehensive healthcare, adequate paid leave, and mental health support places additional burdens on individuals, exacerbating burnout. The fear of financial instability and the lack of a safety net create a breeding ground for stress and exhaustion. Now if our societies don’t provide this support, then naturally it would fall to us as individuals to set up our own safety nets. Which would be doable if minimum wage was a livin...

It’s 6:45 am, Christmas morning 2018. I’m finishing up my 12 hour night shift at an ICU I had been working at for about a year. The charge nurse came around to get a final report for how my patient was doing and to get any info that would be helpful for the day-shift team to know.

Before I could even start talking she said “Wow, you don’t look well. Go home and get some sleep. I’ll mark you down as sick for your next few shifts. I hope you feel better.”

The next hour was a blur of me giving report to the day-nurse coming on shift, me changing out of my scrubs and back into street clothes, somehow walking to the train and getting home to say Merry Christmas to my husband of three months before crawling into bed for what I thought would be my usual 5 hour sleep after a night shift.

But I slept for 20 hours.

Then I slept for 20 hours the day after that. And the day after that.

I went to the walk-in clinic down the street to get tested for what I thought was a flare up of mononucleosis, but I was sorely mistaken.

The clinic doctor walked into the room and said “How long has that lump been there on your neck?”

I said “what now?”

Fast forward a few months of me feeling like absolute trash, unable to work due to crippling fatigue, always feeling like I had the flu, nausea, inability to tolerate nearly any kind of food, dizziness, headaches, and the most peculiar feeling that I now know to be brain fog. I had met with multiple specialists, had a bunch of different tests and turns out I had a 4.5 cm lump on my thyroid.

I called it Bob.

Things like thyroid masses are a lot less scary when you give it name.

On the day of my surgery to serve Bob his eviction notice (aka to get my thyroid mass cut out) I remember the surgery being delayed. I was starting to get worried about my partner because he’ll be the first to admit that he gets a little hangry sometimes. So I was telling him to please go and get something to eat - but he wanted to stay with me.

The anesthesiologist came out to talk with me and it was wild to hear the questions from this side of the hospital bed. Usually I’m the one standing in scrubs holding the paperwork and answering any questions the patient might have after the doctor left.

But not this time.

As I walked into the operating room it felt uncomfortably familiar, yet harrowing to know that the bed in the center of the room was for me. The oxygen mask applied for pre-ventilation to make my intubation safe. The midazolam and propofol going into my IV and then ... nothing.

I hear the alarm bells going on a vital signs monitor beside me and I hear someone say “take a deep breath, hon.” I struggle to open my eyes and realize that she’s talking to me. Waking up from anesthetic is awful for me. I felt like I was on a boat in the high seas, with anchors tied to my eyelids. I couldn’t keep them open.

My partner comes back into the recovery room and looks white as a sheet, but I didn’t know why. Not yet.

I knew the drill. I had to get out of bed and walk to the bathroom before they’d let me go home.

And I so desperately wanted to go home. It was so noisy in the recovery room. So busy. I just wanted to be somewhere quiet where I could close my eyes and make the world stop moving.

I slowly made my way over there, went pee, and was walking up to the sink to wash my hands when I saw it.

The thing that had made my partner go white.

The 4 inch incision horizontally across my neck. A little bloody. Lots of betadine and iodine to clean it. And not a stitch in sight - this surgeon was highly skilled with their internal, dissolvable stitches.

My hope that all of my symptoms that came on literally overnight would go away with Bob.

But as I healed from the surgery and the incision turned into a scar - nothing changed. I am grateful that Bob was gone. But it hurt that he didn’t take these other symptoms with him.

Another six months went by with more tests, more doctors, a scary migraine that presented as a stroke, and I was finally given a diagnosis.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

It hit me so hard. I went through all of the stages of grief, denial, bargaining, anger, it was ugly.

I tried so many different treatments, went through so many different programs, and nothing worked. Nothing got rid of the fatigue, dizziness, aches, flu feeling, brain fog.

I couldn’t work as an ICU nurse. I could barely keep up with the tasks for my simple stress management business.

I could barely move for more than three hours a day without crashing for the next couple of days.

I didn’t know who I was anymore.

I didn’t know what I was capable of doing anymore.

I didn’t know what my life and the life of my new husband was going to look like anymore.

I didn’t feel like I was a valuable human anymore.<...